Dean Geyer officially arrived in Port Charles on Monday, July 12, making his General Hospital debut as Tristan Roberts on the same day the soap marked its 16,000th episode.
Geyer’s road to Port Charles began with an audition for another character, one he didn’t ultimately land. “I’m not even sure that he ended up being on the show,” notes the actor. “And then about a month later, I got a call to come in. I did one chemistry read with Kelly [Thiebaud, Britt Westbourne] and then the second one was with Eden [McCoy, Josslyn Jacks], and that was the one that booked me the role.”
Disney/Christine Bartolucci
His first day of filming paired him with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan), a prospect Geyer admits was a little intimidating. “He was off for a bit and was making a bit of a comeback,” Geyer notes. “It was a little daunting because I know when you step onto a set with someone that has that big of a name and carries so much weight on a show like this, you really have to step up as an actor. I’ve got to admit, my heart was beating out of my chest. I was nervous, and I never usually get nervous, but the show is so different to what I’m used to. Things run very differently; the lingo is different, so I was scrambling to figure out where we were headed next in the scenes, in the day, and the schedule. But Steve was very welcoming, and that calms the nerves down. He’s just a pro, and was a pro to work with, which is also very helpful. And I had another scene with Rebecca [Herbst, Elizabeth Webber], and she was very welcoming, too.”
As if starting a new job weren’t memorable enough, Geyer’s introduction also coincided with one of the biggest milestones in the show’s history. “We had the big cast photo with the cake celebrating the 16,000th, and I just stood back behind the cameras because I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to be involved,” he recalls. “It was my first day, but Frank [Valentini, executive producer] called me over and got me right in the thick of things. It just felt way more special than being on any other set because they wanted me to be involved that much and believe this character that they’ve built for me can have some sort of longevity.”
Disney/Christine Bartolucci
The day held another surprise for Geyer — who was born in South Africa before moving to Australia — when he learned his character was named in honor of the late Tristan Rogers, the Australian actor who played GH‘s Robert Scorpio on and off from 1980 to 2025. “That crazy first day that I had on set, I think Finola [Hughes, Anna Devane] may have been the one to come up and give me the backstory on that,” Geyer shares. “And at the time, I wasn’t sure whether it was kind of an ode to him, but then I heard from Frank that that’s exactly what it was, and he was a much-loved character. Obviously, I’ve got a lot to live up to. I think the name really holds a lot of value and nostalgia for the fans, so hopefully, I do that justice. It’s really nice to know that I was somehow involved in bringing his memory back to life.”
ABC / Everett Collection
Still, adjusting to life in Port Charles came with a learning curve. “This has never happened to me, but I had some serious stage fright in the first two weeks,” Geyer reports. “I think the reason why is because on other TV and film, you’re able to do scenes multiple times, so memorizing becomes easier. You get to run things more often, and the preparation is not as intense. On General Hospital, they want you to get this in one or two takes, so there’s just a lot more pressure.”
He admits it took a little while to get used to soap’s demanding rhythm. “As much as I hate to say it, you’ll probably see that I had some serious stage fright,” Geyer says. “Some of the people on set were very patient with me. Hopefully, I come across as comfortable as possible. I would say after week three, I started to feel a little more comfortable. Now, I’m pretty set, and hopefully things travel smoothly from here.”
Fortunately, he found plenty of support from his castmates. “Someone who’s really super, super sweet was Alexa [Havins, Lulu Spencer],” he raves. “She walked me through everything that can go wrong, how you should really approach day-to-day shooting and the amount of dialogue that you have to memorize. Same thing with Kelly [Thiebaud]. It was great to be reunited after the chemistry read. And Cameron Mathison [Drew Cain] is a friend of my wife [Jillian Murray]. They do a couple of Christmas movies on another network, and he’s a champ. I’d love to work with him on the show. And I love Frank. He seems to really believe in me, and I’m so grateful that he’s allowed me to be a part of this.”
As for what viewers can expect from Tristan, Geyer teases, “He’s the new surgeon on staff at General Hospital. He has a run-in with Britt — there’s a bit of friction between the two — and it’s always nice to start with a dramatic entrance. We know that this is his first time in Port Charles. He’s moving from, we don’t know where. He just wants to fit in, and it seems like he wants to start a new life as if he’s experienced some sort of drama where he came from. That might give you a little bit of a hint that he may be coming with some sort of baggage. Other than that, he’s a super likable guy; he’s a very social person, and he’s very approachable. He tries to befriend a bunch of people at the hospital.”
Offscreen, Geyer has also been celebrating a major milestone. In addition to making his daytime debut, he and wife Jillian Murray welcomed their first child, son Sage, on July 4.
Now that his first episode has aired, Geyer is eager to see what lies ahead for Tristan — and how the viewers respond to his journey. “I just want to do a good job and make the show proud,” he says. “I have seen some storylines and been told of some storylines that will be in the future, and I think people are going to be blown away with where my character goes. I’m excited for that, and obviously a little nervous to see what the fans say. Hopefully, they will also welcome me with open arms.”
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