Leslie Charleson

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Leslie Charleson
Leslie Charleson 1967.JPG
Charleson in 1967
Born (1945-02-22) February 22, 1945 (age 79) [1]
OccupationActress
Years active1964–present
Known for Monica Quartermaine in General Hospital
Spouse
Bill Demms
(m. 1988;div. 1991)

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 .

Contents

Life and career

Charleson was born in Kansas City, Missouri. [2] 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. 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". From 1967 to 1970, she starred on the CBS soap opera Love Is a Many Splendored Thing . [1] 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]

Charleson guest-starred on many series from 1970 to 1977, including Adam-12 ; Emergency! ; Ironside ; Mannix; 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, most notable 1975 sitcom pilot Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner . [4] [5]

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. [3] :117 For her role, Charleson received four Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series nominations: in 1980, 1982, 1983 and 1995. [1] During her General Hospital years, Charleson starred alongside Deidre Hall and Colleen Zenk in the 1993 made-for-television movie Woman on the Ledge. [6] She also guest-starred on sitcoms Dharma & Greg in 2001 and Friends in 2004. On August 24, 2010, it was announced that Charleson was being demoted to recurring status. [7] [8] Charleson is the longest-serving cast member of General Hospital. [9]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1964 A Flame in the Wind PamRecurring role
1966 As the World Turns Alice WhippleSeries regular
1967 N.Y.P.D. GingerEpisode: "Cruise to Oblivion"
1968 A Lovely Way to Die Julie
1968 The Wild Wild West Dooley SloanEpisode: "The Night of Fire and Brimstone"
1967–1970 Love Is a Many Splendored Thing Iris Donnelly GarrisonSeries regular
1970 Mannix Marge LavorSeason 3-Episode 16: "A Chance at the Roses"
1971 Revenge! Nancy GroverTelevision film
1972 Adam-12 Kathy RoyalEpisode: "The Princess and the Pig"
1972 O'Hara, U.S. Treasury Helga KuyperEpisode: "Operation: Deathwatch"
1972 Marcus Welby, M.D. Lisa KennyEpisode: "Just a Little Courage"
1972 Search SearchEpisode: "Live Men Tell Tales"
1972 The Rookies Anne DawsonEpisode: "The Good Die Young"
1972 Emergency! Christy ToddEpisode: "Women"
1972 Cannon Katherine 'Kate' MachenEpisode: "Sky Above, Death Below"
1972 Medical Center PattiEpisode: "Gladiator"
1973 Ironside Nicky JamesonEpisode: "A Special Person"
1973 The F.B.I. Ginny WyattEpisode: "The Loper Gambit"
1973 Marcus Welby, M.D. Alice HenleyEpisode: "The Circles of Shame"
1973 The Day of the Dolphin Maryanne
1973 Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law Edie NolanEpisode: "They've Got to Blame Somebody"
1974Another AprilApril Weston MossTelevision pilot
1974 Cannon Joan StevensEpisode: "The Sounds of Silence"
1974 The Streets of San Francisco Joanna Randolph ReedEpisode: "Death and the Favored Few"
1975 Kung Fu Amy StarbuckEpisode: "One Step to Darkness"
1975 Happy Days Mrs. Dorothy KimberEpisode: "Get a Job"
1975 Caribe Claire GruneEpisode: "Murder in Paradise"
1975Guess Who's Coming to DinnerJoanna PrentissTelevision pilot
1975 Medical Story Episode: "The God Syndrome"
1975 Cannon Susan BaylorEpisode: "The Man Who Died Twice"
1975 Barnaby Jones Victoria NorrisEpisode: "Honeymoon with Death"
1976 The Streets of San Francisco Donna SinclairEpisode: "Underground"
1976Most WantedLee HerrickTelevision pilot
1976 Bert D'Angelo/Superstar Episode: "A Concerned Citizen"
1976 Baa Baa Black Sheep Captain Anne SchaefferEpisode: "Love and War"
1977 McMillan & Wife Ginny LindauerEpisode: "Coffee, Tea, or Cyanide?"
1977 The Rockford Files Patsy FosslerEpisodes: "To Protect and Serve: Part 1" and "To Protect and Serve: Part 2"
1977Cheering SectionRocker 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, 1982–83, 1995)
Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama (1986, 1988, 1990)
Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress (1993)
1993Woman on the LedgeRachelTelevision film
1997 Diagnosis: Murder HerselfEpisode: "Physician, Murder Thyself"
1997–2000 Port Charles Monica QuartermaineRecurring role
2001 Dharma & Greg KatherineEpisode: "Dharma Does Dallas"
2004 Friends HerselfEpisode: "The One Where the Stripper Cries"
2006The Return of the MuskratsWaitressShort film
2008 General Hospital: Night Shift Monica QuartermaineEpisodes: "Truth and Consequences" and "Past and Presence: Part 2"

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Leslie Charleson". June 8, 2015.
  2. "Leslie Charleson 411 - Soap Opera Digest". Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  3. 1 2 Schemering, Christopher (1987). The Soap Opera Encyclopedia. New York: Ballantine. p. 150. ISBN   9780345324597.
  4. Goldberg, Lee (2001). Unsold Television Pilots Vol. 1: 1955–1976 . Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse. p. 230. ISBN   978-0-595-19429-2.
  5. Baugess, James S.; DeBolt, Abbe Allen, eds. (2012). Encyclopedia of the Sixties: A Decade of Culture and Counterculture . Vol. 1. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood. p. 274. ISBN   978-0-313-32944-9.
  6. Scott, Tony (March 15, 1993). "Nbc Monday Night at the Movies Woman on the Ledge".
  7. "Leslie Charleson dropped to recurring status". SoapCentral . Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  8. "Leslie Charleson taken off contract at GH!". Michael Fairman On-Air On-Soaps . 2010-08-24. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  9. Brounstein, Diane (August 17, 2022). "Paging Dr. Q: Leslie Charleson Celebrates 45 GH Years!". Soap Hub.