Latest news with #Wactor
Perth Now
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Johnny Wactor's family get standing ovation at premiere of final film after fatal shooting
Johnny Wactor's mother received a standing ovation at the premiere of his final movie. The late General Hospital actor was shot dead aged 37 in May 2024, and a year later his mother Scarlett and brother Lance were honoured at a screening of Ciao, Mama at Hollywood's TCL Chinese Theatre. As reported by PEOPLE magazine, the theatre applauded for Wactor's family members and gave them a standing ovation at a question and answer portion of the event on Tuesday (24.06.25). Actor and producer Micah Joe Parker said at the premiere: "It is such a surreal thing to — when we started this, it was five, and now there's four people up here, but Johnny has, he's been with us in so many ways over the past year. 'I know there are so many people out here that are here tonight that loved Johnny. "I thank God that I had the chance to know him, that I had the chance to work with him, that we got to make this film together. 'And more than anything that us four had the distinct honor and the privilege of having his last film to be able to present to the world. And I think he absolutely killed it. And yeah, I hope we made him proud." Elsewhere during the Q+A, it was revealed that Lance helped re-record some of his late brother's lines for the film in post-production. The movie is now available to buy on its own official website, with 60 percent of proceeds going to a scholarship created in the star's name. Wactor had finished a bartending shift in Los Angeles on May 25 last year, and was walking to his car in the early morning when he interrupted three armed thieves trying to steal the catalytic converter from his car. He confronted them and was fatally shot. In August, Robert Barceleau and Sergio Estrada - who were both 18 at the time - pleaded not guilty after being charged with murder. Both men are awaiting trial, with Barceleau facing a life sentence with no possibility of parole, while Estrada faces a maximum sentence of life behind bars, with a chance of parole. Leonel Guierrez, who was also 18 at the time, and Frank Olano, who was 22, were charged with lesser counts. It's said Gutierrez was handed four years in prison after entering a no contest plea in September 2024, while Olano was sentenced to five years and eight months after the same plea the following month.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Murdered 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's last film to premiere at festival year after his death
One year after beloved "General Hospital" actor Johnny Wactor was murdered in downtown Los Angeles after a work shift, his final film is set to premiere at the upcoming 2025 Dances with Films Festival. Wactor, 37, was shot and killed on May 25, 2024, when police said he was "confronted by three individuals" who had his car "raised up with a floor jack and were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter." The actor's final work was filmed in 2022, according to FOX 11, but is now about to hit the big screen. Friends and family of Wactor confirmed to the outlet that the film, "Ciao, Mama," will premiere at L.A.'s Dances with Films Festival on June 24 at TCL Cinemas in Hollywood. 'General Hospital' Star Johnny Wactor's Funeral Held In South Carolina After His Fatal Shooting In Los Angeles "It's really important to me, and his family, that his legacy lives on for the incredible things he brought to the world," fellow actor and friend, Micah Joe Parker, told FOX 11. Read On The Fox News App Parker described the movie to the outlet, saying it was about family, friendship and love, something he believes is directly correlated with his late best friend's life. Wactor was working at Level 8, a rooftop bar, and was leaving work with his co-worker, Anita Joy, in the early hours of May 25 last year when the fatal altercation took place. In a previous interview with the Daily Mail, Joy said staff had been complaining for months over the lack of parking available to them but that their concerns were brushed off. 'General Hospital' Actor Johnny Wactor's Death Leaves Cast 'Sickened': 'He Was Truly One Of A Kind' According to Wactor's mother, Scarlett Wactor, her son had protected Joy in his final moments of life. "They were walking to their car, and when they get there, Johnny's car, which was parked in front of the co-worker's, looked like it was jacked to one side, and from what I understand, he said, 'Hey, man, you towing my car?'… And the person looked up and had a mask, and so then I guess he knew they weren't doing that, and so he stepped in front of the co-worker and then backed up and put his hands up or both, and the person shot him," Scarlett Wactor previously told Fox News Digital. "He had no problem stepping into the fray," Parker echoed. "It's how he went out from this world, stepping in front of his friend to take a bullet. [When that happened] I said, I'll take the swings and arrows for him now." Days following the murder, Joy shared harrowing details about the events that led to his death on her Instagram page. "I've needed to take some time to collect myself and my thoughts. I was with Johnny in his last moments, and I'm here to be his voice after such unimaginable events," she wrote. "He was killed senselessly by a coward who reacted without care of the gorgeous life he was taking," she wrote in her post. "I'm angry, I'm sad, and I'm all the feelings at once, but above all, I am here for Johnny's justice." Johnny Wactor's Mother Says Her Son's Death 'Doesn't Need To Be In Vain' Nearly three months after Wactor's murder, police arrested four suspected Florencia 13 gang members in connection with his slaying. "Johnny was a victim," said Parker. "He was a victim of this crime, but he lived his life as anything but a victim. He was a doer. He was a dreamer. So, that's where we're turning the page now." Wactor got his start on television in the series "Army Wives" before appearing in other shows like "Animal Kingdom," "Criminal Minds" and "Westworld." He was best known for his role as Brando Corbin in 164 episodes of "General Hospital" from 2020 to 2022. Fox News Digital's Mariah Haas and Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report. Original article source: Murdered 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's last film to premiere at festival year after his death
