The cast of General Hospital just came together to honor the late Leslie Charleson, who passed away in January 2025. Charleson played the beloved Monica Quartermaine on the long-running soap for nearly fifty years. Now, the cast had one last send-off for Charleson and it was magical. Keep reading for more details.
General Hospital Cast Comes Together To Honor Leslie Charleson
In 1977, Leslie Charleson came onto General Hospital in the role of Monica Quartermaine. She was the wife of Alan Quartermaine (Stuart Damon) and the mother of AJ Quartermaine, Jason Morgan, and Emily Quartermaine. Her character’s world was shattered when AJ and Jason were in a wreck, leaving the latter without his memory. He forgot who he was and where he came from but he always loved his mother. Charleson received four Daytime Emmy nominations for her portrayal of Monica. Unfortunately, her health started to override her ability to work and her final appearance was in 2023.
Fans did question if she would pop back in given that Steve Burton had returned to the soap in March 2024. She appeared through a message to his character, which broke Steve and Jason. They had such a brilliant connection on and off-screen so it was hard to think she may not return. Unfortunately, Charleson passed in January 2025 at the age of 79 and it was officially the end of an era. The cast was heartbroken but now, a little over a month later, they have gathered to honor the beloved actress.
According to Monsters & Critics, Leslie Charleson’s former co-stars shared clips from her memorial service. Finola Hughes, who plays Anna Devane shared a beautiful photo of Charleson from the very special gathering. Fans immediately rushed to the comment section to celebrate her but were still in shock she was gone:
- She was such a gift.❤️
- She will always be the best. The character Monica. Brought so much to general hospital rest in peace😢❤️
- This lovely soul is MISSED! Fly high, lovely lady! 🩷
- Thank you for sharing. She is missed. 🩵🤍🩵
Tributes Keep Coming
Ian Buchanan, who played Duke Lavery on General Hospital, shared a snap with his fellow mourning co-stars. Finola Hughes and Lynn Herring were by his side yet they all seemed at peace and happy to have been able to gather one last time to honor Leslie Charleson and her legacy.
Lisa Locicero was also there and appreciated the ability to see her GH family, even in these sad moments. Yet, it was a celebration of Charleson’s life which was likely filled with beautiful stories and a lot of hugs and laughter. It is unclear what will happen regarding Monica and her storyline. Again, she has not been on the show for over a year. Therefore, they will likely address her passing in the spring. It won’t be easy but it will honor the legacy of Monica and she deserves that.
Are you happy that the cast of General Hospital came together to celebrate the life of Leslie Charleson? What is your fondest memory of her? Let us know in the comments below.
