General Hospital Alum Rif Hutton Passes Away At Age 73

The soap world mourns the loss of another star as news has hit that General Hospital alum Rif Hutton has passed away.

This off the cusp of learning that Patrick Muldoon, who played Days of Our Lives’ Austin Reed, has also died. More details on Hutton’s death, below.

Rif Hutton’s GH Legacy

Hutton’s family confirmed his passing to TMZ. He died at the age of 73 this past Saturday, April 18, at his Pasadena home after battling a type of brain cancer, Glioblastoma, for about a year. Rif Hutton played character David Ward in 1995 on General Hospital, then returned in 2021 to another character called Lenny.

In addition, he played Malcolm O’Hara, a member of Alexis Davis’ (Nancy Lee Grahn) disciplinary board in 2017.

More On Rif Hutton

Fans may also remember Hutton from his other acting credits. He was in many commercials during the ’90s, most notably playing Russ Beeler, a fictional Kentucky Fried Chicken owner.

In addition, he had roles on primetime, working on Doogie Howser, M.D. as Dr. Ron Welch from 1990 to 1993. From 1997 to 2001, Hutton also played Lt. Cmdr. Alan Mattoni on JAG.

Hutton also had guest appearances on other shows throughout his career, including Married With Children, A Different World, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Jeffersons, just to name a few. Hutton also worked as a voice actor and appeared in stage productions across L.A.

The actor was born in San Antonio, Texas, but grew up in East Orange, New Jersey. He headed to L.A. in the ‘70s with a dream of acting.

He went to a ton of auditions during the early part of his career and struggled, as many actors do. He was homeless at one point, getting help from friends, but managed to persevere and would end up leaving behind quite the acting legacy.

On behalf of everyone here, CTS sends its thoughts to Rif Hutton’s family, friends, colleagues, and fans during this difficult time.

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