Tara Mobasher January 12th, 2021 - 9:08 AM
Following his death on January 9, the iconic ABC soap opera General Hospital will be paying tribute to the late John Reilly (Passions) who played Sean Donely on the series, according to Variety. The actors daughter, Caitlin Reilly (Die! Skitter! Die: Rupert), announced his death via Instagram but did not disclose the cause.
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Reilly began his career on General Hospital in 1984 and continued for more than a decade, until 1995 where he later made several different appearances as Sean Donely in 2008 and in 2013. Executive producer Frank Valentini (One Life To Live) said in a statement regarding Reilly’s death that he was “a huge part of the ‘GH’ history and will be honored in an upcoming episode that the writers are working on now,” via Variety.
Sean was initially introduced when Luke Spencer, played by Anthony Geary (Bright Promise), needed help from Sean, who was the head of the World Security Bureau in the 1970s, in order to potentially escape murder charges. Later becoming engulfed in other dramatic appearances, Sean Donely solidified his place in Port Charles.
The General Hospital team mourned publicly on Twitter in the days following Reilly’s death.
The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of John Reilly’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones. Rest in peace. #GH https://t.co/bJC8PBRmcg
— General Hospital (@GeneralHospital) January 10, 2021
The entire GH family mourns the passing of John Reilly #GH @GeneralHospital Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends
— Frank Valentini (@valentinifrank) January 10, 2021
Alongside his role in General Hospital, Reilly also made appearances in Death Valley Days, Apple’s Way, and Gunsmoke, all of which kickstarted his career in the 1960s. In the 1970s, the actor replaced John Colenback (As the World Turns) as Dr. Dan Stewart on As the World Turns. Following his work on General Hospital, Reilly took up the role of Kelly Taylor’s father in several episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210 and in 2005, began playing the role of Alistair Crane on NBC’s Passions. Reilly is survived by his wife, five daughters, and two grandchildren.
