On Thursday, September 25 and Friday, September 26, ABC’s “General Hospital” is set to honor the life of one of its most beloved characters, Dr. Monica Quartermaine, portrayed for nearly 50 years by the late Leslie Charleson.
Ahead of the episodes, the daytime drama series has released a tribute package dedicated to both the actress and her character, featuring messages of love and adoration for both from her fellow cast members, including Finola Hughes (Anna Devane), Genie Francis (Laura Collins), Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos), Laura Wright (Carly Spencer), Kristina Wagner (Felicia Scorpio), John J. York (Mac Scorpio), Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis), Amanda Setton (Brook Lynn Quartermaine) and Wally Kurth (Ned Quartermaine), among others.
The tribute includes clips from the memorial service episodes, featuring speakers from the Quartermaine family, as well as friends and colleagues of the Monica character, who was a prominent fixture of General Hospital, a place the Quartermaine matriarch once called her home away from home.
“The only people she loved more were her own family, and I know she loved them very much. She treasured what time she had with them,” says Laura as she speaks about her dear friend, Monica, in the memorial episodes. Meanwhile, Laura’s portrayer notes Monica is “like a Dr. Hardy [the late John Beradino] or a Jessie Brewer [the late Emily McLaughlin]. These people are General Hospital. They made General Hospital.”
“We’re here to honor Monica Bard Quartermaine,” says Ned (Kurth) in the preview clip.
Watch the tribute package below.
Earlier this year, “General Hospital” dedicated its 62nd anniversary episode to Monica when, in the story, the fictional General Hospital unveiled the Dr. Monica Quartermaine Cardiac Wing. The dedication came just a few months after her portrayer passed away.
Charleson passed away on January 12, 2025, aged 79, after suffering from sequelae of blunt head trauma, or what is also known as traumatic brain injury (TBI) with the manner of death being classified as an accident, according to the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner.
Other significant medical conditions listed included Charleson’s history of asthma, arthritis, atrial fibrillation (aka AFib, which is an irregular heartbeat that affects the upper chambers of the heart), as well as normal pressure hydrocephalus (fluid buildup in the brain), the latter of which can cause brain injury, with such symptoms as memory loss, difficulty with walking, and bladder issues, among other matters.
On the day of her death, Variety reported the actress had “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 the week before her death after one such fall.
Born February 22, 1945, in Kansas City, Missouri, Charleson made her television debut in 1964 on the soap opera “A Flame in the Wind,” playing a character named Pam. Later, she took on the role of Alice Whipple on “As The World Turns” before truly making a name for herself when she portrayed Iris Donnelly on “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing.”
She joined “General Hospital” in 1977 as a recast Monica Quartermaine, the wife of Alan Quartermaine (the late Stuart Damon), who famously had an affair with former lover Rick Webber (Chris Robinson) which helped establish one of the most popular love triangles in daytime history with Alan notoriously “stalking” the pair as he worked to keep tabs on what he thought they were doing behind his back.
Throughout her career, Charleson received four Daytime Emmy Awards nominations for her portrayal of Monica Quartermaine, first in 1980 in the category of Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series, along with nominations in 1982 and 1983 in the same category. In 1995, Charleson received her fourth nomination but by that time the category had been renamed to Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Outside of daytime, Charleson appeared in episodes of such shows as “The Rockford Files,” “Dharma & Greg,” “Diagnosis Murder,” “The Streets of San Francisco,” “Barnaby Jones” and “Canon,” among others.
Charleson made her final appearance on “General Hospital” in December 2023, appearing in scenes opposite co-stars Jane Elliot (Tracy Quartermaine) and Michael Easton (ex-Hamilton Finn), among others. She also appeared in scenes at the Quartermaine mansion as the family celebrated the holidays.
Check out a preview clip from the Thursday, September 25 episode below.
