‘GH’ Steve Burton Talks His Heartbreaking Goodbye To Leslie Charleson
Around eight months after the passing of actress Leslie Charleson, General Hospital will say goodbye to the character. The tribute will help to honor the woman who brought Dr. Monica Quartermaine to life for over four decades. Recently, one of her co-stars, Steve Burton, opened up about what it was like saying goodbye.
General Hospital Lost One Of Its Longest-Running Stars Earlier This Year
After appearing in various soap operas in the 1960s, including As the World Turns, Charleson was cast in one of her most famous roles in 1977. She joined the cast of General Hospital as Monica Quartermaine. Proving popular, she would end up one of the soap’s longest-serving cast members.
Tragically, on January 12, 2025, Charleson passed away at the age of 79. Her cause of death was listed as sequelae of blunt head trauma, which had been attributed to a previous head injury.
Since her passing, fans have been wanting to see the soap give the actress a tribute. As reported by TV Insider, a tribute to Charleson will start with the September 25, 2025, episode. This will mark Monica’s “departure from Port Charles,” all the while honoring the woman who brought her to life.
Actor Steve Burton, who joined the show in 1991 as Jason Quartermaine, played Monica’s adopted son on the soap. Recently, Burton discussed the bond he had with the real-life Charleson.
Noting their closeness early on, Burton shared, “I never had to really prepare my scenes with her because we just had a connection as soon as I came on the show. It was very special, and I’ll always cherish my time with her and the Quartermaines.”
“We had so much fun together. She and Stuart [Damon] always looked out for me and protected me. To have her and Stuart Damon as my parents? I hit the lottery.”
Steve Burton Talked About Saying Goodbye To Both Leslie & Monica
Burton continued, highlighting Charleson’s maternal nature on set. As he reminisced, he shared that she would even chide him for chewing gum.
However, Charleson’s celebration of life really opened Burton’s eyes to how many people she touched. He shared, ““I had no clue. The people who got up and spoke were like, ‘She changed my life.’ ‘Her house was always open for us.’ ‘She always did this for us.’ And I’m like, ‘Man, she was such a serving woman to everybody, and it was just such a beautiful thing.’ She deserves all the honor and credit. She was truly amazing.”
A few days after Charleson was honored, a tribute was filmed for her character, Monica. Burton noted, “It’s a surreal thing, because you have a woman who I love dearly who passed, but you had her character who was still alive.”
Burton appreciated that Jason would be the one to discover Monica had passed. He shared, “I’m glad my character was the one who found her. I just think it had to be Jason or Tracy because of the connection they had to her.”
Burton shared that his alter ego was deeply hurt by the loss. While he had a “great connection” with Monica, he also felt Jason “definitely regretted not spending more time with her.”
Burton Shared That His Emotional Goodbye Really Made An Impression On The Crew
As for saying goodbye on set, Burton noted that there wasn’t too much need to prepare. He explained his own relationship with Charleson brought him where he needed to be.
Burton also shared his farewall also left an impact on the crew. He added, “The camera guy, Dean [Cosanella], said to me, ‘Man, how long did you work on that monologue?’ And I said, ‘Actually, I didn’t look at it until this morning.’ He goes, ‘Really?’ I said, ‘I just couldn’t go there.’ I didn’t want to go there prior to that day.”
“So, I just got up early that day and learned my monologue. There was no planning. I was there emotionally already, so I just got up and spoke, and that was it. I was able to do it in one take, which was great, and it was done.”
Are you keeping up with the events of General Hospital? What is your reaction to this emotional story playing out? What is your reaction to Burton’s recent share? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest TV and celebrity news.
