Chris Robinson, 'General Hospital' actor who famously played a doctor on TV, dies at 86

Chris Robinson, the histrion who played Dr. Rick Webber connected “General Hospital” and besides introduced America to a classical crook of operation successful a commercialized for cough syrup, has died of bosom failure. He was 86.

Robinson died successful his slumber conscionable aft midnight connected Monday astatine location successful Sedona, Ariz., according to filmmaker MJ Allen, who posted the quality connected Facebook.

“Jacquie (Chris’ wife) conscionable called maine a spot agone and informed maine that my bully person and collaborator Hollywood fable Chris Robinson has passed away,” the filmmaker, whose afloat sanction is Michael Jason Allen, wrote Monday afternoon. “We knew this was coming, but it ever sucks.”

Though Robinson had 100 TV and movie acting credits, according to IMDb, his astir celebrated relation mightiness beryllium 1 galore radical don’t recognize they are referencing: He was the histrion successful a Vicks Formula 44 cough syrup commercialized who archetypal spoke the words, “I’m not a doctor, but I play 1 connected TV.” That operation from 1984 was uttered again 2 years aboriginal successful a 2nd Vicks Formula 44 advertisement featuring Peter Bergman, “The Young and the Restless” histrion who astatine the clip played Dr. Cliff Warner connected “All My Children.”

The remainder was pop-culture history.

Born successful West Palm Beach, Fla., connected Nov. 5, 1938, Robinson appeared successful much than 1,000 “General Hospital” episodes betwixt 1978 and 1986, past returned for astir 20 episodes successful 2002 and 1 successful April 2013. He was besides successful astir 250 episodes arsenic Jack Hamilton connected “The Bold and the Beautiful,” mostly successful the aboriginal 1990s but continuing into the aboriginal 2000s, and had 20 episodes arsenic Jason Frame connected “Another World” successful 1988 to 1989.

He was a regular successful the pages of Soap Opera Digest and acted with John Stamos, Rick Springfield and Richard Dean Anderson erstwhile their careers were conscionable beginning.

His episodic TV credits began successful the 1960s and included “The Donna Reed Show,” “Gunsmoke,” “Wagon Train,” “Perry Mason” and “Hogan’s Heroes,” to sanction a few.

Robinson starred successful films alongside Mickey Rooney, Charlton Heston, Dick Clark, Bruce Dern, Ted Cassidy and Yvonne De Carlo and directed movie and TV including episodes of “Baretta,” “Cannon” and “Barnaby Jones.” He wrote, starred successful and directed the 1977 movie “The Great Balloon Race” with Frank Gifford, Phyllis Diller, Cab Calloway and Bert Parks.

Robinson appeared successful 3 films directed by Allen: “Just for a Week,” “Barely Dreaming” and “Yancey McCord: The Killer That Arizona Forgot About.”

In 1985, the histrion — past surviving successful Glendale, Calif. — pleaded blameworthy to national taxation evasion charges and could person faced 2 years successful situation for filing mendacious taxation returns connected $490,000 successful income from 1980 to 1981. He managed to debar a condemnation that would person forced him to permission “General Hospital” by serving his clip connected nights and weekends to stay disposable for daytime taping. He was besides ordered to wage each backmost taxes and interest.

In much caller years, Robinson enjoyed clip connected his ranch with his creator woman of 14 years, Jacquie Shane-Robinson.

“We spent a fewer holidays together, staying retired astatine his ranch having buffets by the creek, and him and Jacquie coming to my location to sermon projects were ever a treat,” Allen wrote connected Facebook. “Good times. ... RIP, bully person and legend. Respect to Jacquie and the fam.”

Rhonda Robinson, 1 of the actor’s ex-wives, posted a vintage photograph of a 1980s Daytime TV Yearbook connected Monday showing Chris Robinson and their young sons, writing, “Seems similar a beingness ago. When we got joined I was definite it would past forever, but unluckily it did not. But we did make the champion sons. They volition miss you. RIP Chris.”

Robinson is survived by his woman Jacquie arsenic good arsenic sons Shane, Coby, Christian, Taylor, Christopher, Christopher Lance and Robb Walker from his galore erstwhile marriages. He had 5 grandchildren.