As General Hospital honors the passing of Monica, the cast, crew, and fans are also reliving the death of her portrayer, Leslie Charleson. Characters are raising glasses in her honor and sharing memories, along with the fans. But nothing could capture her impact better than Charleson’s own words. In what ended up being her final interview, the actress looked back at her GH journey with humor, honesty, and plenty of behind-the-scenes stories.
Her Final Interview
Before her passing, Charleson spoke to Soap Opera Digest for the show’s 60th anniversary issue. She revealed that her GH debut came on a day that was already steeped in heartbreak: “I started the day Elvis Presley died, which was devastating to me as a lifelong fan.” Becoming Monica wasn’t easy either because she was a recast, replacing Patsy Rahn, who was a fan favorite.
She chose to put her own stamp on the character, admitting that she basically did what she felt was right, which was a gamble that would pay off for nearly five decades. Her stories also pulled back the curtain on life behind the scenes. She remembered Susan Brown (Gail) coming to her rescue during a wardrobe malfunction at Alan (the late Stuart Damon) and Monica’s engagement party, helping her fix her shirt that was on backward. She also laughed about “all those Dawns” when Monica’s daughter was recast multiple times in just two years.
Quartermaine Memories
Charleson even joked with then-producer Joe Hardy after showing up with a fresh haircut, telling him, “The way I look at it, Joe, is that you gave me four Dawns, the least I can do is get one haircut!” Hilariously, he couldn’t argue with her. Of course, no look back at Charleson’s career would be complete without mentioning her long-time leading man, Damon. She stated acting opposite him was “a wonderful ride,” and reflected on their endlessly entertaining, dysfunctional marriage, which was a staple of the show for decades.
But for Charleson, the drama in front of the cameras wasn’t the only fun thing about her job; she also loved the laughs everyone had behind the scenes. She explained that, “Not only did [director/producer] Tom [Donovan] talk me into doing the soap, but then he left! And there I was, not knowing who or what a Monica was, not having a clue as to what to do with her.” Fortunately, he gave her the license to interpret Monica however she wanted, and history was made.
