Monica has been frequently referenced on General Hospital, yet the character has not been seen since the December 21, 2023, episode, where she participated in the Quartermaine holiday celebrations and assured Lois she could stay, particularly since it would annoy Tracy. However, every mention of the cherished Quartermaine matriarch raises questions among longtime fans about whether Leslie Charleson will return to the soap.
Throughout GH, Monica has faced health issues and injuries, mirroring the challenges encountered by her actress. In 2018, Charleson suffered a leg injury after tripping over her dog, leading to a temporary recast with Patty McCormack. Charleson expressed her satisfaction with the casting choice, telling Soaps In Depth that she was thrilled to have someone of McCormack’s caliber, noting, “I got somebody who won an Oscar. Wow!”
Then, in August 2019, Charleson was back in the hospital again undergoing surgery on her hand. “For a fracture that I got rescuing my tortoise off a hillside,” she explained on Facebook at the time.
The actress was seen out for lunch in October 2024, using a walker for mobility. According to a report from Closer Weekly, a source shared that Charleson is “doing OK under the circumstances and in no rush to push herself.” Unfortunately, while fans would love to see the daytime veteran return to GH, the source added, “Although she’d be welcome back to the show with open arms, it’s unlikely she’ll ever return.”
Leslie Charleson began her daytime career on the short-lived soap A Flame in the Wind in 1964 before joining the cast of As the World Turns in 1966. She played Iris Donnelly on Love Is a Many Splendored Thing from 1967 to 1970. After various roles in primetime and film, she returned to daytime to take over the role of Monica Quartermaine, previously portrayed by Patsy Rahn. During her impressive tenure in Port Charles, she received four Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress.
While it’s unfortunate that Charleson will likely not make another appearance on GH, fans can still cherish the decades of memorable storylines and award-winning performances she has given.
