"General Hospital" star Leslie Charleson died at the age of 79

USA - She shaped the series "General Hospital" for almost half a century. Now the American actress Leslie Charleson has died at the age of 79.

Frank Valentini, an executive producer of the popular series, confirmed to TMZ that Charleson died on Sunday after a long illness.

The Hollywood actress began acting professionally in 1965 at the age of 19 in the series "A Flame in the Wind". She then appeared in episodes of "Mannix", "The Wild Wild West", "Barnaby Jones" and other series.

In 1977, she had her big breakthrough when she took on the role of Dr. Monica Quartermaine in "General Hospital" for the first time.

Charleson appeared in more than 2000 episodes of the long-running US soap opera . She was nominated four times for a Daytime Emmy for her role.

"Just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch to the entire cast and crew," Valentini wrote. "I will miss our daily conversations, her quick wit and her incredible presence on set."

The popular actress has had her fair share of ups and downs in recent years. She suffered several falls, which limited her mobility.

Last week, according to Variety , she fell again and had to be hospitalized. She has not been seen in the series since December 2023, but her role was still mentioned in the plot.