Best known for his portrayal as Dr. Roger Coleridge on ABC’s “Ryan’s Hope,” and later Mike Corbin on “General Hospital” and spinoff soap “Port Charles,” actor Ron Hale has died. He was just 78 years old.
Born Ronald Hale Thigpen on January 2, 1946, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Hale died on Tuesday, August 27, according to an official obituary. He had been living in St. George, South Carolina. A cause of death has not been announced.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we’ve lost another great one,” said Hale’s former “General Hospital” co-star Billy Warlock (ex-AJ Quartermaine) on X (formerly Twitter) announcing the late actor’s passing. “My dear friend Ron Hale has passed away. Ron was an amazing talent and an even better friend. I will miss you.”
In a Facebook post, Hale’s niece, Lori Brown, said, “It is with great sorrow that I announce the passing of my uncle Ron Hale Thigpen. He died unexpectedly at his home in St George, SC on August 27. He was a wonderful human and he will be missed dearly. May he rest in peace.”
In addition to “Ryan’s Hope,” “General Hospital” and “Port Charles,” Hale has also appeared in episodes of “Search for Tomorrow,” “MacGyver,” and “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing.” He played Frank Sturgis in the 1976 film “All the President’s Men,” and appeared most recently as Father Reinhart in the 2017 film “The Ghost and the Whale,” starring Hale’s former “General Hospital” co-star and TV son, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos).
Throughout his 14-year run on “Ryan’s Hope,” Hale received two consecutive Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series, first in 1979 and again in 1980. He also received a Soap Opera Digest award nomination for Outstanding Villain on a Daytime Serial in 1986.
Hale is survived by his nieces and nephews, Lori Brown (Janet Brabham), Max Brabham, Erin Wilson (Laurens) and, Marc Brown (Betsy).
It’s with a heavy heart that we’ve lost another great one. My dear friend Ron Hale has passed away. Ron was an amazing talent and an even better friend. I will miss you.
— Billy Warlock (@BillyWarlock) October 2, 2024