leslie's biography

The character of Dr. Monica Quartermaine on General Hospital has been brought to vivid life by Leslie Charleson, an actress who has all the grace, wit and charm of her on-screen persona. She joined the cast in August 1977 and remains one of the show's most beloved characters. This signature role is a reflection of what has been a long and illustrious career.

The four-time Emmy-nominated actress began her television career as a regular on another ABC Daytime series, A Time for Us. She also spent two-and-a-half years on the CBS Daytime series, Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, where she garnered her first Emmy nomination for the role of Iris Donelly Garrison.

Of all the numerous commercials Leslie has done, she credits Pearl Drops for getting her a part in the movie Day of the Dolphin, directed by Mike Nichols, in which she co-starred with George C. Scott. Then came a David Merrick play with Tony Curtis entitled One Night Stand.

After that, Leslie moved to Hollywood and guest-starred on more than twenty TV series, including Adam 12, Barnaby Jones, The Streets of San Francisco, Medical Center, The FBI, Marcus Welby, M.D., Ironside, Kung Fu, Wild Wild West, Emergency, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Cannon and The Rockford Files. It was on Happy Days that Leslie gave Ron Howard his first on-screen kiss. She also co-starred with Deidre Hall in the movie for television, Woman on the Ledge, and made a guest appearance on CBS' Diagnosis Murder and ABC's Dharma & Greg.

Leslie is an active celebrity spokesperson for breast cancer, cystic fibrosis and AIDS-related charities. She lives in the Los Angeles area.

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