General Hospital family Grieves Loss โof Leslie Charleson‘s Monica Quartermaine
Los Angeles, CA – โคThe world of โdaytime โฃtelevisionโ is โฃmourning the passing of Leslie Charleson, the actress who indelibly portrayed Monica Quartermaine on General Hospital for over 40 years. Charleson died September 27, 2023, at the age of 89, leaving โa void in the hearts of co-stars and a โฃdevoted fanbase.
The loss is particularly โคacuteโ for Jane Elliot, who plays Tracy Quartermaine, Monica’s longtime friend and confidante. Elliot described the profound impact of Charleson’s death, noting the dwindling circle of original cast members. “it’sโข a huge loss for her. All of her contemporaries are gone. Her mother, her father, her brother, Luke, Gregory,” โฃElliot shared. “I mean, Monica was it. โThey were the last two standing hand in โฃhand, side by side.So losing her was like losing an arm.”
Charlesonโ debuted โas Monica Quartermaine in 1977, quickly becoming a cornerstone of the iconic soap opera. Her character navigated complex family dynamics, medical crises, and romantic entanglements, earning her a Daytime Emmy Award inโ 1979. The โQuartermaine family, โlargely built around Monica, became central to General Hospital’s โstorylines, captivating audiences for generations.
As the General Hospital family prepares a memorial service for Monica, questions linger about whether Tracy Quartermaine will โdeliver a eulogy. Elliot revealed Tracy is hesitant, despite the strong desire of many who knew and loved Monica. โ”She’s adamant she’s not going โฃto do it, but there are a lot โof peopleโ who โreally want her to do it,” Elliot โsaid. “The question is, will someone get her to change her mind?”
A recent image โfrom theโ memorial service shows Laura Collins (Genie Francis) sharing loving thoughts in remembrance โคof Monica Quartermaine. The service is expected to be a poignant tribute to Charleson’s legacy and the enduring โimpact of her character on the landscape of daytime television.
