General Hospital star Jack Axelrod died at 93

General Hospital alum Jack Axelrod is no more. The 93-year-old veteran actor died of natural causes in Los Angeles on November 28, 2023. His representative Jennifer Garland confirmed this and looked back on the time spent with him.

“I had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with him in his last years, as he had no immediate family. We spent much time outdoors, where Jack loved to sketch, read news articles, and recite Shakespearean sonnets,“ she told Entertainment Weekly.

Born on January 25, 1930, Axelrod served as a corporal in the US Army between 1953 and 1955. He then majored in architecture at UC Berkeley and became a licensed architect in Washington.

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Jack Axelrod, General Hospital star, had a successful film career

However, Axelrod always considered acting to be his true calling. In a 2011 interview with Matt J. Horn, he said that he frequently watched movies with his parents, which helped him develop an interest in cinema.

“I think the movies gave me the greatest pleasure as a kid…what fantasises I had were probably forged watching films. It seems odd, now I think of it, that my parents took me along to the theatre with them. I recall crying at the violence exhibited by Laurel and Hardy in the very early shorts.”

In 1969, Axelrod pursued this passion and appeared in an off-broadway production of Macbeth. Axelrod made his film debut, two years later, with Woody Allen’s comedy-drama Bananas (1971).

His other film credits include Vice, Road To Redemption, Hancock, Little Fockers, Super 8, Labor Pains, J Edgar, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon among others.

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Jack Axelrod played a mob boss on General Hospital

Axelrod is best known for playing the mob boss Victor Jerome in 40 episodes of ABC’s General Hospital between 1987 and 1989. He also appeared as Charlie Yost, a patient in a comatose state, on the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy.

The actor made guest appearances on Dynasty, Dallas, Boy Meets World, Alias, Frasier, Ray Donovan, Modern Family, Scrubs, Dexter, and Shameless.

Axelrod continued appearing on screen until his retirement in 2020.

While reflecting on his professional journey, he once asked aspiring actors to study the craft thoroughly and learn a foreign language. He also advised them to familiarize themselves with the works of accomplished directors, writers, and performers.

“To anyone wanting to pursue a career in acting, I would advise them to begin studying singing and dance immediately and to study foreign languages. To read everything, especially biographies,” he told Matt J Horn.

Axelrod was an accomplished lecturer who served as a faculty member at institutes such as the University of Michigan and Boston University. He was also a guest instructor at the Aaron Speiser Acting Studio in Los Angeles.