'General Hospital' spoilers? Anthony Geary leaving General Hospital after 28 years of playing Luke Spencer

After almost three decades of playing the character Luke Spencer on "General Hospital," Emmy Award best actor winner Anthony Geary has finally decided to leave the soap opera.

Geary's character will be written out on ABC show's episode that will air later this summer, according to executive producer Frank Valentini.

"Anthony is our friend and a part of our television family, but, as difficult as this may be, we understand and respect that this is his choice," Valentini said.

More than 30 million people watched Luke marry Laura (Genie Francis), considered a storybook event despite the creepy backstory of Laura falling in love with her rapist. Francis, who hasn't been on "General Hospital" since 2013, will return this summer to participate in the story of Luke's exit, according to ABC.

Geary, 67, started playing Luke in 1978 but left the show in 1984. He came back in 1991. Having grown tired of playing the character, he played Luke's look-alike cousin. Audiences didn't respond positively to this so the cousin was killed off and Geary began playing Luke again in 1993. He has remained with the show ever since.

Geary announced the big news in a May 8 interview with TV Insider. After eight Daytime Emmys, and 28 years on "General Hospital," he admitted that he has grown "weary of the grind" and doesn't "want to die" on the "General Hospital" set.

"The people at ABC and at GH have been amazingly good to me, allowing me to live on two continents and treating me, for the most part, extremely well. This show has been a huge part of my life for over half my life and Luke Spencer is my alter ego. But I'm just weary of the grind that I have been for 20 years. There was a point after my back surgery last year where it became clear to me that my time is not infinite. And I really don't want to die, collapsing in a heap, on that GH set one day. That wouldn't be too poetic. [Laughs] In fact, it would be poetically incorrect. I have another life and I want time to explore it," he said.

Geary spends much of his non-working time in a second home in Amsterdam, and he's looking forward to spending more time there.

Luke is one of the most popular characters on daytime television. He and Geary will surely be missed.