Johnny Wactor's co-stars reflect on his last movie role months after actor murdered in LA

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- We're getting a look at late actor Johnny Wactor's final film, "American Sognare."

"It's kind of crazy how much his character mirrored his real life," Wactor's friend Micah Parker said.

The film grapples with loss, forgiveness and rediscovery. Wactor stars alongside Parker.

"In the movie, his character's father passes away from cancer. In real life, Johnny's father passed away from cancer in 2020," Parker said. "The character deals with some substance abuse... and sobriety was very, very important to (Johnny) in his real life."

Wactor's love interest is played by Emily Alabi.

"There was no separation between him and the character. He was living it. He encompassed everything of this character that he was bringing to life," Alabi said.

Wactor was leaving work downtown when he encountered three men at his car. He thought he was being towed.

The "General Hospital" actor was shot and killed in May after leaving a bartending shift in downtown Los Angeles. He died while protecting his co-worker against armed thieves - a heroic act that speaks to Wactor's character, on and off screen.

"American Sognare" was filmed in Westchester, New York, in 2022. After this devastating loss, his friends and co-stars say they felt an urgency to finish the film.

"It's been really hard, but I think working on it, I feel a sense of joy getting to see him on screen," Albi said.

According to Parker, Wactor's fraternity brothers provided extra funding to get it done.

"He lifted people up when he was still on this Earth. When he was taken from it, everyone stepped in to lift him up as well," Parker said.

The film has been submitted to multiple film festivals and will be released in 2025.