Risky Business Star Nicholas Pryor Dead at 89 – You Won’t Believe How He Lived His Life!

Veteran actor Nicholas Pryor, known for his long-standing role in the soap opera “Port Charles” and his appearance alongside Tom Cruise in the movie “Risky Business,” has passed away at the age of 89.

Pryor’s agent, Susan Tolar Walters, confirmed on Wednesday that he succumbed to cancer at his residence in Wilmington, North Carolina on Monday. Tolar Walters’ agency shared on Instagram, “Nicholas was an extraordinary person, both on and off the screen. He will be deeply missed.”

With a career spanning nearly seven decades, Pryor amassed over 170 credits in television and film. He is notably remembered for his role in “Port Charles,” a spinoff of ABC’s popular soap opera “General Hospital.” Pryor graced the screen as ex-spy Victor Collins in both shows, and was a mainstay in the spinoff series from 1997 to 2002.

A tweet from the “General Hospital” Twitter account on Tuesday expressed their grief, “The entire General Hospital Family is deeply saddened by the news of Nicholas Pryor’s passing. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his loved ones during this challenging period.”

Pryor’s on-screen son in “General Hospital,” Jon Lindstrom, also paid tribute on Instagram. He wrote, “He was my friend, one of the best I’ve ever had.” Lindstrom went on to say, “He was a mentor, a confidante, a trusted advisor, and even a father-figure…he was one of the most humorous people one could wish to share a bottle of fine wine and a delicious meal with.”

As noted in Lindstrom’s post, Pryor was frequently cast in fatherly roles. In “Risky Business,” he portrayed the anxious father of Tom Cruise’s character, Joel Goodsen, and similarly in 1987’s “Less Than Zero,” he played a father figure to Robert Downey Jr.’s character.

Prior to becoming a go-to ‘onscreen dad’, Pryor initiated his television and film journey in the 1950s. After a few minor roles, his career took off in the mid-60s with soap operas “Another World” and “The Nurses.” Other soaps on his résumé include “All My Children,” “The Edge of Night,” and “Love is a Many Splendored Thing.”

Pryor also appeared in popular TV series like “M*A*S*H,” “Dallas,” “The Bronx Zoo,” “Murder, She Wrote,” and “Beverly Hills, 90210,” among others.

Outside of television, Pryor’s film credits include roles in “Damien: Omen II,” “Airplane!,” “Pacific Heights,” “Collateral Damage,” and his most recent work, “Halloween Kills.”

Nicholas Probst was born on January 28, 1935, in Baltimore. He was a Yale University graduate and performed with the Drummond Players and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, among other theatrical groups. Probst, who later adopted the name Pryor for the stage in late 1950s, was also a Broadway actor.

He tied the knot with “Beverly Hills, 90210” co-star Christine Belford in 1993. Pryor is survived by his wife, his daughter Stacey Pryor, and grandchildren, Auguste and Avril Bas.