Veteran TV star Leslie Charleson dead at 79

One of the longest-serving cast members on a beloved show has died at the age of 79, it’s been confirmed.

Actress Leslie Charleson, a General Hospital mainstay since 1977, has passed away at the age of 79.

General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini confirmed the news with a statement on social media.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague, @lesliecharleson. Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on @GeneralHospital alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaine family, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew,” Valentini wrote about the actress.

“I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set. On behalf of everyone at #GeneralHospital, my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time.”

Leslie Charleson has died at the age of 79. Picture: Scott Kirkland/ABC via Getty Images

Variety reports that the actress passed after “a long illness.” Charleson reportedly suffered “several falls” in recent years that impacted her mobility and resulted in her using a walker. She was hospitalised just last week after another fall.

Charleson was one of the longest serving members of the General Hospital cast, having starred in a whopping 2,079 episodes between 1977 and 2023. She previously described the environment on set as “hostile” in those early days, noting the actress before her had been “rudely fired,” per Soap Opera Digest.

But Charleson’s Dr. Quartermaine became an audience favourite, especially with her tumultuous relationship with Alan Quartermaine.

She was one of the longest serving members of the General Hospital cast. Picture: Valerie Durant via Getty Images

Born in 1945 in Kansas, Charleson got her start in acting in 1964 with a role on A Flame in the Wind, kicking off a decades-long career in television. She then took guest roles in As The World Turns, The Wild Wild West, Medical Center, and Kung Fu, among several others before she joined the cast of GH.

Charleson continued taking guest roles outside of the soap during her tenure. She had a guest role in Dharma & Greg in 2001 and also played herself in an episode of Friends.

The actress told Digital Journal in 2019 that she initially signed on to play Dr. Monica Quartermaine for two years. “I don’t know what happened. I like her spunk, independence and everything about her,” she said. “Back then, there weren’t a lot of good female roles that had that. It was an amazing time, and it was strong material to act.”

She also starred in several episodes of the General Hospital spin-offs, Port Charles and General Hospital: Night Shift.

The actress won four Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress throughout her career.

This article originally appeared in Decider and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Veteran TV star Leslie Charleson dead at 79