Anthony Geary, Philo from “Weird Al” Yankovic’s UHF and more, dies at 78
Mere hours after learning about the tragic death of director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, we’ve learned that another memorable Hollywood presence has passed away. According to multiple reports, Anthony Geary, who starred as the mad scientist and public access engineer Philo in “Weird Al” Yankovic’s 1989 comedy UHF, among other notable roles, has passed away at the age of 78.
How did Anthony Geary die?
According to TV Insider, Geary, who lived in the Netherlands, died Sunday of complications from a scheduled operation three days earlier. “It was a shock for me and our families and our friends,” his husband, Claudio Gama, said. “For more than 30 years, Tony has been my friend, my companion, my husband.”
Who is Philo in “Weird Al” Yankovic’s UHF?
In UHF, Geary plays Philo, a mysterious resident of the U-62 building where Yankovic’s character, George Newman, makes his claim to fame as the co-manager of a struggling local television station. Throughout the film, Philo conducts experiments using the broadcast station’s equipment while also managing the channel’s tech. During the film’s wacky events and the struggle to save the station from collapse, Philo utilizes his technological expertise to assist George in his hour of need. Philo also hosts a “Mr. Wizard”-like educational program in the film titled Secrets of the Universe, where, in one episode, he teaches children how to create plutonium from everyday household items. Toward the end of the film, Philo reveals he’s an alien from outer space, seemingly put on Earth to help George and his friends achieve their goal of keeping the station alive.
Geary was also a soap opera icon
In addition to playing Philo, Geary played the complex role of Luke Spencer on the soap opera General Hospital. Before taking on this iconic role, Geary traveled from Utah to Los Angeles, and with the help of his friend Jack Albertson, guest-starred in the fifth episode of All in the Family and became a regular on the daytime dramas Bright Promise and The Young and the Restless. In time, General Hospital lynchpin Gloria Monte approached Geary about writing a role for him, but only if he agreed to the job. While speaking about Lucas Lorenzo Spencer, Monty described the character as “an antihero, a person who does all the wrong things for the right reasons. He would be a man of action; he wouldn’t be sitting around drinking coffee and talking about who was sleeping with whom. She wanted this character to cause a lot of trouble for a lot of people.” Geary went on to feature in 1,995 episodes of General Hospital.
We want to extend our sincere condolences to Mr. Geary’s family, friends, and fans. We hope that he finds peace in the Great Hereafter and that others remember him as a shining light in the darkness.
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