Leslie Charleson, who for nearly five decades played a dedicated cardiologist and passionate matriarch of a wealthy family on the ABC soap opera “General Hospital,” becoming one of the most enduring cast members in daytime television, died on Sunday at a hospital in Los Angeles. She was 79. Frank Valentini, the executive producer of “General Hospital,” confirmed her death in a statement on social media on Sunday. Ms. Charleson died of complications from a long illness, according to Marianne Price, a spokeswoman for the show.
Ms. Charleson joined the cast in 1977 as a cardiologist at the hospital where much of the show is set. Since 1963, the series has followed the lives of hospital staff members and residents in the fictional town of Port Charles, N.Y.
Ms. Charleson, who appeared in more than 2,000 episodes, began endearing fans after her character married into the wealthy and volatile Quartermaine family as the wife of Dr. Alan Quartermaine, who was played by Stuart Damon.
She was nominated four times for a Daytime Emmy Award as outstanding lead actress in a drama series. She also played the character on the show’s spinoff series “Port Charles,” which ran from 1997 to 2003.
Leslie Ann Charleson was born on Feb. 22, 1945, in Kansas City, Mo. Her earliest television acting role was on the former ABC soap opera “A Flame in the Wind” in 1964. She was later part of the cast of the CBS daytime series “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing.”
She also had parts on popular 1970s shows that included “The Streets of San Francisco,” “Happy Days” and “The Rockford Files.”
But she became best known among television viewers for her work on “General Hospital” where she was a daytime mainstay. In a 1981 interview with Soap Opera Digest, Ms. Charleson described her character as “dedicated in all areas.”
She is survived by her brother, Malcom Charleson, and a longtime family friend, Krista Dragna Zampino, according to Ms. Price, the show’s spokeswoman.
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