Jason’s relationship with Alan and Monica was always one of the emotional anchors of General Hospital because underneath all the mob wars, gunfights, and identity changes, there was still this deeply broken family trying to hold onto the son they lost after his accident. Alan never fully stopped grieving the brilliant future Jason abandoned, while Monica somehow balanced fury, heartbreak, and unconditional love for years without ever fully giving up on him. Now Steve Burton is looking back at the actors behind those relationships and explaining just how much Leslie Charleson and Stuart Damon shaped him both personally and professionally during his early GH years.
Key Takeaways
- Steve Burton got emotional discussing Stuart Damon and Leslie Charleson.
- He credits Stuart Damon with shaping his work ethic and discipline.
- He also said Leslie Charleson was nurturing, funny, and unforgettable.
- Burton calls Damon and Charleson the best TV parents he could have had.
- Burton says he still feels grateful for his years with the Quartermaines.
Burton Gets Emotional Discussing Damon and Charleson
On Burton and Bradford Anderson’s (Spinelli) podcast, That’s Awesome!, Anderson read fan questions while Burton reflected on everything from GH schedules to Quartermaine memories. But the conversation shifted emotionally once a fan asked what it was like working with Stuart Damon and Leslie Charleson as Alan and Monica. Burton immediately paused and admitted, “Oh boy,” before visibly getting emotional talking about them.
He described Damon as “super consistent,” adding, “I learned a lot from Stuart about his work ethic, his discipline, showing up, treating people kindly, being grateful,” Burton explained. He also said there was “something special” about the Quartermaines as a group and insisted that anyone who worked within that family dynamic would say the same.
When the conversation turned to Charleson, Burton immediately started laughing, recalling her personality. “She was a firecracker, man,” he said before retelling the famous gum-chewing story where she ordered him to spit out his gum as a teenager. Burton called her “a nurturing person” who loved helping people and had an incredible sense of humor. Then he summed everything up simply: “I couldn’t have had two better onscreen parents ever.”
READ THIS: Get a preview of the drama headed for GH.
Burton Says Stuart Damon Helped Change His Career
The most revealing part of the conversation came once Burton explained how much Damon supported him behind the scenes during his early years at GH. Burton revealed Damon actually went upstairs to the producers to advocate for him creatively, pushing executives to give the young actor more material and bigger opportunities. “Give this kid a shot,” Burton recalled Damon saying. “Give him some more. See what he can do.”
Burton clearly still carries enormous gratitude for that support decades later. He described Damon as “a beautiful soul” who “would give anything to anybody,” adding that he still credits both Damon and Maurice Benard for helping him become the actor he is today.
The interview also drifted into broader discussions about the emotional exhaustion of soap acting, memorizing massive scripts, and staying trapped inside difficult storylines for months at a time. Still, even while talking about the pressure of daytime television, Burton was genuinely grateful for the strange little world that gave him Jason, the Quartermaines themselves, and two TV parents he clearly never stopped loving.
