Breaking News
General Hospital’s Stuart Damon Dead at 84
More sad news to report on Tuesday. General Hospital’s Daytime Emmy-winning star and beloved veteran actor, Stuart Damon (Dr. Alan Quartermaine) has passed away at the age of 84 following a long battle with renal failure.
ABC7’s Los Angeles’ entertainment guru, George Pennacchio learned the news and took to his Facebook page to announce Damon’s death expressing: “We’ve lost a soap opera legend. The great Stuart Damon, best known for playing Alan Quartermaine on General Hospital for many decades, has died at the age of 84. He’d been struggling with renal failure for the last several years. His son, Christopher, told me he so loved being a part of that soap. He said, ‘It was his favorite place to be. He loved playing Alan and was always so appreciative of that role and that job. It was his passion.” Before GH, Stuart made a mark opposite Lesley Ann Warren in the 1965 TV movie, Cinderella. He was a kind, loving and friendly man. It’s something Christopher heard his entire life. It was my honor to know Stuart Damon. May this Prince R.I.P.”
Photo: ABC
Stuart played Dr. Alan Quartermaine on GH for over 30 years from 1977 to 2007 and then he re-appeared as Alan’s ghost in 2008, 2011, 2012, and 2013. Damon also played Alan on Port Charles for a time, and had roles later in his daytime career on As the World Turns and Days of our Lives. He won a Daytime Emmy in 1999 for the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Alan’s hydrocodone addiction storyline.
Photo: NBC
Damon started his career on Broadway and was best known before GH for his role as “Prince Charming” in the 1965 TV version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella opposite Lesley Ann Warren.
Stuart is is survived by his wife, Deirdre Ann Ottewill; daughter, Jennifer; and son, Christopher, as well as his grandson, Alexander, whom he and Ottewill legally adopted in 2000.
Photo: ABC
The actor’s former GH co-star Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio) expressed on learning the news of Damon’s passing: “It is with much sadness I heard of Stuart Damon’s passing. He brought a real steadiness to the Quartermaine family. I enjoyed my scenes with him. Rest easy my friend.”
Sean Kanan (Ex-A.J. Quartermaine) shared: “I am saddened to have learned that Stuart Damon has passed. Although we had lost touch over the years I will never forget his kind soul, zany sense of humor and talent. RIP Stuey Damone”
Photo: ABC
Amber Tamblyn (Ex-Emily Quartermaine) shared: “Broken hearted to hear of the passing of Stuart Damon. He played my adopted dad on General Hospital for 7 years and he was the most kind, wonderful, loving, supportive person. He always made me laugh and made me feel safe on set. I love you, Stewy. Rest well now, my friend.”
We will continue to update this story with more on the passing of Stuart Damon.
Watch below one of the most heartfelt moments, when Stuart won his Daytime Emmy, and his emotional and touching acceptance speech.
Now, share your remembrances and condolences on the passing of Stuart Damon via the comment section.
#BREAKING – Actor Stuart Damon, best known for playing Alan Quartermaine on @GeneralHospital has died at 84. He also played The Prince in the 1965 TV movie, “Cinderella.”
He’d been struggling with renal failure.
(📷 courtesy ABC, Cathy Blaivas & Craig Sjodin) pic.twitter.com/71s6PVMm6J— George Pennacchio (@abc7george) June 29, 2021
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Rest in Peace, Stuart Damon. Wonderful actor, classic portrayal of Dr. Alan Quartermaine, who was one of the stalwarts on GH for so many years. I still get angry when I think of the disgraceful way ABC and Jill Farren Phelps acting on orders from above treated him in firing him from the show, and killing him off in 2007. I remember him being front and center on GH when I first started watching in the early 90s. Alan and Monica were one of the all-time great soap couples, with all their cheating, deception, murder attempts (lol), they always found… Read more »
Such sad news ): Such a sad few days with two legendary daytime performers passing away ): One of my all-time favorite Daytime Emmy moments was when Stuart Damon finally won his way overdue Emmy!!! I loved Alan Quartermaine so much and was so incredibly angry when they decided to kill off his character in 2007. It was such a terrible decision. The decimation of the Quartermaine’s and the focusing on the mobsters, particularly Sonny Corinthos, alienated millions of GH viewers. I have so many treasured memories of Alan over the 30 years he was on the show. I also… Read more »
The world is a little sadder. Any day Alan was on, you knew it would be at least a good episode. Stuart Damon had such a comforting voice and demeanor (well, maybe not when he was trying to have a roof collapse on Monica & Rick). Soap fans used to like to say “we know” how a character feels or may act. With Stuart’s touching portrayal of Alan, longtime fans always knew where Alan was coming from and how he would react. Alan gave Monica a house, but Stuart gave GH fans a soap home for over 30 years. There… Read more »
He was great on GH. Rest in Peace!
I watched Mr. Damon throughout his entire tenure on GH. What a stage presence! What a great actor! I fondly recall as a child (and beyond) watching his performance in “Cinderella” — a magical production that seemed to air annually. I can still full well remember the songs, “Ten Minutes Ago,” among them. When I think of his storylines on GH, I instantly recall the time Alan painstakingly planned to have a house fall on lovers Monica and Rick. Still, it was the relationship between Monica and Alan that had staying power. Even after affairs and breakups, they always reunited,… Read more »
wow, so sad to hear about Stuart Damon, he was one of a kind. RIP.
Prayers to his family. What a great actor he was. Loved him as Alan Q. Thanks for the memories. Rest in peace.
He truly was a Prince Charming RIP you sweet man!
What a huge loss, Stuart Damon as Alan Q was one of my favourite characters. What a fantastic speech he made in 1999 for Best Supporting Actor – that’s what the Daytime Emmy Awards shows were like, that one was in New York! Wish they would be like that once again, somehow, someday. Anyways, shame on JFP for killing Alan off from GH and killing off other beloved characters. Alan is always missed in scenes in Q house. I hope there is a way that GH can close an episode “in memory of Stuart Damon” and show scenes with Monica,… Read more »
Yes – GH absolutely needs to do a tribute episode to the late great Stuart Damon. They could have various characters remember Alan and have an episode full of flashbacks to celebrate the greatness of Stuart Damon! I hope the producers understand why this is needed – many of us were wounded by the terrible decision to kill off Dr. Alan Quartermaine and we miss him terribly.
The tribute episode would be more difficult to pull off here than the recent Sean Donely tribute (for example). Sean had been unseen for decades, but was still presumed to be alive. Alan Quartermaine has been dead since Jerry Jax took the Metro Court hostage, so it’s not like you could have a typical memorial service for him now. So how do they pull this off?? Given Stuart Damon’s pre-GH background in musical theatre, I would find some way to dedicate the 2021 Nurses Ball to Alan’s memory. Yeah, it would involve some convoluted writing to create that premise, but… Read more »
Here is how they could do it: it could be Monica and Alan’s anniversary and she has memories (flashbacks of Alan) and then we could see Lucy, Jason, Ned, Laura, Robin, etc. could visit for the special episode – it would be possible and it would be such a great thing for them to do! They can take an episode and pay tribute to this great star of the show! It wouldn’t need to be a memorial service, it could be characters remembering Alan, and they could do what Y&R has done occasionally and break the fourth wall and pay… Read more »
I am stunned to hear this news. My first exposure to Stuart Damon was the 1965 Cinderella broadcast. I was mesmerized by him. When he came to GH, I was thrilled. He did not disappoint. He was just super as Alan Quartermaine. I was so sorry when they killed the character.
My most sincere condolences to his family. Thank you Mr. Damon for sharing your amazing talent with all of us. Rest in peace.
He did a great job on GH. RIP
Him and Ray McDonald…how sad!!!
Alan was one of my favorite actors on GH of all time. When he was on the show the Quartermaines were front and center. Alan was constantly bickering with Tracy, wanted to kill Monica and always looking for Edward’s approval. As a father, his hope lied in the hands of Jason and AJ ruined that with a car wreck. Alan’s heart was broken. His marriage to Lucy Coe was epic. He was a rock on the show. When he was killed off, it was one of the big mistakes of all time on GH! A little part of the show… Read more »
ANOTHER great loss to the soap community and one of the touchstones of the halcyon days of GH. I also recently spotted Mr. Damon in the Oscar-winning 1973 comedy “A TOUCH OF CLASS”. He’s in the last scenes of the movie, offering to share a taxi with Best Actress winner Glenda Jackson, who knows enough by now to say, “You’re married? You take it.” He was incredibly handsome then…and always. I hope they honor him accordingly.
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DAYS and GH Director Joe Behar Passes Away at 94
Joseph Behar was heavyweight director in daytime drama having worked on both Days of our Lives and General Hospital and now comes word of his passing. Behar passed away on June 26th at the age of 94.
According to his obit, he died at his home in Manhattan Beach, California.
Joe spent the the bulk of his career directing Days of Our Lives and General Hospital. He actually directed the pilot episode of General Hospital back in 1963, then came back the ABC daytime drama series 30 years later to direct it for more than 10 more years,.
Along the way, he won 5 Daytime Emmys for his work on GH, and had won six overall throughout his career. He continued directing until his retirement back in 2005.
Behar’s career started on the Ernie Kovacs Show and he also directed Let’s Make a Deal. and more.
Photo: JPI
He is survived by his wife, Carolyn and his sons, Jeffrey, Steven and Greg Behar and his grandchildren, Alex, Mallory, Niko and Lydia.
Watch an interview with Joe via the TV Academy on his career including working with Frances Reid (Ex-Alice, DAYS), the pace of directing in daytime and more below.
Share your remembrances and condolences for Joe and his family in the comment section.
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