NEED TO KNOW
Johnny Wactor’s family was honored at the premiere of his final movie, Ciao, Mama, one year after his death.
On Tuesday, June 24, the General Hospital actor’s film premiered at the Dances with Films Los Angeles festival at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. His mother Scarlett and brother Lance flew in for the event to watch Wactor on screen one more time.
The premiere also included a Q&A, after which Scarlett and Lance earned a rapturous applause and standing ovation when the cast introduced them.
It was also revealed Tuesday that Lance helped re-record some of Wactor’s lines during post-production.
Paul Archuleta/Getty
During the Q&A, actor and producer Micah Joe Parker shared how Wactor’s presence has stayed with the cast since he was fatally shot in May 2024.
“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,” 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.”
“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,” Parker added.
Wactor played Marco alongside Parker, who starred as Tony Esposito. Parker’s character leaves Los Angeles to return to his hometown in Long Island, N.Y., for his mother’s funeral.
After years chasing his dream in California, “Tony is weighed down by guilt for not being there during her illness—a secret she kept, believing that goodbyes are pointless and don’t ease the pain of moving on. Instead, she held fast to the belief that carrying on the dream is what truly matters,” per the film’s official description.
Jesse Grant/Getty
Wactor was fatally shot in the early morning of May 25, 2024, after he was ending his shift as a bartender in a downtown L.A. bar. He walked towards his car when he came upon three armed car thieves who were attempting to steal his catalytic converter from his vehicle.
In August, Robert Barceleau and Sergio Estrada, both 18 at the time, were charged with murder amid the investigation into Wactor’s death. Both pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial. Barceleau faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Estrada faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Leonel Gutierrez, then 18, and Frank Olano, then 22, were also charged with lesser counts. Gutierrez was sentenced to four years in prison following his September 2024 no-contest plea, and Olano received five years and eight months after entering a no-contest plea in October 2024, according to the Associated Press.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Ciao, Mama is available for purchase on the film’s official website, and 60% of the proceeds will go to a scholarship created in Wactor’s name.
