General Hospital star Johnny Wactor fatally shot in Los Angeles at the age of 37

Actor Johnny Wactor has died at the age of 37. Photo / Getty Images

American TV star Johnny Wactor has died at the age of 37 after being shot.

The actor was best known for starring as Brando Corbin in the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital but was killed in downtown Los Angeles early on Saturday morning (local time), his mother has confirmed to celebrity news website TMZ.

Scarlett Wactor said She explained to the outlet that Wactor her son was with a colleague when they saw three men “messing with Johnny’s car” and that the suspects “allegedly tried to steal a catalytic converter”.

She noted that Wactor “did not try to stop” the alleged suspects in their actions, and that even though paramedics rushed to the scene shortly after the shooting, he was pronounced dead in hospital.

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On Sunday evening, Wactor’s agent David Shaul remembered his late client as being “a spectacular human being”.

He told People: “Not just a talented actor who was committed to his craft but a real moral example to everyone who knew him. Standing for hard work, tenacity and a never-give-up attitude. In the highs and lows of a challenging profession, he always kept his chin up and kept striving for the best he could be.

“Our time with Johnny was a privilege we would wish on everyone. He would literally give you the shirt off his back. After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever.”

In the US soap opera, his character was married to Sasha Corbin and actress Sofia Mattsson also paid tribute to her late co-star.

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She wrote: “What oh my god Johnny died nooo not fair. Hate this Johnny was just the best ... oh my goodness can’t believe Johnny is gone.”

Wactor - who had also starred in Criminal Minds and Siberia - joined the cast of General Hospital in early 2020 as an ex-con mechanic and stayed with the show until 2022, when his character was stabbed and woke up in the hospital only to suffer a fatal seizure.