Anthony Geary, Outstanding Lead Actor (1981,1999, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2015).
Yes, Luke Spencer is problematic due to the rape of Laura that was whitewashed into a romance. However, Anthony Geary did his best to escape the character. Just a few years after winning his first Emmy, Geary left General Hospital with hopes of leaving Luke behind him. After working outside the soap industry with little success, he returned in 1991 on the condition that he didn’t have to play Luke. Unfortunately the audience couldn’t get behind his cousin Bill Eckhart. However, when Luke and Laura returned GH was given a new breath of life. It also gave Geary the opportunity to stretch his acting muscles by tackling the problematic origins of their love story. The next Emmy Geary won was for his work confronting the rape of Laura. While Luke and Laura never were the same after, that was the point. They should have never been. Whether you liked the breakup of Luke and Laura, it was necessary and allowed Geary to put in some amazing performances exploring the dark side of Luke. With 16 nominations and a record 8 wins for Lead Actor, the man is a legend.
