As General Hospital’s Maurice Benard Honors Johnny Wactor, the Late Actor’s Mother Makes a Desperate Plea to the Courts

On May 25, 2024, the daytime community was rocked to its core when news was reported that General Hospital fave Johnny Wactor (Brando) had been shot and killed after leaving his bartending job in Los Angeles. Many of his castmates and fellow daytime peers then came out to pay tribute to the fallen actor.

Though he last appeared on the ABC soap in October 2022, Wactor turned up on various series, including a stint on Station 19, and had been cast as Marco in the film Ciao, Mama, his last work to date, which debuted this past week on June 24 at the 27th annual Dances With Films festival in California. Maurice Benard (Sonny) paid tribute to his friend by attending the premiere and shared a photo in his Instagram story alongside the film’s star Micah Joe Parker.

The story surrounds a son who returns home for his mother’s funeral after she makes everyone in the family promise not to tell him about her illness. Back in May, the film’s official Instagram announced its new title, previously labeled American Sognare, and shared that Ciao, Mama spoke more profoundly to the heart of their story — “especially in the wake of the heartbreaking loss of our beloved friend and co-star, Johnny Wactor.” The new title was more than a name, it was a “farewell,” a “love letter” and a “promise — to keep dreaming, to keep creating and to carry the torch forward, just as Johnny always did. Ciao, Mama is a tribute to Johnny, to the journey and to the enduring power of dreams.”

While his castmates and friends were left with much sadness, Wactor’s family will forever have a hole in their hearts over the loss of their beloved son and brother. On June 23, his mother Scarlett spoke to Us Weekly and relayed that on June 20, she had petitioned the court to issue an order to Apple asking them to give her access to her son’s locked laptop, desktop and iPhone, as the contents would help in her role as administrator of Wactor’s estate.

We hope the family is granted their wish so they can not only close out any final details of his estate but so they can take comfort in possible photos, videos and memories that reside on those devices.