ABC Soap Opera Legend Dies After ‘Long Illness’: Thom Christopher Was 84

The soap opera world is mourning another legend. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Daytime Emmy-winning actor Thom Christopher, best known as Carlo Messer, and his twin brother Mortimer Bern on ABC soap One Life to Live has died at 84. He passed away on Thursday in a hospital in New York after a long illness, Christopher’s friend, photographer Steven Bergman, announced on Facebook.

“Sadly, my friend who I went to visit in the hospital on Monday passed away this evening,” Bergman wrote. “Since many of my friends know him or know of him, I can say that it was Thom Christopher. Thom has been sick for quite awhile now and fought through it all like a champ. We spoke 2-3 times a month and always had great long conversations. He was such a smart man who gave great advice and told such fantastic stories. Thom’s wife Judith passed away a few years ago and after she did, he dedicated his life to going through her old writings from many years ago, putting it all together as a book and having it published. He always said that she was not really gone, she was just in ‘another room’ and that one day he would join her there.”

“He also said that he was not afraid of death as he knew they would be reunited together then,” Bergman continued. “Well Thom, you have now joined Judith in that other room where you are both reunited and will be together forever. Most of my time with him on Monday he was not fully coherent as he was on a lot of medication. When I said my goodbye to him I looked him right in the eyes, told him he was a wonderful man who lived an incredible life. A great actor who entertained and gave joy to so many people for so many years. A loving and dedicated husband to Judith who he would soon be joining in eternity.”

Thom Christopher was born on Oct. 5, 1940, and attended Ithaca College. He later studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse before making the jump to Broadway in the 1970s, appearing in productions of Emperor Henry IV, Noél Coward in Two Keys, and Caesar and Cleopatra.

On the TV side, Christopher starred on the NBC series Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century as the half-man, half-bird alien Hawk on the second season in 1981. He joined One Life to Live in 1990 as drug trafficker Carlo, and after he was murdered in 1992, Christopher went on to portray his brother Mortimer. He later leaves, and Carlo comes back after having faked his death in 1996 and 1997, returning in 2005 and 2008 after he was “murdered” yet again. Other credits include The Edge of Night, Love of Life, Bronk, Cannon, and Kojak, as well as Murder, She Wrote, L.A. Law, and Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot.

“And lastly, that he was a great friend to everyone who had the privilege of being his friend,” Steven Bergman concluded. “He comprehended every word I said and replied back ‘thank you.’ I gave him a kiss on the forehead and said goodbye. You were a great man Thom, enjoy the eternal peace that you so richly deserve.”