As General Hospital Mourns Monica, Jane Elliot Remembers ‘Friend’ Leslie Charleson

The recent emotional episodes of General Hospital saw the fictional town of Port Charles gather to say a final goodbye to Dr. Monica Quartermaine. Monica’s passing on-screen mirrored the real-life loss of her portrayer, Leslie Charleson, who died earlier this year at 79. For Jane Elliot, who plays Tracy Quartermaine, the moment carried a hefty weight.

Jane Elliot grieves for Leslie Charleson after Monica’s death on General Hospital

For Jane Elliot, separating fiction from reality has been nearly impossible.

“It was very, very difficult to play her alive when she had already passed in real life. It extended the mourning because we had to keep her alive when she wasn’t,” she explained to Variety. “I had to mourn her death twice.”

Elliot and Charleson’s friendship stretched back decades, long before their on-screen struggles on General Hospital. The two first met in the 1960s in New York City, where they bonded backstage at a theater. Years later, when Elliot joined General Hospital as Tracy in 1978, she was surprised to discover she’d be working opposite Charleson. Their characters clashed constantly, but off-screen, they were inseparable, like celebrating birthdays, traveling together, and sharing life milestones.

“Leslie left two voids in my life. She left a void as an acting partner and a friend… It’s hard enough to mourn somebody’s death once, but then to do it again. One was obviously the person, and the other was the character, but at a certain point they blended,” Elliot explained.

Through the years, Tracy and Monica’s relationship evolved from disdain to mutual respect. After losing Alan, Edward, and Lila, Tracy and Monica became the last two Quartermaine pillars standing side by side. Now, with Monica gone, Tracy faces the devastating reality of being the last of her generation. “It’s a huge loss for her. All of her contemporaries are gone… So, losing her was like losing an arm,” Elliot reflected.

As General Hospital honors Monica Quartermaine, fans are witnessing a rare moment where art and life converge.

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