Actress Leslie Charleson, who was best known for playing the long-running Monica Quartermaine on General Hospital, passed away earlier this year. Recently, documents have revealed the star’s cause of death. Over the years, Charleson was known for playing one of the longest-running character in an American soap opera.
Leslie Charleson Got Her Start In Soaps, Even Before Her General Hospital Big Break
Charleson got her start on a short-lived soap, A Flame in the Wind in 1964. Within a few years, she joined the cast of As the World Turns as Alice Whipple.
One of Charleson’s biggest roles in came 1977 when she was cast as Monica Quartermaine on General Hospital, taking over for Patsy Rahn. She would appear as the character as late as 2023. At the time, it was believed Charleson had left due to health issues.
On the soap, Monica was a cardiologist at the title hospital. She was also notably married to Stuart Damon’s Alan Quartermaine, having previously been married to Jeff Webber. Her relationships with Alan and the Webber brothers served as a big focus of major storylines on the soap over the years.
Monica is also the mother of A. J. Quartermaine and Dawn Winthrop, as well as an adoptive mother to Jason Morgan and Andrew Cain. In addition, Charleson also reprised the character in the spin-offs, Port Charles and General Hospital: Night Shift.
The role has also been considered one of the longest-serving roles in American soaps, in addition to being one of General Hospital‘s longest-running characters.
As noted by Deadline, Charleson passed away on January 12 at a Los Angeles hospital. She was 79 at the time of her death.
According to TMZ, documents listed Charleson’s cause of death as “sequelae of blunt head trauma.” As the publication noted, the was due to long-term effects of a previous head injury.
In Addition To Acting, Charleson Was Known For Promoting Breast Cancer Awareness
The publication noted it was unclear when she was injured. However, it’s believed that “several falls” were tied to the health issues that saw her leave General Hospital.
The actress was also noted to have had a history of health issues. This included asthma, arthritis, and atrial fibrillation. At the time of her death, reports claimed she had long battled an illness.
Throughout her career, Charleson appeared in many prominent series. This includes Ironside, Mannix, Happy Days, The Rockford Files, Friends, and Dharma and Greg. She also appeared in the films A Lovely Way to Die, The Day of the Dolphin, and Cheering Section.
In addition to her acting career, Charleson was also noted for her work as an advocate for breast cancer awareness. This was inspired by her General Hospital character being diagnosed during the 1990s.
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