Leslie Charleson has died at the age of 79.

The actress was best known as Monica Quartermaine on the soap opera General Hospitala role she began playing in 1977 and which made her the longest-running actress on the series. She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy four times.

General Hospital’The series’ executive producer, Frank Valentini, announced Charleson’s death on Sunday, January 12, on the series’ official Instagram page. “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague Leslie Charleson,” he began.

“Their enduring legacy spans nearly 50 years General Hospital “Alone and just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch to the entire cast and crew,” he continued. “I will miss our daily conversations, her quick wit and her incredible presence on set.”

Valentini concluded his message with the words: “In the name of everyone present General HospitalMy deepest condolences go out to their loved ones during this difficult time.”

Charleson was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1945. Her sister Kate, who died in 1996, also became an actress. Charleson acted as a child and in high school and studied theater at Bennett College in upstate New York.

In 1964 she was cast on the NBC soap opera A flame in the wind. Then she joinedWhile the world turns in 1966 before moving to CBS Love is a great thing. She remained loyal to this series until 1970.

After leaving the show, she made guest appearances on series such as Marcus Welby, MD, Happy days (as love interest for Ron Howard’s Richie Cunningham), The streets of San Francisco, Owen Marshall, legal advisor, McMillan & Mrs And The Rockford Files. She also starred in the 1971 TV horror film Revenge!.

It was recorded in 1977 General Hospital When the series’ ratings faltered, she replaced Patsy Rahn, who debuted a year earlier as Monica Bard Webber (later Monica Quartermaine). Monica, a doctor, embodied the bad girl archetype on the show, and Charleson loved playing her.

“I only committed for two years and I don’t know what happened,” she told Digital Journal in 2019. “There weren’t many good female roles that had that back then. It was a fantastic time and powerful material for action.”

“She is interesting and engaged in all areas,” Charleson said Soap Opera Digest in 1981. “Her involvement in her social life may be a bit exaggerated, but it’s true. When she loves, she loves passionately. She tries hard, sometimes at the expense of others.”

And at that time the actress was happy with the development of her character. “I am thrilled with the progress she has made and her sense of humor,” she said. “As an actress, I like Monica because she can wear any hat, go anywhere and do anything.” Regarding her character’s reputation, she added: “If you’re good, you’re boring.” And no one is just ‘good’, be it because, she is a saint.”

Monica’s most influential relationship on the series was with her colleague Alan Quartermaine, played by the late Stuart Damon. The Quartermaine family joined the show the same year Charleson joined, ultimately giving Monica a close bond with the show.

But Monica’s relationship with Alan was often volatile. She often punched Alan in the face in the 80s. “We would give real slaps,” Charleson told PEOPLE in 2023 on the show’s 60th anniversary. “Stuart was always afraid I would pluck out his eye. I faked a slap in the face during the dress rehearsal, but when we recorded it, it all got out of hand!”

Monica was often in the middle of a love triangle and even accidentally had an affair with her nephew. But not all of Monica’s storylines emphasized over-the-top drama. In 1994 she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“Monica’s battle with breast cancer has been just incredibly fulfilling,” Charleson told FBJ Fit in 2020. “Dealing with a real issue that affects so many women and their families and the struggle and issues they face shows “It was something special.” I’m so proud of it. It was strenuous and incredibly difficult work, but the response to the action was truly humbling.”

Charleson began to perform General Hospital had a recurring status as of 2010 and occurred less frequently in the last years of her life.

Once she joined it GH Outside of the cast, Charleson rarely appeared on television. But she played the lead role in the 1993 TV movie Woman on the edge and made guest appearances on Diagnosis: murder And Dharma & Greg. She played herself in a 2004 episode Friendswhere she competed against Joey (who was also a soap star) on a game show.

Charleson was married once to Bill Demms from 1988 to 1991.

I look back at her GH Tenure, she said Soap Opera Digest in 2001: “I really love this job. Look at it this way: What’s better than getting up in the morning, rolling out of bed, throwing something on, and then having someone worry about what you look like, how you dress, and what you say? How much more grateful could you possibly be? Not bad, not bad at all.