General Hospital’s Ryan’s Hope actor was 78

Ron Hale, who starred throughout Roger Coleridge’s 14-year run Ryan’s hope and had an even longer role as Mike Corbin on another ABC soap opera. General Hospitalhas died. He was 78.

Hale, who lived in St. George, South Carolina, died Aug. 27, his family announced.

Hale continued working Ryan’s hope from 1975 to 1989 and received a Daytime Emmy for supporting actor in 1979 and 1980. As Coleridge, a doctor from a wealthy family who was often at odds with the Ryan clan, he was married to Delia Reid (Ilene Kristen/Randall Edwards), Maggie Shelby (Cali Timmins), and then Delia again.

Hale then appeared again as Corbin, the father of mafia boss Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard). General Hospital from 1995-2010, and he performed GH Spin off Port Charles Also from 1997-2000. (Max Gail played the character from 2018–21.)

Ronald Hale Thigpen was born on January 2, 1946 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He attended Furman University, came to New York at age 19 and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1967.

He made his screen debut in an episode of ABC NYPD in 1968 and a year later he appeared in his first soap opera, CBS’ Look for tomorrow. Also that year he made it to Broadway in William Saroyan’s play The time of your life.

In All the president’s men (1976) he played the Watergate burglar Frank Sturgis.

Hale’s resume was also there Trial by jury (1994), episodes of Matlock And MacGyver and plays performed at the Trustus Theater in Columbia, South Carolina, founded by his late brother Jim Thigpen Jr. and his late sister-in-law Kay Thigpen.

Survivors include his nieces Lori and Erin and nephews Max and Marc.