General Hospital might finally bid farewell to Monica Quartermaine months after Leslie Charleson’s passing — Here’s everything to know so far

The plot of General Hospital lost one of its central and eminent characters in early 2025 with actor Leslie Charson’s demise. Charleson, who played Monica Quartermaine since 1977, passed away on January 12, 2025, due to complications arising from her multiple falls. While the actor had been appearing intermittently on the soap for a few years, her character was a stalwart in Port Charles.

However, after Charleson’s death, General Hospital must present an exit arc for her character. As such, the soap’s head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten, told TV Insider that they plan Monica’s exit story to introduce a new storyline as a tribute to the legend.

“We wanted Monica’s passing to kick off a new story; to create new connections on the canvas; to test her loved ones; and to grow their relationships. This way, Monica may be gone — but her legacy will be felt long into the future.”

They further honored the actor for her contribution to the long-running ABC soap by pointing out that her exit cannot be a quick affair, with a funeral and a look at her past.

“When bidding farewell to her and to Monica, there could be no half-measures.”

Incidentally, the show also lost another longtime actor, Tristan Rogers, who played Robert Scorpio. Writers, Etten and Korte, hinted at a tribute slated for Rogers and his character, Robert, later in the soap.

A glimpse at late Leslie Charleson

Missouri-born Leslie Ann Charleson started her career with the ABC soap, A Flame in the Wind. She moved on to As the World Turns, followed by Love is a Many Splendored Thing. After working on many other projects, she joined the cast of General Hospital in 1977 and played Monica in the soap, along with the spinoffs, Port Charles and General Hospital: Night Shift.

Besides three movies, she appeared in many noteworthy television shows. They include N.Y.P.D., The Wild Wild West, The Rookies, Medical Centre, The F.B.I., Barnaby Jones, Medical Story, The Streets of San Francisco, The Rockford Files, Dharma & Greg and many more.

General Hospital: A look at the legacy of Monica Quartermaine

Charleson’s Monica portrayed her obsession with Rick Webber after he had moved on in his relationships. While Rick married Lesley, Monica found a friend in Dr. Alan Quartermaine. After her fallout with her mother over a misunderstanding, Monica turned to Alan and they eventually married in 1978.

As a wedding gift for his wife, Alan bought a mansion where his family trooped in to stay. On one hand, Monica had a rebound affair with Rick, while on the other, she had a good rapport with Alan’s parents. However, Monica gave birth to AJ after calling off her affair with Rick, but Alan was found to be the biological father.

The following decades on General Hospital saw the couple moving in and out of relationships while their marriage faced one storm after another. One of Alan’s affairs ended in Jason’s birth. However, Monica loved Jason as her own son. The couple also adopted Emily, the daughter of Paige, a cancer patient whom Monica had befriended.

Her own breast cancer and AJ’s alcoholism changed Monica. When Alan became addicted to opioids, their marriage suffered again. However, Monica took him back and Alan went for professional therapy. Over the years, Monica was caught up in the lives of her family members, from AJ and Carly’s son, Michael, to Jason’s amnesia.

After Alan died in 2007, Monica lost her position at the hospital and turned to alcohol. As Tracy sued her for her botched medical procedure on Luke, Monica decided to go for rehabilitation. She seemed to miss the festivals of Port Charles and made fewer appearances on the General Hospital storyline since 2010.

As Cyrus Renault became the financier-chairman of the hospital, he fired Monica and appointed Dr. Britt as the chief of staff. After Cyrus was sentenced to prison, Monica stepped in to undo all his wrong moves. December 2023 saw Charleson’s Monica make her last appearance on the show as she arrived in a wheelchair. She supported Dr. Finn while attending Christmas festivities at her family's mansion.

While Charleson took a break due to health issues since then, Monica was referred to in the soap’s storyline. While Tracy was seen onscreen delivering Monica’s opinions and actions, the latter was presumed to be in her room due to declining health.

On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Jason may find himself worried about Monica after he finds her unresponsive. While he may make several phone calls, this is likely to be Monica’s exit arc.

Stay tuned to General Hospital to follow Monica’s storyline as the Quartermaine head’s death paves the way for new characters to arrive in town.