Leslie Charleson Dies: ‘General Hospital’ Actress Was 79

Leslie Charleson, the actress best known for playing Dr. Monica Quartermaine on General Hospital, has died.

Her death was confirmed by GH Executive Producer Frank Valentini on X.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague, @lesliecharleson. Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on @GeneralHospital alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaine family, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew. I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set. On behalf of everyone at #GeneralHospital, my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time.”

The four-time Daytime Emmy nominee played the beloved matriarch from 1977 to 2023. Her health prompted her withdrawal from the show; she was last seen on the ABC soap in December 2023.

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The Missouri-born actress got her start in TV by appearing in the soaps A Flame in the Wind and As the World Turns. That kicked off a flurry of appearances on the small screen in shows like The Wild, Wild West, Mannix, Adam-12, Medical Center, Happy Days and Cannon.

She joined GH in 1977 to replace Patsy Rahn as Monica.

“I started the show the day Elvis Presley died, and being such a huge fan, I of course was very upset driving to the studios, and then getting there I was told 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,” she told Soap Opera Digest in 2022. “Then I got in the building and I realized that no one really liked me, because the girl playing Monica before me was very rudely fired.”

Her character’s marriage to Alan (the late Stuart Damon) was irresistible to fans, despite her affairs, their epic fights and multiple breakups. They remarried in 1991 and remained together until his character died in 2007.

Charleson used her platform to advocate for breast cancer awareness, particularly because her character was diagnosed with it in the mid-90s.

She was married to G. William Demms from 1988 to 1991.