Stuart Damon, 'General Hospital' and '60s 'Cinderella' Star, Dies at 84

Veteran soap opera star Stuart Damon died at 84 Tuesday, his friend George Pennacchio confirmed in a tweet.

Pennacchio wrote that Damon had "been struggling with renal failure."

Damon had spent his later years as a resident of the Motion Picture & Television Fund Country House residence. He and several retiree friends were profiled about the experience in 2015 for The Hollywood Reporter, at which time he said his table at the commissary was "the table of hooligans. Sarcasm reigns."

Brooklyn-born on February 5, 1937, Damon was a Brandeis grad who made his Broadway debut in 1959 in "First Impressions." He was also in the original Broadway cast of "Irma la Douce" in 1960, staying with the show for over a year.

His biggest early impression was as the Prince on the February 1965 TV production of "Cinderella," the only Rodgers & Hammerstein musical written for the medium. A remake of the 1957 Julie Andrews version, the production featured Damon and 18-year-old Lesley Ann Warren. In its initial airing, "Cinderella" became the highest-rated non-sports show on CBS for over 40 years. It was rerun eight times on TV through 1974.

Damon capitalized on the success, appearing in a series of musicals in London. While there, he took the role of secret agent Craig Stirling on the short-lived TV series "The Champions" (1968-1969), which became a cult favorite. He reprised the role for a 1983 TV movie, "Legend of the Champions."

Staying in London for years, Damon appeared on several other series, including appearances on "The Adventures of Black Beauty" (1973), "Thriller" (1975), and playing Guido on the sci-fi series "Space: 1999" (1975-1977).

In 1977, Damon took the role that would dominate his career, that of Dr. Alan Quartermaine on "General Hospital." After receiving a half dozen Daytime Emmy nominations for his performances, Damon won 22 years into his run for a season on which he portrayed Quartermaine's addiction to hydrocodone.

His character died on-screen and he left the series in 2008, but Damon did return as a ghost and in a dream sequence, and appeared on the show's 50th-anniversary episode in 2013.

Amber Tamblyn, one of Damon's co-stars on "GH," wrote on Twitter, "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."

While on "GH," Damon also played Quartermaine on "Port Charles" (1997-2001), and later played Gov. Jim Ford on "Days of Our Lives" (2010) and Ralph Manzo on "As the World Turns" (2009-2010).

He retired following the 2013 film "Rain from Stars."