Tyler Christopher’s Manager Fondly Recalls a ‘Charmer’ Who Had Been Dealing with ‘Chaos’ of Late (Exclusive)

Tyler Christopher’s manager Chi Lo decides to look back on the good times.

Lo knew General Hospital star, who won an Emmy for his portrayal of Nicholas Cassadine, 25 years before Christopher died unexpectedly on October 31 at the age of 50.

“He discovered acting in his early 20s. He really loved, loved acting,” Lo tells PEOPLE of the early days of their friendship in 1998 when Christopher starred in his first film Catfish in black bean saucewhich Lo directed.

“He was the best person to audition for the job. But I didn’t really want him. We were very, very biased [againt] soap opera actors,” admits Lo. “But he was so good and he was so right for the part that I ended up giving him. He was a very dedicated actor.”

Lo notes, “To become an even better actor, he opened a theater with a few friends and some of his best work was on stage.”

Tyler christopher’s daily family reacts to General Hospital Star’s sudden death at age 50: ‘This hits hard’

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Lo says she will always remember Christopher as “a great charmer, and I think he had amazing looks. He is one of those people that I would say that God is an unfair man or an unfair God — that some people get so much and some get very little. He had a lot.”

Still, Christopher had his own struggles, battling addiction for much of his adult life.

He was arrested for public intoxication in May at Hollywood’s Burbank Airport and released on $250 bail. He was previously arrested for public intoxication in 2019.

“This is hard work,” says Lo, who admits that sobriety has been a challenge for his friend over the past three or four years. “I don’t think anyone is immune to what he can do to you.”

Lo continues: “In reality, somewhere along the line, the alcohol is talking. But it’s not really you. The real you is somewhere below, and you deal with the chaos. And then it’s hard to be or remember to be who we are.”

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The days immediately following Christopher’s death were challenging for Lo, who shares a Scorpio zodiac sign with her dear friend.

“A couple of our old friends called me the day he died,” Lo says, “and we talked about Tyler.”

Christopher died of a heart attack on October 31 – Lo’s birthday – and Christopher, who leaves behind two children, would have turned 51 on November 11.

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Now, Lo is moving forward choosing to remember the best parts of her “sweet” friend.

“There is no funeral,” he says. “I don’t know if it’s my survival mechanism or what, but I think sometimes it’s better to recognize and think about the good things.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the SAMHSA Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

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Source: HIS Education