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Vale: Leslie Charleson

US soap's longest-serving cast member has died.

Veteran US actress Leslie Charleson, best known for General Hospital has died aged 79.

She played Monica Quartermaine from 1977 to 2023, making her the soap’s longest-serving cast member. She was a four-time Daytime Emmy nominee.

General Hospital‘s executive producer Frank Valentini announced Charleson’s death on Instagram page on Sunday: “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague, Leslie Charleson.

“Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on General Hospital alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew,” he continued. “I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set.”

In 1964, she was cast on the soap A Flame in the Wind. Then she joined ​​As the World Turns in 1966, before moving to Love Is a Many Splendored Thing until 1970.

After leaving the show, she made guest appearances on series like Marcus Welby, M.D., Happy Days (as a love interest for Ron Howard’s Richie Cunningham), The Streets of San Francisco, Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law, McMillan & Wife and The Rockford Files. She also starred in the 1971 made-for-TV horror film Revenge!

In 1977, she was brought onto General Hospital as the series’ ratings were floundering, replacing Patsy Rahn, who had debuted as Monica Bard Webber (later Monica Quartermaine) a year earlier. Monica, a doctor, filled the bad-girl archetype on the show, and Charleson loved playing her.

“I only signed on for two years, and I don’t know what happened,” she said in 2019. “Back then, there weren’t a lot of good female roles that had that. It was an amazing time, and it was strong material to act.”

She appeared in a recurring status in 2010 and made less frequent appearances until her last in 2023.

She also made guest appearances on Diagnosis: Murder, Dharma & Greg and played herself in a 2004 episode of Friends, where she faced Joey (who was also a soap star) on a game show.

Valentini concluded his message: “On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time.”

General Hospital screens in Australia on 10Play.

Source: People

3 Responses

  1. That is so sad. She was the heart of the show for so long.
    On the subject of General Hospital why does 10Play only have 67 episodes available for screening? I thought that they would fast track it like Y&R and Days.
    Have you heard anything David?

    1. It definitely has more than 67 episodes now. They have added from 19th of December onwards in the 2024 section. The 2025 section has January episodes up until the 8th.

      I heard a couple of weeks ago they were going to be express from the US as of tomorrow so I guess we will see what happens.

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