Brad Everett Young’s General Hospital Family Pays Tribute After His Death
After Brad Everett Young died at age 46 in a car accident, the celebrity photographer’s friends and clients paid homage to him on social media.
Brad Everett Young left a lasting mark on the people of Port Charles.
After the 46-year-old died in a Los Angeles car accident Sept. 14, several members of the General Hospital cast paid tribute to the actor-turned-celebrity photographer, who had worked with them off the set.
“I’m in complete shock,” Chris McKenna, who plays Jack Brennan on the soap opera, wrote on X—formerly Twitter—Sept. 17. “We just did a shoot a couple weeks ago and we texted this weekend.”
McKenna—who also shared several pics Young took of him on social media—continued, “Brad was such a talented, funny, warm, caring guy. He donated his time, his talent, he raised money for underserved schools and the world is darker today without his light. Rest easy, bud.”
Young, a native of Virginia, began his own acting career in the late ’90s, appearing over the years in small roles on shows such as Boy Meets World and Grey’s Anatomy, as well as films such as Charlie’s Angels and Jurassic Park III.
While he never appeared on General Hospital himself, he photographed several of the cast as well as other actors. Like McKenna, some took part Young’s shoots for his Dream Loud campaign, which aims to bring music and the arts programs back into schools.
One such client, General Hospital alum Jen Lilley, said she “woke up in shock and disbelief” after learning about Young’s death.
Calling Young “one of my dearest friends,” she shared on her Instagram Sept. 17 that he was “so much more than everyone’s fave celebrity photographer.”
Lilley went on to share one of her favorite memories with him, recalling how Young joked that if he ever wrote a tell-all book, “he’d force me to co-write. He always made me laugh, was the only photographer I ever fully trusted and was completely natural in front of.”
“We’d hang for hours and talk about life and the ups and downs of our crazy industry,” she continued. “We’d eat pie and cake and talk about our Virginia roots. You loved your mom and brother more than life. I just have no words for all I’m feeling. And I know it’s going to be a while before I realize you’re gone.”
Likewise, Parry Shen, who plays Brad Cooper on General Hospital, called Young “one of the kindest & generous people” he had ever met.
“But the one trait that made him truly stand out in this business often filled with cynicism, was his indomitable positivity,” he wrote on his Facebook Sept. 17. “He was always striving to make the situation better. Working the problem instead of dwelling on the negative of a scenario.”
And according to the actor, Young’s generosity extended into his career. “He absolutely refused money whenever he took photos of me,” he wrote, “was present to help set up at events and simply wanted to help promote my, and other’s, career. His excitement when pitching a fun idea to shoot, was contagious.”
The soap star called Young’s death a “huge, huge loss,” adding, “To those who met him at our events, you know. Rest in peace, friend.”
Look back at Young’s life in pictures.
July 2014
Brad Everett Young posed for a portrait at the Getty Images Portrait Studio.
December 2022
The Grey’s Anatomy alum attended the 1923 premiere in Los Angeles.
December 2023
Brad at the premiere of A Holiday In The Vineyards.
April 2024
The photographer walked the carpet at the premiere of Hulu’s Under the Bridge.
December 2024
The Boy Meets World actor attended the LA premiere of Y2K.
April 2025
Brad posed at the screening of Mob Cops.
July 2025
The Naked Gun‘s Los Angeles premiere drew a smile from Brad.
September 2025
One of the actor’s last appearances was at a Q&A for The Long Walk.
