Late General Hospital star Johnny Wactor‘s family attended the premiere of his final movie, Ciao, Mama, one year after his death.
The film premiered on Tuesday, June 24, at the Dances with Films Los Angeles festival at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre. Wactor’s mother, Scarlett, and brother Lance were on hand to watch his last performance on the big screen.
“It’ll be great to hear his voice and to see him,” Scarlett told Extra. “I was thinking about how he’d be today and he’d be playing in his outfit, jumping up and down, excited.”
Scarlett added that she was “thrilled” to be there in her son’s honor, admitting that she wore “waterproof mascara.”
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Wactor’s brother even had a hands-on role in helping Ciao, Mama come to life. “Apparently I sound just like my brother,” Lance revealed. “So I had to do a couple of lines, voiceover some scenes.”
A Q&A took place after the screening, during which Scarlett and Lance were welcomed with a round of applause and a standing ovation, per People.
Wactor’s costar and producer Micah Joe Parker opened up about the “surreal” feeling of watching the movie without one crucial member of the cast by their side. “When we started this, it was five [of us], and now there’s four people up here, but Johnny … he’s been with us in so many ways over the past year,” Parker said. “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.”
Parker added that Wactor “absolutely killed” his performance, noting, “I hope we made him proud.”
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News broke in May 2024 that Wactor was murdered in Los Angeles at age 37 while leaving his second job at a restaurant. A security guard attempted to administer CPR but was unsuccessful. Wactor was pronounced dead after arriving at a nearby hospital.
One month after her son’s death, Scarlett filed a petition asking to be named the administrator of his estate. A judge granted the request, giving Scarlett control of the actor’s finances and bills.
Ahead of Tuesday’s movie premiere, Us Weekly exclusively reported that Scarlett asked the court to order Apple to unlock her son’s iPhone, laptop and desktop computer to “determine if [they] contain any financial information or financial assets” she needs to include in a final distribution report.
Scarlett told Us that her efforts to unlock her son’s devices have been “frustrating,” adding that she hopes “there is a bunch of good stuff” to be found, including photos and videos. “I don’t want to erase [them],” she said.
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Last year, three members of the Florencia 13 gang were arrested in connection with Wactor’s death. TMZ reported in August 2024 that they were charged with murder, while a fourth person was charged with being an accessory.
Two of the suspects, Robert Barceleau and Sergio Estrada, later received murder charges from the District Attorney. Leonel Gutierrez was charged with attempted robbery and grand theft while having a gun. He reportedly pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in state prison.
The fourth man, Frank Olano, was charged with accessory, receiving stolen property and having a firearm while being a felon. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to five years and eight months after his charges were reduced. The remaining two suspects pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
