general hospital: “RIP Beautiful”— General Hospital fans mourn the loss of soap alum Leslie Charleson

“RIP Beautiful”— General Hospital fans mourn the loss of soap alum Leslie Charleson

Actress Leslie Charleson, who used to play the role of Doctor Monica Quartermaine on General Hospital, joined the cast in 1977. The actress passed away on January 12, 2025, owing to a prolonged illness. She was 79 years old.

She was one of the oldest cast members, and her character, Monica Quartermaine, was extremely loved and respected by fans and viewers.

Although a cause of death was not shared, Variety reported that the four-time Daytime Emmy nominee had been dealing with an illness for a long time. Charleson's death was announced by General Hospital's executive producer Frank Valentini on the show's official social media handles on January 12.

Fans of General Hospital took to the show's official Facebook page to voice their opinions and send in their condolences after the actress's passing. One fan with the username Kelly Pettit-Lopez wrote,

"RIP beautiful lady."

Screenshot from the Facebook post (Image via Facebook)

Fan reactions poured out on Facebook, where they took to the comment section to write about Leslie's demise. Fans sent their heartfelt condolences to the actress's family and the entire cast of General Hospital.

They also wrote about and appreciated Leslie Charleson's portrayal of Monica Quartermaine. Some fans wrote about how she was an icon on the show and one of the most loved characters.

Leslie Charleson was one of the longest-tenured actors on the show. Over the last few years, she had been suffering from illnesses that led to her screen time being reduced. She last appeared on the show as Monica Quartermaine in December 2023.

Leslie Charleson's character of Monia Quartermaine on General Hospital

Leslie Charleson played the character of Doctor Monia Quartermaine on General Hospital since 1977. Her character had been introduced on the show as a cardiologist in Port Charles. She was one of the most successful female doctors on the show.

Monica was shown getting married to Alan Quartermaine (played by the late Stuart Damon) in 1978, who was also a doctor himself and a part of the prestigious and wealthy Quartermaine family. Their marriage was something that frequently caused issues like disloyalty and envy between the two. Despite a rough marriage, they both remained together and continued to support each other till Alan's death in 2007.

Monica's character on General Hospital was one who was compassionate and empathetic. She had adopted her friend's daughter, Emily, and raised her. She took care of Jason and A.J. Quartermaine as well, but after Jason's brain injury, he changed his name to Jason Morgan, and their relationship drifted.

Doctor Monica Quartmaine's character was one that was memorable for viewers. One storyline that significantly garnered positive reactions from fans was her journey with breast cancer. Leslie Charleson played the character of Monica for almost five decades and was well-loved by fans.

ABC's General Hospital, which first premiered on American television on April 1, 1963, has been one of the longest-running soap operas still in production. The show, which was created by Frank and Doris Hursley, is set in the fictional town of Port Charles and mainly revolves around the Corinthos, Quartermaine, Cassadine, and Spencer families. General Hospital has won many Daytime Emmy Awards as well, including the coveted Outstanding Drama Series.

Fans and viewers can watch the show on ABC Network and also stream episodes on Hulu.

Edited by Somava