Leslie Charleson 79-year-old actress passed away in General Hospital.
The actress who played Dr. Monica Quartermaine on General Hospital, Leslie Charleson, passed away.
Her death was verified on X by GH Executive Producer Frank Valentini.
I regret to inform you of the demise of @lesliecharleson, a close friend and coworker. Leslie was a cherished matriarch of the entire cast and staff, and her impact has endured for almost 50 years on @GeneralHospital alone. Monica was the center of the Quartermaine family. Her sharp wit, amazing presence on set, and our daily conversations will be missed. The whole staff at #GeneralHospital sends their deepest condolences to her family at this trying time.
The actress, who was born in Missouri, made her television debut in the soap operas As the World Turns and A Flame in the Wind. That sparked a wave of on-screen appearances in series including Cannon, Medical Center, Adam-12, Mannix, The Wild, Wild West, and Happy Days.
In 1977, she joined GH as Monica, taking Patsy Rahn’s spot.
As a huge fan, she admitted to Soap Opera Digest in 2022, “I started the show the day Elvis Presley died, and I was obviously very upset driving to the studios. When I got there, they told me that they hoped I had brought my own wardrobe and makeup because there was a strike going on — and that was before I even got in the building.” The girl who played Monica before me was violently fired, so when I entered the building, I understood that no one really loved me.
Despite her infidelity, their epic arguments, and their numerous breakups, fans found her character’s marriage to Alan (the late Stuart Damon) to be irresistible. In 1991, they got married again, and they stayed together until his character passed away in 2007.
Because her character was diagnosed with breast cancer in the mid-1990s, Charleson took advantage of her position to promote awareness of the disease.
From 1988 to 1991, she was wed to G. William Demms.
