General Hospital’s Michael Easton Opens Up About Beloved Co-Star’s Final Moments: ‘I Was Holding His Hand When He Passed’

This has been an emotional couple weeks for all things Michael Easton. Onscreen, there were the heartbreaking General Hospital scenes as Finn discovered Gregory’s body and dealt with the aftermath of his death. And offscreen, there was the Daytime Stands Up: A Benefit for Stand Up To Cancer event, where Easton and The Young and the Restless’ Trevor St. John (Tucker) came together to talk about their late friend and beloved former One Life to Live co-star, Kamar de los Reyes (Antonio).

It’s been nearly half a year since One Life to Live’s Kamar de los Reyes (Antonio) passed away from cancer. He died on Christmas Eve, leaving behind three sons, wife Sherri Saum (Keri) and so many beloved friends and family.

“He was such a deep feeling person,” St. John, who played both Todd and Victor Lord on One Life to Live, shared. “I don’t know if he’d like me using this description, but he was really a sweet man. A kind and genuine person. And such a good friend.”

The actors both agreed that there hasn’t been a day since he passed that they don’t think of him. “And I miss him terribly,” St. John admitted.

Though Easton played One Life to Lives‘ John McBain for some time before heading to General Hospital, he first met de los Reyes over thirty years ago when they made a movie together in 1990. It was the start of an abiding friendship that saw de los Reyes acting as best man in Easton’s wedding, while the General Hospital star was made godfather to de los Reyes’ son Michael.

When asked how he reacted to the news of his beloved friend’s passing, Easton explained that he didn’t need to hear the news. “I was holding his hand when he passed,” he shared. “He was surrounded by family and friends and there was so much love around him. He touched so many lives. His memorial was the biggest room at Forrest Lawn and they couldn’t even fit everybody in. People showed up who hadn’t seen him in 20 years. One Life cast came and cast from All American.”

Stunningly, de los Reyes was filming with the CW hit right up until the end.

“He loved to work,” Easton continued in the video (which you can watch above), “and he went to work two weeks before he passed at All American. He shot his last episode there. That’s what kept him going, the love of his family, the love of his children and wife, and work.”

And for some time, that seemed to be working. “He fought to the end,” marveled Easton. “He was fierce to the end. He never talked about being sick. He always talked about healing. He always said he was healing, he wasn’t sick, he was going to get better. Even though the odds were stacked from the very beginning and it’s still very hard for me to talk about. But I was in awe of his strength and his resolve. I would’ve shut down long before he did. He fought to the very, very end.”