General Hospital's Tyler Christopher dies age 50

American actor Tyler Christopher, best-known for his role in the TV drama General Hospital, has died at the age of 50.

His death was confirmed by both his manager, Chi Muoi Lo, and former co-star Maurice Bernard on Instagram.

Christopher died after a "cardiac event" on Tuesday morning in his San Francisco apartment, Mr Bernard said.

Friends and colleagues paid tribute to the Emmy Award winner, saying he was a gifted actor.

"This news was incredibly shocking, and I am devastated by his loss," Mr Lo said in a statement.

In his Instagram post, Mr Bernard wrote that Christopher "was a truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed".

He also remembered him as a "sweet soul and wonderful friend to all who knew him."

Christopher is well known for playing Nikolas Cassadine on the TV soap opera General Hospital from 1996 to 2016, a role that earned him multiple Daytime Emmy awards.

On Days of our Lives, another soap opera, he played Stefan DiMera, which earned him a Daytime Emmy nomination for lead actor in a drama series in 2019.

Christopher was also remembered for his mental health advocacy, and as someone "who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol", said Mr Bernard in his post.

The actor had been open about his mental health struggles, writing in a Reader's Digest piece that he regularly saw a psychiatrist and a therapist, and took medication for treatment.

In a social media post celebrating his 50th birthday last year, Christopher reflected on his life.

"In the decade since then my daughter was born, I won an Emmy, was the lead actor in four television shows, completed a dozen movies, lived in a half dozen states," he wrote.

He also reflected on his mental health struggles, saying he has relapsed and recovered, survived a traumatic brain injury and learned to be content with "living a quieter life".

Christopher leaves behind two children.