Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary)

Lucas Lorenzo "Luke" Spencer Sr. is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital, and has been played by Anthony Geary since November 1978.

Luke often calls people who he is close to by their real names. He calls his niece, Carly, Caroline; his sister, Bobbie, Barbara Jean; his daughter, Lulu, Lesley Lu; and his good friend, Alexis, Natasha.

Casting
Anthony Geary was originally hired for a 13-week stint on General Hospital in November 1978, which eventually grew into a full contract role. Geary received Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1980, 1981, and had his first win in 1982. Geary was nominated again in 1983, before leaving the show on December 27, 1983. Geary later reprised the role from October 26 to December 11, 1984.

In 1991, Geary returned to General Hospital as Luke's cousin and look-alike Bill Eckert, due to the actor's desire to play something other than Luke. However, due to audience feedback and demand, the character was killed off and Geary resumed the role of Luke on October 29, 1993. Geary was nominated in 1997 and 1998 for Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor, and had his second win in 1999, and his third in 2000. He received another nomination in 2003, and had his fourth win in 2004. When Geary won for the fifth time in 2006, he set the record for most lead actor wins.

Geary has been known in later years for his annual long vacations from the show. As Geary explains to Entertainment Weekly, "That's my contractual situation. There came a point where they really couldn't offer me more money in negotiations. I've made a very fine living and I'm grateful for that. But what they could offer me would be more time. So what's happened is that through the years I've eked out what I think is an ideal situation. I have a minimum number of shows, 31 weeks a year, and the rest of my time is my own.''

Geary received another Emmy nomination in 2007, and in 2008, he again set a record for most lead actor wins with his sixth Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor. Also in 2008, Geary made a guest appearance on the General Hospital spin-off ''General Hospital: Night Shift.

Having received his last nomination in 2009, Geary again set a record in 2012 with his seventh win for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Drama Series.

Background
Luke Spencer was born and raised in Port Charles, New York to a low-income family near the docks. Luke, who was street smart, would constantly defend his sister Bobbie when they were growing up. Luke’s father, Tim, was an alcoholic. He regularly beat both Luke and Bobbie as well as their mother Lena. One day Lena was suffering from appendicitis, Tim watched as she lay dying. Finally he asked Luke to call an ambulance, but it was too late and Lena died, and Tim walked out on his kids. Luke befriended Lila Quartermaine, who was planning to adopt both orphans, but both left town and moved in with their aunt Ruby Anderson, a prostitute who lived in Florida. Soon Bobbie, who was 14 years old, began to work in the same profession.

Storylines
Luke Spencer was born and raised in Port Charles, New York to a low-income family near the docks. Luke, who was street smart, would constantly defend his sister Bobbie Spencer when they were growing up. Luke’s father, Tim, was an alcoholic who abandoned the family. Their mother, Lena, raised Luke and Bobbie up until her tragic death, leading Luke and Bobbie to move in with their aunt Ruby Anderson, who lived in Florida. While in Florida, Ruby, who was a prostitute, made Bobbie work in the same profession when she was 14 years old. As a teenager, Luke befriended Lila Morgan Quartermaine, who was planning on adopting Luke and Bobbie.
 * -|1970s-80s=

Luke arrived in Port Charles in 1978 when his sister, Bobbie, who was now a nurse, was trying to separate Laura Webber and Scott Baldwin. After one of their schemes lead to Laura being in a car accident, Luke refuses to be part in any scheme that would hurt Laura, and he eventually falls in love with her. Laura soon began working at a disco club. Luke, who was involved in many criminal activities with Frank Smith, was very distraught one night and got intoxicated at the disco club, eventually leading him to rape Laura.

Laura began to fall in love with Luke but due to Luke’s involvement in the mob, Luke was pressured into marrying Frank Smiths’ daughter, Jennifer. Luke then told Laura to reveal her rape to Scott, which she refused. Scott eventually discovered Luke’s indiscretion and assaulted him on a yacht, in which Luke fell overboard and was presumed dead. Luke resurfaced and he and Laura began a new life. The only obstacle was the mob, in which the couple tried to send Frank Smith to jail. When that failed, the couple posed as newlyweds and was on the run from Smith’s men. Eventually they discovered evidence and Smith was put away for criminal activities. After that, Luke and Laura made love and returned to Port Charles where the press constantly attacked Laura. To defend herself, she referred to herself as “Mrs. Scott Baldwin” forcing Luke to end their relationship.

Luke, Laura, and Agent Robert Scorpio were in search for a diamond named the Ice Princess, which was also pursued by the Cassadines, who were planning on using it in a formula to create a snow machine to take over the world. Luke and Laura reconciled and the trio were soon joined by actress Tiffany Hill in their journey to defeat Mikkos Cassadine. After their struggle to defeat Mikkos and his ice machine, Luke and Laura got a divorce from Scott’s father, Lee, and the couple was set to be married.

Luke and Laura were married on November 16, 1981, in a lavish, public ceremony officiated by the mayor of Port Charles at his official residence. The marriage brought an end Laura and Bobbie’s feud and the two have since become close friends. Mikkos’s widow, Helena Cassadine, arrived in town and placed a curse on the couple, blaming Luke and Laura for her husband’s death. The couple left town in 1984.

Luke and Laura returned to Port Charles in 1993 with their 10-year-old son, Lucky Spencer. On August 14, 1994, Laura gave birth to daughter Lulu Spencer. Months later, Luke killed Frank Smith and mobster Sonny Corinthos obtained his territory thus befriending Luke. Unfortunatley, this friendship almost cost Laura and Lulu’s lives in 1995. In 1996, a young woman name Carly Roberts arrived in town as a physical therapist and slowly found her way in to the Spencer family. Months later in May 1996, Lulu was diagnosed with aplastic anemia and was in dire need of a bone marrow transplant. Luke was shocked when 16-year old Nikolas Cassadine arrives in town and was revealed to be Laura’s son with Stavros Cassadine conceived when Laura was held captive in 1982. Nikolas’ bone marrow was a match and saved Lulu’s life. Soon after, Nikolas and his uncle Stefan moved to town, therefore ending the Spencers’ marriage. Luke then discovers that Carly Roberts was actually Carly Benson, Bobbie’s daughter that she gave up years ago during the time she was a prostitute. Luke kept the secret but constantly blackmailed Carly. After Bobbie divorces Tony after catching Tony and Carly in bed, and married Stefan. The marriage however is short-lived due to Luke’s attempt to kill Stefan.
 * -|1990s-2000s=

Luke and Nikolas have since grown closer and Luke calls Nikolas his "son". Luke and Laura faced emotional turmoil when Lucky discovered that Luke raped Laura. Lucky then began to date Elizabeth Webber, who had also been raped at the age of 15. In 1999, Lucky was presumed dead, causing Luke to divorce Laura. In 2000, it was revealed that Lucky was indeed alive and that Helena Cassadine had held him captive.

Laura would consider reuniting with her first husband Scott Baldwin for a while, but eventually she realized that she would always love Luke. By 2002, Luke and Laura had reconciled and made plans to remarry. Unfortunately, Laura was sent to a mental hospital after murdering her step-father Rick Webber on the night the remarriage was due. Laura left the canvas in 2002.

Luke then married Tracy Quartermaine after a drunken night in Vegas. Their marriage eventually blossomed but was interrupted in 2006 when Laura re-awakened thanks to Robin Scorpio’s medical aid. Luke’s niece, Carly, was preparing to marry Jasper Jacks on the same day Luke and Laura were planning on remarrying, which was exactly 25 years after their first marriage. Carly and Jax gave their entire wedding to Luke and Laura, who had a lavish wedding. Unbeknowest to Laura, they were wed by an actor not a real reverand, therefore making their marriage invalid.

On November 22, Laura slipped back in to her catatonic state but told her daughter Lulu that she does not believe she killed Rick in 2002. After Luke realized that Laura had left him, he exited the room and cried. Luke then faced more issues when Lulu discovered Luke raping Laura but Lulu was calmed down by Carly and eventually forgave Luke. After gaining his daughter’s forgiveness, he was unable to break the union of Lulu and Scott Baldwin’s son, Logan Hayes.

Tracy and Luke then decided to attend the Cassadine’s Black and White Ball, which was dedicated to a deceased Alan Quartermaine. At the party, Luke experienced a fatal heart attack and required surgery. Luke initially refused to do so but finally completed the surgery after having a discussion with Lulu. Luke was given a clean bill of health in January 2008, in which he had enough time to say good-bye to Skye Chandler-Quartermaine.

That year in August, Lulu murdered Logan and was slowly becoming mentally unstable. Laura then re-awoke in time to protect her daughter from an enraged Scott Baldwin. As revenge towards Luke, Scott revealed to Laura that Luke had been married to Tracy all those years from the time she slipped in to a catatonic state. Laura eventually was reunited with Luke and and the couple bid farewell as she moved to France and shared one last kiss. Luke then reconciled with Tracy on December 31, 2009.

On January 15, 2009, Luke catches a thief trying to rob the Haunted Star, Luke’s property gained back in 1981. Ethan was eventually revealed to be the creation of Luke’s one night stand with Holly Sutton, whom Luke shared many adventures with during General Hospital’s golden age. Luke was later kidnapped by Helena Cassadine but was held captive until September 30, 2009, in which Lulu and Ethan rescue him and bring him and a sick Helena Cassadine back to Port Charles. Luke also discovers that Elizabeth Webber, who is planning on remarrying his son, Lucky, is having an affair with Nikolas. Helena reveals to Luke that Mikkos’s long-lost son, Valentin is planning on returning to Port Charles to wreak havoc on the Spencer and Cassadine families. In November 2010, Tracy discovers that her and Luke's wedding was all a scam and kicks him out of the Quartermaine mansion. Luke pleads with her to remarry him, after insisting on getting a pre-nup, Luke's plan to get her drunk in Vegas again, And a mix-up that results in Luke's son Ethan and Tracy's great-niece Maya Ward getting married, Luke and Tracy are finally legally married at the Quartermaine mansion on December 21, 2010, Laura's birthday.
 * -|2010s=

In March 2011, Luke's adoptive grandson Jake is hit by a car and dies. When Luke is discovered to be the driver, Lucky accuses him of drunk driving and Luke goes on a downward spiral for three months, Trashing The Haunted Star and drinking heavily out of grief and guilt over killing Jake. After a failed intervention, Scaring Lulu and punching Lucky, Luke finally decides to go to rehab, But moments after getting there he checks out and skips town. Lucky finds him down in Florida at the brothel where he grew up and tries to convince his father to come home but Luke cruelly rejects him by saying harshly that fatherhood was stupid for him and that killing Jake liberated him, Leaving Lucky heartbroken.

Luke eventually returns, sobers up and secretly spies on his family, when his presence is revealed, Ethan welcomes him home but Lucky and Lulu do not want anything to do with him. When his newly-discovered grandson Aiden suddenly becomes ill, Luke drives him to the hospital and this time he does not make the same mistake he made with Jake. Aiden eventually recovers but his mother Elizabeth is not pleased with Luke taking care of her youngest son and lashes out at him for killing Jake. In March 2012, the anniversary of Jake's death, Luke sets up a charity in his honor and Elizabeth thanks him for it.

Heather Webber is released from Ferncliff and has her sights directly on Luke. Luke tries to avoid Heather's unrequited feelings and instead develops a relationship with Anna Devane who is back in town and mourning the "death" of her daughter Robin. Luke is captured and is trapped in a wooden shack by Heather in the summer of 2012. Todd Manning comes to feed him wearing a hockey mask. He is rescued by the PCPD, but not soon enough with Heather shooting Luke in the back.

In the fall, Duke Lavery comes to town and Luke is immediately suspicious of this man. He persuades a distraught Anna that they should test his fingerprints. The fingerprints check out due to "Duke" having access to Duke's.? It is later revealed that the man is actually Cesar Faison masquerading as Duke Lavery. Luke flies to Turkey, "Duke" says that he was held prisoner in a Turkish prison, to investigate the mystery man.

Faison is finally revealed as himself in December and the real "Duke" is rescued. In February Anna dumps Luke, believing Luke will always love Laura Webber. Laura and Scott Baldwin return to town and say that they are now engaged. Laura is under the impression Luke has moved on with Anna. Luke figures out that Lulu's present from the Valentine's Party is a knockoff of the Ice Princess. On March 6, Luke goes to see Laura and Scott and tells them that his main suspect is Scott. Scott responds that Luke is only targeting him because Luke can't stand seeing Laura with another man. After Scott says that he will throw him out and then says that he will call security, Luke leaves. Luke goes to the Quartermaine Mansion and talks to Tracy Quartermaine. Laura and Scott go for dinner and they see Anna kissing Duke Lavery. They then head back to the room and they think that Anna is cheating on Luke. However, Laura starts to think that there might be another explaination.

On March 21, Luke Spencer, Laura Webber and Olivia Falconeri go to Dante Falconeri and Lulu Spencer-Falconeri to see the first ultrasound images of their new "grandchild" being carried by Maxie Jones. Lulu receives a gift from her aunt Bobbie Spencer that is ticking. Luke thinks its a bomb but Bobbie calls and says its a teddy bear with a clock in it. It was a trap and Lulu goes missing. After Nikolas is shot while trying to say something about Lulu, Luke attempts to put adrenaline into his IV to wake him up. Laura and Bobbie stop him. A new lead comes up when the Haunted Star goes missing. Luke and Laura take off in a helicopter trying to track down the Haunted Star and Lulu. They find the Haunted Star and is subsequently captured by Helena Cassadine and her goons. Luke tells Helena about Nikolas, Laura is forced to call Scott Baldwin's cell, which Natasha "Alexis Davis" Cassadine picks up and Helena is convinced that Nikolas is indeed in dire situation. Helena tries to get Laura to shoot Luke's son Ethan Lovett and then tries to have him kill Luke Spencer. She mentions about the rape, cheating and producing Ethan, trying to inject Nikolas as motivation. Luke is able to get the gun from Laura and shoot couple of Helena's goons and Helena herself. They presumed that Helena is died and sees another boat is coming towards them. They have Ethan leave on another boat. After some struggle, they are transplanted to the Cassadine Island and Laura remembers the room that they are in when they wake up. It is the room that Stavros had her in when she was captive years ago. They get dressed and head to the dining room where they see a much alive Stavros Cassadine on April 10.

Luke, Laura and Dante rescue Lulu from Starvos's ice chamber. Lulu has no memory of any of them and thinks shes married to Starvos. They bring Lulu back to Port Charles and Luke encourages Dante to keep trying to get Lulu to remember. Luke and Laura bonded on their adventure and shared a kiss upon their return to Port Charles. Afterwards, they realized that the romantic chemistry between them was no longer there. Laura went on to marry Scott and Luke wished them well. Lulu is able to get her memories back soon after.

In the weeks that followed, Luke's health began to decline rapidly and he collapsed while visiting with Tracy. Luke insisted that he was fine whereas Tracy believed that Luke's consumption of alcohol had caught up with him. At Tracy's insistence, Luke agreed to find out what was wrong and was stunned to learn that he had been poisoned with a rare radioactive substance. After he learned the results, he received a posthumous message from Helena in which she admitted that while he may have killed her, she retained the upper hand in their ongoing game. Helena went on to explain that several months earlier, she had arranged for Luke's earring to be replaced with one that leaked the deadly toxin into his body. Helena's message also included a hint that a cure did exist, but that Luke would not find it in Port Charles.

With Anna's assistance, Luke discovered that Jerry Jacks had also been injected with the same radioactive substance, Polonium 210. Although Jerry was presumed deceased, Luke left town with the hope of finding Jerry and a possible cure. Luke's search for Jerry led him to Sean Donely in Ireland and then to Cassadine Island where Jerry resided. When Jerry realized that Luke had also been poisoned, he made Luke his captive and planned to test a small dose of the cure on him. However, Tracy sneaked onto the island and turned the tables on Jerry. With Tracy's help, Luke gained access to the entire dose of the antidote and they escaped. In 2014, Luke finds Carly tied up in the Quartermaine boat house but before he can rescue her Heather has her goons knock him out. Luke is later seen dressed in wig at Miscavige to make him look like Heather Webber from behind. On February 11, 2014, Scott found him in a padded cell. On February 20, Anna rescues Luke and Scott but Luke isn't himself.

"Luke" is released from the hospital on February 27 and also helps save A.J. On March 6, "Luke" proposes to Tracy and she says yes. "Luke" starts taking an interest in ELQ. Ned doesn't trust "Luke" Ned tried to convince his mother not to trust him. It is revealed that "Luke" is Julian Jerome's bankroller and the true head of the Jerome Crime Family. He wants to use ELQ to fund his drug operation. "Luke" has also hit on Kiki many times. Tracy and "Luke" marry at the. Nurses Ball and Ned reveals Tracy has been fired as ELQ's CEO. Julian tells Luke he wants to quit the mob, so "Luke" hires a gunman to shoot Lucas Jones and tries to finish the job while he is at the hospital, but Julian stops him. On May 29, it was revealed that the real Luke is being held at Miscavage.

Crimes Committed

 * While working for the mob, he committed numerous crimes
 * Raped Laura on the floor of the Campus Disco; Laura forgave him and he eventually came to terms with his actions [1979]
 * Killed Mikkos Cassadine when saving the world from Mikkos' climate machine [1981]
 * Believing that David Gray had killed Laura, Luke fought David and killed him
 * "Killed" Stavros Cassadine in a fight [1983]
 * Killed Frank Smith (a mob boss who forced Luke and Laura to live on the run for twelve years) [1994]
 * Tried to kill Helena but, when Katherine Bell died instead, framed Helena and then Stefan for killing Katherine [May 1998]
 * Shot a man on the waterfront; the man had been blackmailing Edward Quartermaine with a video that showed that Justus Ward had committed the murder of Damian Smith
 * Has planted numerous bugging devices on the Cassadines in order to keep abreast of what they are up to
 * Trespassed and broke into the Cassadine compound several times over the years
 * Arranged the fake "death" of Laura while visiting her mother so that the Cassadines would think she was dead while he and Laura tried to find out what they were up to
 * Shoved Stavros Cassadine into a black hole underneath GH [Nov 2001]
 * Tried to cover up the fact that Laura killed Rick Webber by falsely admitting to the crime himself [Sept 2002]
 * Burned the Port Charles Police Station in a self-destructive phase after Laura was committed [Nov 2002]
 * Physically attacked both Lucky and Summer [Jun 2003]
 * Held a knife to Dr. Cameron Lewis' throat [Jun 2003]
 * Accused of murdering Summer Halloway; not guilty [Jun 2003]
 * Fled the country to Switzerland when he was accused of killing Summer [Jun 2003]
 * Kidnapped Stefan Cassadine and performed an illegal mock trial to expose Stefan's lies [Oct 2003]
 * Planned to burn down Wyndemere [Oct 2003]
 * Stabbed and killed Stefan Cassadine [Oct 2003]
 * Had Dillon Quartermaine attend Stefan Cassadine's funeral dressed as a woman so that everyone there would think that the woman was Luke when "she" wasn't [Oct 2003]
 * Illegally auctioned off the Dead-Man's Hand [Oct 2003]
 * Chloroformed Helena Cassadine, kidnapped her, and held her captive [Jan 2004, to Feb 2004]
 * Blackmailed Helena; told her that if she didn't tell him where the Azure Key's treasure was, he would hold her captive until she starved to death [Feb 2004]
 * Poisoned Helena enough to give her a stomachache [Feb 2004]
 * Stole the Azure Key's treasure from the Quartermaine/Cassadine auction [Feb 2004]
 * Sprang Edward Quartermaine from the Shadybrook Sanitarium [Mar 2004]
 * Along with Skye, attempted to steal a file from inspector Morse [Mar 2004]
 * Arrested for laundering money through the Haunted Star casino (along with Faith, the true culprit) [Mar 2004]
 * Posed as a doctor in a remote village in Africa
 * Kidnapped Laura from Shadybrook and moved her to a different facility
 * Killed his legal grandson, Jake Spencer, in a hit-and-run car accident while driving drunk [Mar 2011]
 * Arrested in connection to the disappearance of Anthony Zacchara [May 2012]; released for lack of a evidence that he was dead
 * Injected a comatose Nikolas Cassadine with adrenaline [Mar 2013]
 * Held Helena Cassadine at gunpoint and threatened to kill her [Mar 2013]
 * Shot and "killed" Helena Cassadine [Apr 2013]
 * Grabbed a knife and threatened to rip Stavros' esophagus out unless he revealed where Lulu was and what he had done to her [Apr 2013]

Health and Vitals

 * Beat up by Scotty and fell overboard before marrying Jennifer Smith [Jul 1980]
 * Caught in an avalanche and broke his back, paralyzing him for a while
 * Injected with a deadly virus by Lucky and went a little crazy, confused about what year it was [2001]
 * Run over by a car while saving Summer Halloway's life [Nov 2002]
 * Suffered head injury after being knocked out by Summer when he attacked Lucky [Jun 2003]
 * Hospitalized after accidentally knocking himself unconscious after a fall [Jun 2003]
 * Fell ill during the encephalitis plague he brought to Port Charles [Jan/Feb 2006]
 * Heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery [Dec 2007]
 * Drugged by Ethan Lovett and taken to an alcohol intervention where he was tied to a chair [Apr 2011]
 * Knocked unconscious after Heather Webber hit him over the head with a wine bottle {Jun 2012]
 * Kidnapped and held hostage by Heather Webber [Jun 2012]
 * Shot by Heather Webber when he jumped in front of a bullet meant for Anna Devane [Jul 2012]
 * Shot in the arm during a prison riot inside a Turkish prison [Jan 2013]
 * Collapsed and was briefly unconscious [May 2013]
 * Poisoned with the radioactive substance Polonium 210 by Helena Cassadine [revealed Jun 2013]
 * Knocked out by Heather Webber's goons [Jan 2014]
 * Held Captive at Miscavige by the employees under the orders of Heather Webber [Jan 2014]
 * Drugged by the employees of Miscavige under the orders of Heather Webber [Jan 2014]
 * Held at Miscavage against his will by his phony double [Feb 2014-Nov 2014]
 * Drugged by the Miscavige staff under the orders of his phony double [Feb 2014-Nov 2014]