Nicholas Pryor, best known to soap fans as Professor Victor Collins on Port Charles (father to General Hospital‘s Kevin Collins and his late twin, Ryan Chamberlain), has passed away in Wilmington, N.C., at the age of 89 from cancer.
Jon Lindstrom, who plays Kevin and played Ryan, shared the news on his official social media accounts.
“It is my solemn task to announce the passing of the great Nicholas Pryor,” wrote Lindstrom on Instagram. “Nick was an Actor’s actor, and an exceptional friend. He passed on October 7, 2024, surrounded by loving family. Nick may be best known for his role as the father of #TomCruise in #RiskyBusiness, or as the same to #RobertDowneyJr in #LessThanZero. He shared the screen with the likes of #JackNicholson #KurtRussell #EwanMcGregor Too many to name really. He starred on #Broadway and delivered terrific work in Film and TV for over 60 years. But to me, he was my friend. One of the best I’ve ever had. He was a mentor, a sounding board, a trusted confidant, and even a father-figure beyond, yes, playing my own father on #GH and #PortCharles. And he was one of the funniest people you could hope to spend time with over a bottle of good wine and a great meal. I will miss him terribly, as will his beautiful wife Christina, his daughter Stacey, and his two grandchildren, Gus and Avril. R.I.P. #FlightOfAngels #RIP @GeneralHospital”
Pryor was born on January 28, 1935, in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1953, he graduated from the Gilman school. He received his early training from his many productions with the local Drummond Players. He attended the prestigious Yale University and around that time, he began appearing on his first soap, A Brighter Day, in 1958. More soaps followed as he played Earnest Cooper on Young Doctor Malone, Tom Baxter on Another World, Johnny Ellis on The Secret Storm, Ken Alexander on The Nurses, Lincoln Tyler on AMC, and Joel Gantry on The Edge of Night. In 1983, he played Anthony Makana on OLTL, and in 1997, he joined PC as Victor and he appeared throughout the series’ run until its final year, 2003.
He also racked up an impressive list of Broadway credits, performing in The Egghead with Karl Malden and directed by Hume Cronyn in 1957, Love Me A Little with Joan Bennett (ex-Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, Dark Shadows) and Meg Mundy (ex-Eugenia von Voynavitch, All My Children; ex-Julia Stoddard, Guiding Light) in 1958, Howie with John Fiedler (ex-Virgil, One Life to Live) in 1958 and The Highest Tree with Larry Gates (ex-H.B. Lewis, GL) and a young Robert Redford. He returned to Broadway in the mid-1970s as an understudy in both That Championship Season in 1974 and Thieves in 1975.
Along the way, he appeared on hundreds of prime-time episodics, in both guest spots and recurring roles like Gene Bennett on Party of Five, Chancellor Milton Arnold on Beverly Hills, 90210 (where he worked opposite his future wife, Christine Belford) and Nathan Billings on Dallas. His film work was prolific, including roles in Pacific Heights, Hoffa, Murder at 1600 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay.
On the personal side, the actor was married four times — Joan Minna Epstein, actress Melinda Cordell (ex-Natalie Dearborn, GH; ex-Madame Chauvin, Young and Restless), Pamela Anne Elm. He was married to Belford (ex-Samantha Sanders, Beverly Hills, 90210; ex-Elena Lazio, AMC) from 1993 until his passing. He had one child, daughter Stacey, with his third wife.
Soap Opera Digest sends condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time.
