General Hospital Shocker: First Cassadine André Landzaat Dies
General Hospital is mourning André Landzaat, the actor who originated Tony Cassadine, dead at 81—a defining villain whose sweeping storyline left a mark on the soap and sparked an outpouring of tributes from longtime fans.
Sad update for longtime soap fans: André Landzaat, the actor who first brought General Hospital villain Tony Cassadine to life, has died at 81. If you were around for GH in the early 80s, you do not forget Tony Cassadine.
The role that made him a soap staple
Landzaat originated Tony Cassadine during the show’s infamous Ice Princess saga. He played Tony as a smooth, icy villain — fitting, since the character met a memorably grim end by freezing to death. Tony was the first Cassadine introduced on the show, setting up that powerful GH family, and he had romantic tangles with Lesley Webber and Alexandria Quartermaine. Within the family tree, Tony was written as brother to Mikkos and Victor Cassadine.
Inside baseball note: Landzaat actually beat out Thaao Penghlis for the Tony Cassadine role. Penghlis promptly landed on Days of Our Lives, where he became another TV Tony — Tony DiMera.
'RIP André Landzaat. Long-time GH fans will remember Landzaat as "Tony Castle," AKA Tony CASSADINE, who romanced Lesley Webber and Alexandria Quartermaine and foiled Luke and Robert’s quest for the fabled Ice Princess. Tony was the brother to Mikkos & Victor Cassadine #GH'
From the Netherlands to Port Charles
Landzaat was born in the Netherlands and got serious about acting early. He trained in Paris and New York and, yes, studied alongside Robert De Niro and Al Pacino — not a bad alumni network.
Before GH, he popped up on TV in shows like Family, Laverne & Shirley, and The Six Million Dollar Man. After his General Hospital run, he stayed in the business and moved into teaching, working as an acting instructor. In 2021, he moved back to the Netherlands and dealt with health issues in the years that followed.
The fandom remembers
Tributes poured in across social media (X, especially). Fans shouted out his swaggering villain era, the Ice Princess storyline, and that chilling final exit. One common refrain: for a character who only appeared during a specific arc, Tony Cassadine left a big footprint on GH history.
- André Landzaat (born in the Netherlands) trained in Paris and NYC alongside Robert De Niro and Al Pacino
- Guest roles: Family, Laverne & Shirley, The Six Million Dollar Man
- Landed GH as the original Tony Cassadine during the Ice Princess saga
- On-screen ties: romances with Lesley Webber and Alexandria Quartermaine; brother to Mikkos and Victor
- Character’s exit: froze to death (one of the show’s all-time dramatic villain send-offs)
- Post-GH: continued working and became an acting instructor
- Relocated back to the Netherlands in 2021; later faced health issues
- Has died at 81; fans across X and elsewhere are remembering his run
For a short, icy stint, Landzaat made Tony Cassadine stick — and that’s why people are still talking about him today.