General Hospital’s Leslie Charleson Died at 79

General Hospital announced that legendary actress Leslie Charleson had died. At the time of her passing, the actress who portrayed Dr. Monica Quartermaine was 79 years old.

Remembering Monica

GH took to Instagram to share the heartbreaking news that Charleson, who played Dr. Monica Quartermaine for nearly 50 years, passed away at 79.

Executive producer Frank Valentini shared in a statement: “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague Leslie Charleson. Her enduring legacy has spawned nearly 50 years on General Hospital alone and, just as Monica was the heart the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew.”

Charleson took an indefinite leave from GH in 2022 after reportedly suffering several falls. Last year, Co-star Steve Burton (Jason) shared that he hoped to reunite with his on-screen mom after returning to the soap in March 2024.

Charleson was born in Kansas City, Missouri on February 22, 1945. In 1964, she debuted as Pam on the soap A Flame In The Wind. Soon after, in 1966, she appeared in As The World Turns as Alice Whipple. When she portrayed Iris Donnelly from 1967-70 on Love Is A Many Splendored Thing, she became a rising star.

Tom Donovan, who was a producer on Love Is A Many Splendored Thing, ended up enticing her to go to GH after she’d decided she was finished with daytime. In 1976, Charleson took over the role of Monica from Patsy Rahn. The actress’s last appearance on the soap was in December 2023.

In addition to her work on daytime television, Charleson also in 1973’s Day of the Dolphin and the 1993 television movie Woman on the Ledge. Her primetime TV credits include Happy Days, The Rockford Files, Marcus Welby, M.D., and Emergency! in addition to Friends, Dharma and Greg, and Diagnosis: Murder.

In her personal life, Charleson was married to G. William Demms from 1988 to 1991. Soap Hub sends its sincere condolences to family, friends, and fans during this difficult time.