Leslie Charleson, who starred on 'General Hospital' for nearly 50 years, dies at 79
Colleagues are remembering the soap opera star for her "quick wit" and presence on set. She died after a long illness.
Leslie Charlson played Dr. Monica Quartermaine on General Hospital. She's shown above in 1982. ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
toggle captionABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesLeslie Charleson, who played cardiologist Monica Quartermaine on the ABC daytime drama General HospitalĀ for nearly five decades, died on Sunday. ABC confirmed Charleson's death to NPR in a statement.
"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," wrote General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini. "I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set."
While General Hospital is the longest-running scripted drama in the U.S., Charleson was one of its longest-tenured cast members. Born in Kansas City, Mo., in 1945, Charleson broke into show business at a young age. Her first gig? A car commercial alongside her mother, who dabbled in acting.
"All I had to do was just pretend to be asleep in the backseat," Charleson remembered during an interview with the New York City talk show Something to Offer. "I just remember my mother turning around and saying with a big smile, 'If you don't close your eyes, Leslie, you're never going to see 8 years old. Do it right now.'"
As she got older, Charleson's acting ambitions grew. In the 1960s and '70s, she appeared in dramas like A Flame in the Wind (later known as A Time for Us), As the World Turns and Love is a Many Splendored Thing before landing the role of Monica on General Hospital.
During a 2022 appearance on fellow actor Maurice Benard's podcast, Charleson said that her first day on set coincided with the death of Elvis Presley. "I remember tears coming down my cheeks as I was driving for the first time to the studio," she said.
Additionally, Charleson told Benard that she was originally disliked on-set because another actress playing Monica had been "rudely fired," and her hiring as the replacement did not go over well. However, Charleson thrived in her portrayal of Monica Quartermaine, a razor-sharp cardiologist with an embattled personal life full of marriages, divorces, heartbreak and affairs.
In the '90s, her character underwent a breast cancer diagnosis. In a 1994 interview with The Los Angeles Times, Charleson said she pitched the cancer storyline because she felt the show had a responsibility to tackle serious topics. Throughout her time on General Hospital, Charleson received four daytime Emmy nominations as outstanding lead actress in a drama series. She also appeared on shows like Dharma & Greg and Friends.
In a statement to NPR, close friend and entertainment journalist Rosemary Rossi described Charleson as warm and genuine. "Her arms and heart were always open. Everyone who was ever in her orbit felt that," she said. "Yes, she was a soap opera icon, and she leaves that legacy. But her real legacy is the people she touched along the way. And heaven now knows, there were a lot of them."
Earlier this month, news broke that the āFantastic Fourā star and the film producer were parting ways after 16 years of marriage.
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
After seeing a resurgence in popularity after his career-defining role in 'The Brutalist', Adrien Brody revealed an insight into his controversial SNL performance.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The singer ignited breakup rumors in 2024 after she posted her message and began sharing photos of herself without her wedding ring.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The āFriendsā alum previously worked as a process server during his college days, he revealed on Mondayās episode of āThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert.ā
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Whoopi Goldberg said she won't be watching Carrie Underwood's performance at Donald Trump's inauguration, but supports the singer's decision.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Love Island All Stars 2025 viewers all had the same question on Tuesday night, as Casey O'Gorman made a return to the villa as a bombshell for his third stint as an Islander
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
One day after Jessica Simpson announced her split from husband Eric Johnson, a source exclusively told E! News that the couple had already been separated "for a while."
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The singer and his wife have long supported The KingĆ¢??s Foundation and are the latest in a run of celebrity ambassadors to be announced.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Wright said people are āclose to the wireā as industries that once offered steady incomes struggle.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
TONY Slattery once credited his doting partner with keeping him āaliveā before his tragic death ā gushing over his ārockā of 40 years. The comedian was with actor Markā¦
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.