GENERAL HOSPITAL Stars Reflect on the 25th Anniversary of Stone’s Death

“I see you. Oh, Robin, I see you.”

Twenty-five years ago yesterday — on Nov. 29, 1995 — GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Stone Cates, who had lost his vision as a result of his battle with AIDS, cried those words to his beloved girlfriend, Robin, before taking his dying breath. Stone’s death is one of GH’s most iconic moments, a poignant scene in the soap’s groundbreaking social-issue storyline featuring characters with HIV and AIDS.

Stone’s death wasn’t just an emotional scene for GH fans watching the episode at home. For portrayers Michael Sutton (Stone) and Kimberly McCullough (Robin), the tragic moment when Stone died while looking at Robin standing in the light of the window was the culmination of months of hard work in one of the soap’s most critically acclaimed storylines.

In honor of the anniversary of Stone’s death, both Sutton and McCullough reflected on the legendary scene, a moment that the latter considers her best work as a performer. “Twenty-five years ago today, I experienced what would become my finest moment as an actor,” McCullough shared on Instagram. “My character, Robin Scorpio, lost her first love, Stone Cates (Michael Sutton), to AIDS.”

McCullough went on to explain just how proud she was to be a part of that trailblazing storyline on GH. “The love that poured through us that day was a reflection of the best of us, when we can see through the prejudice, and the fear of a disease and treat the person experiencing deterioration with compassion,” she wrote. “Telling stories can be a vehicle for enlightenment and yes, even soap operas can change the world. I believe we did that with the story of Robin and Stone.”

In addition to reposting his co-star’s moving Instagram post, Sutton shared an image from the network’s advertising campaign promoting “the iconic AIDS storyline,” expressing his gratitude for all of those who were involved in telling Robin and Stone’s tale. “Thank you to the entire production, cast, crew, fans and all the contributing storytellers,” Sutton wrote. “Blessed.”