Leslie Charleson

Leslie Ann Charleson (February 22, 1945 – January 12, 2025) was an American actress, best known for her role as Monica Quartermaine on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital.<ref name="New York Times 1" />

Life and career

Charleson was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 22, 1945.<ref name="New York Times 1" /><ref name=soaps>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Actress Kate Charleson was her sister. Her career began on short-lived ABC daytime soap opera A Flame in the Wind in 1964. In 1966 she joined the cast of As the World Turns. In 1968, she played the role of a doctor's daughter in The Wild Wild West in the episode "The Night of Fire and Brimstone". From 1967 to 1970, she starred on the CBS soap opera Love Is a Many Splendored Thing.<ref name=soaps/> She played the role of Iris Donnelly Garrison. Her character was a part of a highly popular love triangle with David Birney and Donna Mills.<ref name=soe>Template:Cite book</ref>

Charleson guest-starred on many series from 1970 to 1977, including Adam-12; Emergency!; Ironside; Mannix; Marcus Welby, M.D.; Happy Days; Cannon; The Streets of San Francisco; and The Rockford Files. She had a supporting role in the 1973 science-fiction film The Day of the Dolphin and co-starred opposite Shelley Winters in the television thriller Revenge! (1971). Charleson also had leading roles in a number of unsuccessful television pilots, most notable 1975 sitcom pilot Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

On August 16, 1977, Charleson returned to daytime television with the role of Monica Quartermaine in the ABC soap opera General Hospital. Fred Silverman, then president of ABC, asked her to join the series, which at that time was near the bottom of the ratings and near cancellation.Template:R For her role, Charleson received four Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series nominations: in 1980, 1982, 1983 and 1995.<ref name=soaps/> During her General Hospital years, Charleson starred alongside Deidre Hall and Colleen Zenk in the 1993 made-for-television movie Woman on the Ledge.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She also guest-starred on sitcoms Dharma & Greg in 2001 and Friends in 2004. On August 24, 2010, it was announced that Charleson was being demoted to recurring status.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Charleson off contract">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Charleson was the longest-serving cast member of General Hospital.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Death

Charleson died in Los Angeles on January 12, 2025, at the age of 79.<ref name="New York Times 1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> According to Variety, she had experienced "several falls", which caused problems with her mobility, and had been hospitalized from one of them the week before her death.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Her death certificate, publicly reported in February 2025, concluded that the immediate cause of death was sequelae of blunt head trauma, which was the result of a previous head injury.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1968	A Lovely Way to Die	Julie	Crime neo noir directed by David Lowell Rich Uncredited	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="nytreview">Template:Cite news</ref>
1973	The Day of the Dolphin	Maryanne	Science fiction thriller film directed by Mike Nichols Based on novel of the same name by Template:Nowrap	<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1977	Cheering Section	Locker Girl #2	Comedy film co-written and directed by Harry Kerwin	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2006	The Return of the Muskrats	Waitress	Short film directed & written by Andrew Mudge	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1964	A Flame in the Wind	Pam	Recurring role	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1966	As the World Turns	Alice Whipple	Series regular	<ref name="danjkroll"/>
1967	N.Y.P.D.	Ginger	Episode: "Cruise to Oblivion"	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1968	The Wild Wild West	Dooley Sloan	Episode: "The Night of Fire and Brimstone"	<ref name="TVTropes">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="epicstream"/>
1967–1970	Love Is a Many Splendored Thing	Iris Donnelly Garrison	Series regular	<ref name="danjkroll"/><ref name="epicstream"/>
1970	Mannix	Marge Lavor	Episode 16: "A Chance at the Roses"	<ref name="Ultimate70s">Template:Cite news</ref>
1971	Revenge!	Nancy Grover	Made-for-TV movie (ABC) directed by Jud Taylor	<ref name="soapcentral">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1972	Adam-12	Kathy Royal	Episode: "The Princess and the Pig"	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	O'Hara, U.S. Treasury	Helga Kuyper	Episode: "Operation: Deathwatch"	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Marcus Welby, M.D.	Lisa Kenny	Episode: "Just a Little Courage"	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Search	Nancy Kubica	Episode: "Live Men Tell Tales"	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	The Rookies	Anne Dawson	Episode: "The Good Die Young"	<ref name="Ultimate70sLC">Template:Cite news</ref>
	Emergency!	Christy Todd	Episode: "Women"	<ref name="epicstream"/><ref name="dope"/>
	Cannon	Katherine 'Kate' Machen	Episode: "Sky Above, Death Below"	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Medical Center	Patti	Episode: "Gladiator"	<ref name="Ultimate70sLC"/>
1973	Ironside	Nicky Jameson	Episode: "A Special Person"	<ref name="dope"/>
	The F.B.I.	Ginny Wyatt	Episode: "The Loper Gambit"	<ref name="dope"/>
	Marcus Welby, M.D.	Alice Henley	Episode: "The Circles of Shame"	<ref name="dope"/>
	Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law	Edie Nolan	Episode: "They've Got to Blame Somebody"	<ref name="Ultimate70sLC"/>
1974	Another April	April Weston Moss	Pilot episode	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Cannon	Joan Stevens	Episode: "The Sounds of Silence"	<ref name="Ultimate70sLC"/>
	The Streets of San Francisco	Joanna Randolph Reed	Episode: "Death and the Favored Few"	<ref name="epicstream"/><ref name="Ultimate70sLC"/>
1975	Kung Fu	Amy Starbuck	Episode: "One Step to Darkness"	<ref name="dope"/><ref name="epicstream"/>
	Happy Days	Mrs. Dorothy Kimber	Episode: "Get a Job"	<ref name="Ultimate70sLC"/>
	Caribe	Claire Grune	Episode: "Murder in Paradise"	<ref name="Ultimate70sLC"/>
	Guess Who's Coming to Dinner	Joanna Prentiss	Pilot episode	<ref name="danjkroll"/>
	Medical Story	Susan Stewart	Episode: "The God Syndrome"	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Cannon	Susan Baylor	Episode: "The Man Who Died Twice"	<ref name="Ultimate70sLC"/>
	Barnaby Jones	Victoria Norris	Episode: "Honeymoon with Death"	<ref name="Ultimate70sLC"/>
1976	The Streets of San Francisco	Donna Sinclair	Episode: "Underground"	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Most Wanted	Lee Herrick	Pilot episode	<ref name="soapcentral"/>
	Bert D'Angelo/Superstar	Gail	Episode: "A Concerned Citizen"	<ref name="Ultimate70sLC"/>
	Baa Baa Black Sheep	Captain Anne Schaeffer	Episode: "Love and War"	<ref name="danjkroll"/>
1977	McMillan & Wife	Ginny Lindauer	Episode: "Coffee, Tea, or Cyanide?"	<ref name="epicstream"/><ref name="Ultimate70sLC"/>
	The Rockford Files	Patsy Fossler	Episodes: "To Protect and Serve: Part 1" and "To Protect and Serve: Part 2"	<ref name="epicstream"/><ref name="Ultimate70sLC"/>
1977–2023	General Hospital	Monica Quartermaine	Series regular (1977–2010), recurring cast (2010–2023) Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1980, 1982–83, 1995) Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama (1986, 1988, 1990) Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress (1993)	<ref name="New York Times 1"/>
1993	Woman on the Ledge	Rachel	Made-for-TV movie (NBC) directed by Chris Thomson	<ref name="soapcentral"/>
1997	Diagnosis: Murder	Herself	Episode: "Physician, Murder Thyself"	<ref name="epicstream"/>
1997–2000	Port Charles	Monica Quartermaine	Recurring role	<ref name="New York Times 1"/>
2001	Dharma & Greg	Katherine	Episode: "Dharma Does Dallas"	<ref name="epicstream"/>
2004	Friends	Herself	Episode: "The One Where the Stripper Cries"	<ref name="epicstream"/>
2008	General Hospital: Night Shift	Monica Quartermaine	Episodes: "Truth and Consequences" and "Past and Presence: Part 2"	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

External links

• [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 0153184

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