'General Hospital' star Leslie Charleson passes away at 79

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Leslie Charleson, a Soap Opera icon known for her role as Monica Quartermaine on ‘General Hospital’, died at the age of 79 after a long illness. She joined the show in 1977 and had significant health issues in recent years. Frank Valentini, the show’s executive producer, expressed his condolences and remembered her as a beloved matriarch.

Soap Opera icon Leslie Charleson, best known for playing Monica Quartermaine on ‘General Hospital’, has passed away.

As per Variety, Leslie Charleson died on Sunday morning after a long illness. She was 79.

‘General Hospital’ executive producer Frank Valentini announced the news of Leslie’s demise.

“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 said.

The beloved actress, who joined the soap in 1977, has had some health ups and downs over the past few years, which has limited her time on the ABC soap, on which she hadn’t appeared since December 2023, according to Variety.

In recent years, Charleson suffered several falls that prevented her from getting around. Although it impeded her mobility and resulted in her need for a walker, it never got her spirit down. Charleson was hospitalized last week after one such fall.

Leslie’s other early credits include guest-starring roles in The Wild Wild West, Adam-12, Emergency!, Mannix, Ironside, Happy Days, Marcus Welby, M.D. and The Rockford Files.

She was also seen in ‘Friends’.