Leslie Charleson

Leslie Charleson (born February 22, 1945) is an American actress, best known for her role as Monica Quartermaine in the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital.

Leslie Charleson
Charleson in 1967
Born (1945-02-22) February 22, 1945
OccupationActress
Years active1964–present
Spouse(s)
Bill Demms
(m. 1988; div. 1991)

Life and career

Charleson was born in Kansas City, Missouri.[1] Actress Kate Charleson was her sister. Her career began on short-lived ABC daytime soap opera A Flame in the Wind in 1964. In 1966 she joined the cast of As the World Turns. From 1967 to 1970, she starred on the CBS soap opera Love Is a Many Splendored Thing.[2] She played the role of Iris Donnelly Garrison. Her character was a part of a highly popular love triangle with David Birney and Donna Mills.[3]

In 1968, she played the role of a doctor's daughter in the Wild Wild West in the episode "The Night of Fire and Brimstone". In 1970, Charleson left the show and began career on prime time. She guest-starred on many series from 1970 to 1977, including Adam-12, Emergency!, Ironside, Marcus Welby, M.D., Happy Days, Cannon, The Streets of San Francisco, and The Rockford Files. She had a supporting role in the 1973 science-fiction film The Day of the Dolphin and co-starred opposite Shelley Winters in the television thriller Revenge! (1971). Charleson also had leading roles in a number of unsuccessful television pilots.[2]

On August 16, 1977 Charleson returned to daytime television with the role of Monica Quartermaine in the ABC soap opera General Hospital. Fred Silverman, then president of ABC, asked her to join the series, which at that time was near the bottom of the ratings and near cancellation.[4] Charleson replaced Patsy Rahn as Monica, a doctor caught between her husband Jeff Webber and his back-from-the-dead brother, her true love Rick Webber.[4] For her long-running performance on the show, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series four times. On August 24, 2010, it was announced that Charleson was being demoted to recurring status.[5][6] Charleson is currently the longest-serving cast member of General Hospital.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1964 A Flame in the Wind Pam Recurring role
1966 As the World Turns Alice Whipple Series regular
1967 N.Y.P.D. Ginger Episode: "Cruise to Oblivion"
1968 A Lovely Way to Die Julie
1968 The Wild Wild West Dooley Sloan Episode: "The Night of Fire and Brimstone"
1967–1970 Love Is a Many Splendored Thing Iris Donnelly Garrison Series regular
1970 Mannix Marge Lavor Season 3-Episode 16: "A Chance at the Roses"
1971 Revenge! Nancy Grover Television film
1972 Adam-12 Kathy Royal Episode: "The Princess and the Pig"
1972 O'Hara, U.S. Treasury Helga Kuyper Episode: "Operation: Deathwatch"
1972 Marcus Welby, M.D. Lisa Kenny Episode: "Just a Little Courage"
1972 Search Search Episode: "Live Men Tell Tales"
1972 The Rookies Anne Dawson Episode: "The Good Die Young"
1972 Emergency! Christy Todd Episode: "Women"
1972 Cannon Katherine 'Kate' Machen Episode: "Sky Above, Death Below"
1972 Medical Center Patti Episode: "Gladiator"
1973 Ironside Nicky Jameson Episode: "A Special Person"
1973 The F.B.I. Ginny Wyatt Episode: "The Loper Gambit"
1973 Marcus Welby, M.D. Alice Henley Episode: "The Circles of Shame"
1973 The Day of the Dolphin Maryanne
1973 Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law Edie Nolan Episode: "They've Got to Blame Somebody"
1974 Another April April Weston Moss Television pilot
1974 Cannon Joan Stevens Episode: "The Sounds of Silence"
1974 The Streets of San Francisco Joanna Randolph Reed Episode: "Death and the Favored Few"
1975 Kung Fu Amy Starbuck Episode: "One Step to Darkness"
1975 Happy Days Mrs. Dorothy Kimber Episode: "Get a Job"
1975 Caribe Claire Grune Episode: "Murder in Paradise"
1975 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Joanna Prentiss Television pilot
1975 Medical Story Episode: "The God Syndrome"
1975 Cannon Susan Baylor Episode: "The Man Who Died Twice"
1975 Barnaby Jones Victoria Norris Episode: "Honeymoon with Death"
1976 The Streets of San Francisco Donna Sinclair Episode: "Underground"
1976 Most Wanted Lee Herrick Television pilot
1976 Bert D'Angelo/Superstar Episode: "A Concerned Citizen"
1976 Baa Baa Black Sheep Captain Anne Schaeffer Episode: "Love and War"
1977 McMillan & Wife Ginny Lindauer Episode: "Coffee, Tea, or Cyanide?"
1977 The Rockford Files Patsy Fossler Episodes: "To Protect and Serve: Part 1" and "To Protect and Serve: Part 2"
1977 Cheering Section Rocker Girl
1977–present General Hospital Monica Quartermaine Series regular (1977-2010), Recurring cast (2010-present)
Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1980, 82-83, 1995)
Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama (1986, 88, 1990)
Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress (1993)
1993 Woman on the Ledge Rachel Television film
1997 Diagnosis: Murder Herself Episode: "Physician, Murder Thyself"
1997–2000 Port Charles Monica Quartermaine Recurring role
2001 Dharma & Greg Katherine Episode: "Dharma Does Dallas"
2004 Friends Herself Episode: "The One Where the Stripper Cries"
2006 The Return of the Muskrats Waitress Short film
2008 General Hospital: Night Shift Monica Quartermaine Episodes: "Truth and Consequences" and "Past and Presence: Part 2"

References

  1. "Leslie Charleson 411 - Soap Opera Digest". Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  2. "Leslie Charleson Biography (1945-)". Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  3. Schemering, Christopher (1987). The Soap Opera Encyclopedia. New York: Ballantine. p. 150. ISBN 9780345324597.
  4. Schemering, Christopher (1987). The Soap Opera Encyclopedia. New York: Ballantine. p. 117. ISBN 9780345324597.
  5. "Leslie Charleson dropped to recurring status". SoapCentral. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  6. "Leslie Charleson taken off contract at GH!". Michael Fairman On-Air On-Soaps. 2010-08-24. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
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