Soap stalwart Leslie Charleson known for 48-year-long role dies aged 79 | Soaps

Leslie Charleson, the longest serving cast member in American soap General Hospital, has died at the age of 79.

The star arrived in the show as Doctor Monica Quartermaine way back in 1977. Her death has been confirmed by General Hospital’s executive producer Frank Valentini.

Over on Instagram, a post from the General Hospital account read: ‘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.

He added: ‘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.’

Star Leslie secured her break in the industry in 1964, when she secured a role in the drama A Flame in the Wind.

In the late 60s, Leslie joined the cast of Love is a Many Splendored Thing. It was a few years later she returned to the world of daytime soaps, joining General Hospital.

However, in 2022, the star spoke about how she arrived on the show when the environment was ‘hostile’ due to the previous Monica Quartermine star losing her job.

‘There was another Monica before me and she had been rather, I guess, rudely fired’, she told State of Mind. ‘I came into a kind of hostile environment.’

While appearing on the show, Leslie appeared in other TV shows like Friends, as well as Dharma & Greg. She also took centre stage in the film Woman on the Ledge.

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