GH: RIP Leslie Charleson

[Vee]

Damn.

Variety's full text:

Edited January 12 by Vee

[lilyredd]

2025 is not starting well. She was wonderful as Monica.

[Vee]

Frank's full statement is in the above article, but also here on the GH Threads account.

 

[MichaelGL]

I knew we didn’t have long but it’s still sad and shocking. May she rest in peace 

[Vee]

I have many, many issues with Frank Valentini's stewardship of GH, but I'll never forget what he did for many vets over the years to pay respect to them, starting with what he did in John Ingle's final days which was reported in great detail by his grateful family. I never forgot either the seemingly spontaneous applause for Rachel Ames when she appeared at the nurses' station during the anniversary in 2013. I don't believe she knew about it; she looked very surprised. And the tributes for Jackie, for Sonya Eddy, for John Reilly, etc. were wonderful and kind.

GH has many glaring flaws but they kept Monica very involved in recent years before Leslie's recent injury and illness, with the Qs and at the hospital. They endeavored to keep her involved any way they could, via voice or by brief appearances in the last couple years. I am grateful to FV and to GH for that.

I knew this was probably coming but it's still very sad. Leslie was vital to revitalizing this show and making it a generational force, and to modernizing soaps in general, as others have noted re: recent discussion of Love is a Many Splendored Thing and her work there. I held out hope we could see her one last time.

[BetterForgotten]

We probably knew this was coming, but it’s still sad. May she RIP. 
 

 

[DRW50]

I was just thinking again recently about her absence and then was reminded in a Donna Mills interview I found yesterday about how important she and Leslie were to Love Is a Many Splendored Thing. 

Heartbreaking. So many losses for the GH family but this is one that directly affects so many of my GH memories.

By the time I started watching GH, Monica was more of a support character, but I still appreciated Leslie's work in any scene she had. There are few soap actors who ever crackled with as much life force as Leslie did. She could often be reserved in drama and wry in comedy, but you never sensed she didn't care. No matter how rote the material might be, she always gave everything she had. I was fascinated when watching her. She was one of the most intelligent actresses soaps ever had. And something she never got enough credit for was just what an easy chemistry she had with all her scene partners, whether in love or war, in giving medical news or being a mother or having a coffee with Bobbie or putting up with Amy's nonsense. 

She loved the Quartermaines even when the show didn't. I remember her quote about how Gloria Monty had tried to get rid of the family with the Eckers, and by the end, most of the Eckert scenes took place in the Quartermaine living room. I'm sorry she wasn't able to be there during the relative renaissance period of the last few years for the family, but they wouldn't have even gotten to this point without her. 

I've never forgotten the interview she gave to SOD about how uncomfortable her debut as Monica was because she had to tell her co-stars that Patsy Rahn (Monica #1) had been fired. She was also a huge Elvis fan, and Elvis had recently passed away. Eerie as Elvis had his birthday not long ago. 

She has some good stories here on this subject:

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-leslie-charleson-2/

[Marco Dane]

At least she’s with “Alan” now… 

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[Vee]

I do think she was there for part of it over the last ten years or so. I seem to recall a lot of stuff with her and both Drews, and with the resurgent Q canvas before her injury. It surprised me to tune in here and there and see her so often. She was also in a fair bit of hospital stuff with the current crew, which makes her thankfully still relevant. And again, they always took care to reference her being around or used her voice where they could. I'm very grateful for that.

I will watch a '90s episode in her honor tonight, probably the breast cancer story she was so good in. Monica was too real for the room sometimes, and that was all Leslie.

[AMCOLTLLover]

Thank god I got to meet her in 2018 and Jacky/Bobbie too.

now two of my favorite GH women are all gone

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RIP… I mean her health has been on the decline for serval years but I really thought she would at least come back again for a few appearences

no more Alan, Monica  IT will always be YOUR House ! 

[Liberty City]

Damnnnn. RIP to her.

[YRfan23]

RIP to another legend!!

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just too many losses for that daytime family! Hope she’s now reunited and laughing with her friends from the show who have also passed! 

[Franko]

May she rest in peace.

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[titan1978]

Damn. I hope she is at peace, somewhere riding her beloved horses, which she had not been able to do for a long time. I remember a Michael Logan interview with Jane, Tony, and Kin where I first learned her on set nickname, Lester, which I found endearing for some reason and it stuck with me.

As @DRW50 mentioned, Leslie had easy and great chemistry with nearly everybody. As rivals with Leslie Webber and Tracy, romantic with several men, and maternal with her onscreen children. I think she and Stuart as Monica and Alan are one of the most important couples in daytime history.

Luke and Laura get all the credit, and they certainly were a cultural phenom, but Rick/Leslie/Monica/Alan was a story engine that drove the show up in the ratings in the classic soap sense. She was a pivotal recast!

Those first Quartermaines- David Lewis, Stuart, Jane, Anna Lee and Leslie were something special.

Edited January 13 by titan1978

[DRW50]

That's such a beautiful image. I'd like to believe that's what she is doing right now.