Longtime General Hospital actress Leslie Charleson has passed away at the age of 79.
The official General Hospital Instagram account announced the passing of Charleson, who has portrayed Monica Quartermaine on the series for nearly 50 years. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a cause of death was not given, though she reportedly had been battling an illness for some time.
Leslie Charleson was born on February 22nd, 1945 in Kansas City, getting her start on ABC’s daytime soap A Flame in the Wind in 1964. Before joining the cast of General Hospital in 1977, she appeared in two other soap operas – As the World Turns and Love is a Many Splendored Thing. Other acting credits include The Wild Wild West, Happy Days, The Rockford Files, Dharma & Greg and Friends.
The actress has received four Daytime Emmy Awards nominations for her role as Monica Quartermaine, along with two Soap Hub nominations and four Soap Opera Digest nominations. Her role was reduced to recurring status in 2010, but continued to appear on the show regularly, with her last performance coming in December 2023. It was this appearance that solidified her as the show’s longest-running cast member.
“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. I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set. On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time.” – Frank Valentini, General Hospital executive producer