‘General Hospital’ (GH) spoilers reveal that we may have seen the last of Monica Quartermaine (Leslie Charleson), as sources close to the actress confirm that it’s unlikely she’ll ever return.
‘General Hospital’ Spoilers: Charleson Never Expected A Long-Term Career On GH
Charleson has made only a handful of appearances in recent years. She has not been featured on the show since December 2023.
Charleson has had several health issues, and the source said, “Although she’d be welcome back with open arms, it’s unlikely that she’ll ever return.
The actress was interviewed by Soap Opera Digest in 2023. She admitted that she never intended to have a long-term career on General Hospital.
At the time, she knew the executive producer of GH. He persuaded her to audition for a part on the show. Charleson replaced Patsy Rahn in 1977, much to Rahn’s dismay. Also, some of the cast and crew who remained loyal to her were not happy.
Charleson didn’t know what to make of Monica, and the EP, Tom Donovan, said to her, “You make her what you want to make her.” She said that when she was paired with Stuart Damon, who played Alan Quartermaine, the rest was history.
Monica, who played a doctor at GH, was faced with a health crisis in 1994. One of General Hospital’s most memorable storylines involved Monica’s breast cancer.
The show wanted this story to mirror real life in a way that hadn’t been done before. 1994 and 1995 were landmark years for GH, as they had B.J. Jones‘s (Brighton Hertford) death, Stone Cates‘s (Michael Sutton) AIDS story, and Monica’s breast cancer in the span of two years.
GH was triumphant in the 1990s, and Monica was a big part of it. About her character’s ordeal, she said,
“I really wanted to portray it in the most honest, realistic way we could.”
‘General Hospital’ Spoilers: The Actress Has Been Trying To Recover From Injuries
As the years went on, Charleson’s health declined. For example, in 2018, she tripped and injured her leg, and a temp had to be hired to play Monica.
A year later, she underwent hand surgery to repair a fracture. Charleson is a beloved member of the General Hospital family. Long-time fans have missed Monica exchanging insults with Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot).
Charleson has been trying to recover from her injuries, but she much prefers to take it easy and relax these days, as she has some difficulty getting around.
Long-time GH viewers also know that in the last couple of decades of her life, the actress who played Lila Quartermaine, Anna Lee, acted in a wheelchair. She had been in a car accident and was paralyzed from the waist down only one year after joining the cast of GH.
However, Charleson wouldn’t want to emulate the legendary actress. However, Charleson is also a soap legend. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the actress will return to our screens any time soon.
The show would also likely never recast the part of Monica, as GH viewers wouldn’t accept a new Monica. Charleson is a one-of-a-kind, and her presence on the show will be sorely missed, but she’ll never not be mentioned.
As Tracy would say about the Quartermaine mansion, “It’s Monica’s house.”
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