Soap opera star David Gail’s cause of death has been revealed.
Gail, who was best known for his role as Dr. Joe Scanlon on the General Hospital spinoff Port Charles, died due to complications from sudden cardiac arrest, his publicist, Linda Brown, confirmed to Us Weekly on Monday, January 22. He was 58.
“Gail was found unresponsive by emergency personnel who made every attempt to save his life including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation,” Brown’s statement read. “Despite their efforts, Gail was put on life support where he remained for several days. He was pronounced dead on January 16, 2024. The family has no reason to suspect the cause of his death was anything but heart failure.”
The statement continued, “David will be remembered for his love of acting and his absolute passion and dedication to his friends and family. He possessed a unique quality that made everyone feel special in his presence,”
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Gail’s mother, Mary, also shared a message on Monday, which read, “We are extremely touched by the outpouring of love from David’s dedicated fans and colleagues. We are grateful for all the support received during this very difficult time.”
Gail’s death was confirmed by his sister, Katie Colmenares, on Saturday, January 20.
“There’s barely been even a day in my life when you were not with me by my side always my wingman, always my best friend, ready to face anything and anyone [with] me,” Colmenares wrote via Instagram in honor of her brother. “The bears will never be the same but I will hold you so tight every day in my heart, you gorgeous loving amazing fierce human being.”
She concluded, “Missing you every second of every day forever there will never be another 💔💖.”
Earlier in the day, Peter Ferriero, who hosts a Beverly Hills, 90210 rewatch podcast, had broken the news of Gail’s passing on during an episode of his show. Ferriero also took to social media to share the news, writing via his Instagram Story that Gail’s friends had informed him of his death.
“In memory of David Gail. Here are a few stories he shared when he joined the podcast,” Ferreiro’s podcast Instagram page wrote alongside throwback footage of Gail discussing his time on 90210. (The actor appeared as Stuart Carson, the one-time fiancé of Shannen Doherty’s character, Brenda Walsh.)
Gail, who grew up in Tampa, Florida, studied finance and went on to work in the stock trading industry before pivoting to a career in acting. After starring in various stage plays, he landed the role of Joe on Port Charles. He was the second actor to portray the character, succeeding Michael Dietz in 1999. He appeared in 200+ episodes of the soap opera until exiting the show in 2000.
In addition to his roles on 90210 and Port Charles, Gail appeared on TV shows such as Robin’s Hoods, Savannah, The Round Table, Matlock and JAG. Other credits include Matlock, Murder, She Wrote, Doogie Howser, M.D., Perfect Opposites and Growing Pains. He also starred opposite Bradley Cooper in the 2002 film Bending All The Rules.
Gail is survived by his son, Guthier, his mother, Mary, and his sister, Katie.
