Leslie Charleson’s cause of death has been revealed, People reports.
According to the report by People, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner determined the longest-tenured General Hospital cast member died from “sequelae of blunt head trauma,” a condition caused by a previous head injury.
The online records indicate the actress who starred as Monica Quartermaine on the soap opera — also was diagnosed with asthma, arthritis, atrial fibrillation, and normal pressure hydrocephalus, which Alzheimer’s Association defines as “a brain disorder in which excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulates in the brain’s ventricles.”
Leslie Charleson’s cause of death comes one month after the four-time Daytime Emmy nominee died at age 79 on Jan. 12. At the time, General Hospital’s executive producer Frank Valentini announced her death on the show’s official Instagram.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague, Leslie Charleson,” he shared. “Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on General Hospital alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew.”
“I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set,” he continued. “On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time.”
In 1977, Charleson joined General Hospital as the series’ ratings were floundering, replacing Patsy Rahn, who had debuted as Monica Bard Webber (later Monica Quartermaine) a year earlier. Monica, a doctor, filled the bad-girl archetype on the show, and Charleson loved playing her.
“She’s interesting, dedicated in all areas,” Charleson told Soap Opera Digest in 1981. “Her dedication in her social life can be a bit over the top, but it’s true. When she loves, it’s passionately. She puts her effort into it, sometimes at the expense of others.”
At the time, the actress was happy with her character’s growth. “I’m delighted with the progress she’s made, her sense of humor,” she said. “As an actress I enjoy Monica because she can wear any hat, go any place, do any thing.” Of her character’s reputation, she added, “When you’re all good, you’re boring. And nobody is just ‘good,’ unless she’s a saint.”
Monica’s most impactful relationship on the show was with fellow doctor Alan Quartermaine, played by the late Stuart Damon. The Quartermaine family joined the show the same year Charleson did, ultimately giving Monica deep ties to the show.
Beginning in 2010, Charleson began to appear on General Hospital on a recurring status and made less frequent appearances in the last years of her life.
Looking back at her GH tenure, she told Soap Opera Digest in 2001, “I really do love this job. Look at it this way — what better job can you do than get up in the morning, roll out of bed, throw something on and then have someone take care of how you look and how you dress and what you say? How much more grateful could you possibly be? Not bad, not bad at all.”