‘General Hospital’ star honors Richard Simmons with on-set memories

Lynn Herring looked back fondly on her time with Richard Simmons on the General Hospital set after his death.

Simmons passed away one day after celebrating his 76th birthday, prompting many friends and colleagues to pay tribute to him. Among the heartfelt messages was a note from his General Hospital co-star.

“Richard Simmons meant a lot to so many folks, including me,” Herring told People. “When Richard walked on our General Hospital stage, it would sizzle with his life force, his wicked sense of humor, his joy of entertaining, and his love for us all.”

The actress, who played Lucy Coe on General Hospital, shared several scenes with Simmons during his last appearance on the soap.

“The last day I worked with him, I admired his shirt that had a beautiful jeweled bird on it,” she recalled. “When I finished my scenes and came back to my dressing room, it was sitting on my couch with a simple note: ‘Love, Richard.'”

The fitness guru landed his breakthrough role in the entertainment industry on General Hospital in 1979, where he played himself for four years.

Simmons, who died on Saturday, July 13, rejoined the soap one final time in 2013 for the 50th anniversary of the series, appearing in two episodes.