Breaking News
Denise Alexander, ‘General Hospital’s’ Lesley Webber and ‘Days of our Lives’ Susan Martin, Dead at 85
Denise Alexander, one of the most beloved actresses to ever appear in the daytime soap opera genre, has passed away back at the age of 85. General Hospital fans know her best for her role as Dr. Lesley Webber, and Days of our Lives fans know her from her role as Susan Hunter Martin. While no cause of death has been given at this time, it should be noted that the Alexander passed away back on March 5th.
Frank Valentini, the executive producer of General Hospital took to X on Friday and expressed: “I am so very sorry to hear of Denise Alexander’s passing. She broke barriers on-screen and off, portraying Dr. Lesley Webber – one of the first female doctors on Daytime Television – for nearly five decades. It meant so much to have her reprise her role in recent years and I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with her. On behalf of the entire General Hospital family, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to her family, friends, and longtime fans. May she rest in peace.”
Before General Hospital, Denise got her acting start in numerous primetime series including, Father Knows Best, The Danny Thomas Show and The Twilight Zone. However, soaps were going to come calling in a big way after her first stint in 1960 on The Clear Horizon as Lois Adams.
Photo: NBC
Next, Denise was cast as Susan Martin on NBC’s Days of our Lives back in 1966 who would be the nemesis of Julie Olson played by Susan Seaforth Hayes. It was the character of Susan Martin who brought the character of Doug Williams (AKA Brent Douglass to Salem) played by the late Bill Hayes, to Salem and paid him to have an affair with Julie. In real life, Denise, Susan and Bill were very close.
Eventually, in a shocking move, Denise’s contract negotiations with DAYS stalled in 1973 and she left the show and went on to join the cast of General Hospital. When Alexander came to GH, it was a fledgling soap opera. Denise was tapped to be become part of daytime’s hottest triangle with Rick Webber (first played by Michael Gregory, then Chris Robinson), and Monica Bard (Patsy Rahn, followed by the late Leslie Charleson). In addition, in story, Lesley confessed to the murder of David Hamilton, a crime her daughter Laura (Genie Francis) had committed in an effort to save her from jail time.
Photo: JPI
In a 2020 interview with Soap Opera Digest, Alexander reminded viewers, “I always say this, and I hope Leslie Charleson does, too: The first time that General Hospital ever went to number one in our era, it was on the Lesley/Rick/Monica storyline. It wasn’t Luke (Anthony Geary( and Laura. They went farther than anyone dreamed possible, of course, but that was a big triangle back then.”
Alexander’s initial contract on GH from 1973 to 1984, when Lesley was killed off in a car accident that sent outrage reverberating through GH fans. It would take 12 years for GH to right the wrong, and in true soap fashion, Lesley actually survived the crash and returned in 1996. From then until 2009, Alexander appeared on the ABC soap. She later made several guest appearances in in 2013, 2017, 2019, and her final appearance in 2021. Throughout her time on GH, she earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for Lead Actress in 1976.
Photo: ABC
During the 12-year hiatus from GH, Denise was cast on Another World in the role of Mary McKinnon, and would reunite with Chris Robinson who played Jason Frame. In one of her more recent projects, Alexander appeared in the 10-episode digital comedy, Pretty the Series.
Genie Francis, Alexander’s longtime on-screen daughter, told TV Insider on working with Denise, “I loved her. She loved me. I stole her good stuff. When I look at myself sometimes on television… I have been kind of taken aback because I realized I just did Denise… I was so young, she imprinted on me. And some of my style of acting was directly imprinted on me by Denise Alexander. And she was very, very good to me as I was growing up.”
Kin Shriner (Scott, GH), who in his early years was paired with Genie Francis as Scotty and Laura, took to X upon the news of Alexander’s passing and expressed, “I always walked on egg shells but Denise was a true pro , we had fun, RIP to Denise Alexander, what a time we had !!!!”
Denise is survived by her stepdaughter, Elizabeth Colla, from her marriage to Richard A. Colla, who passed on December 24, 2021, also at age of 85.
Now below, check out the video clips featuring the late Denise Alexander and Leslie Charleson from General Hospital’s 56th anniversary special in 2019. Followed by the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award tribute to Bill and Susan Seaforth Hayes where Denise shares her memories of working with the iconic duo and more, which was produced by Michael Fairman.
Share your remembrances and condolences on the death of one of daytime’s all-stars, Denise Alexander via the comment section.
❤️ RIP Denise Alexander.
One of the greatest daytime characters. Her scenes with Monica were my favorite. #GH #GeneralHospital pic.twitter.com/37PF30KjKm https://t.co/7FJBfMPsWe
— (@IsntDaveOne) May 9, 2025
“I am so very sorry to hear of Denise Alexander’s passing. She broke barriers on-screen and off, portraying Dr. Lesley Webber – one of the first female doctors on Daytime Television – for nearly five decades. It meant so much to have her reprise her role in recent years and I am… pic.twitter.com/AqbOX9afiE
— General Hospital (@GeneralHospital) May 10, 2025
Omgosh I loved her so much she was wonderful on every show she did she was just so beautiful and talented. Very sad news.
Sorry to hear of Denise’s passing. With all of Laura’s mentions of her mother the last few weeks, I thought we might be seeing Leslie show up in Port Charles soon, most likely for Monica’s funeral, whenever they get around to putting that on screen.
Now instead, it looks like we get another funeral, which they will no doubt have, now that Laura actually has 2 of her 3 chidren in town, along with the grandkids (and Nikolas could be one casting decision away from making it 3 for 3)
I doubt we’ll get a full funeral for Lesley as (sadly) there aren’t many of the vets around who interacted with her. However, Lesley’s health could be the explanation for Genie’s annual summer hiatus.
Regardless, RIP to a Daytime Dynamo and GH legend.
The set designers need to significantly revamp the Hospital Memorial section with two major additions and little space in the current format.
Thank you, Michael. I appreciate your having confirmed information on her passing before posting. Leslie was a talented actress, and she has been missed.
She was such a lovely lady and I really liked the character of Lesley. I loved her dynamic with Laura. I also loved her dynamic with the hospital staff. She was such a sweet character. May she rest in peace.
Sad news. I knew Denise was in poor health when she didn’t return as Susan on #Days for Doug’s funeral. May she rest in peace.
I am so profoundly sorry to get this news. Denise Alexander was an absolute treasure. I remember her noticing her during her career in episodic television. I vaguely remember her in the old Danny Thomas show. My clearest early really memory is her in the Twilight Zone episode, “Third from the Sun.” I was thrilled when she joined GH. I loved the Lesley/Rick/Monica/Alan stories. And I loved the Lesley and Laura relationship too. Thank you for the photo of Rick and Lesley, Aunt Ruby, Bobby, Luke, and Laura. That brings back so many memories. Denise was always so authentic in her performances. I loved her so much. My deepest sympathy to her family and friends.
Thank you Ms. Alexander for sharing your tremendous talent with us. May you rest in peace.
This is such sad news… Denise Alexander was such a joy to watch. I do remember when she started at GH after having acted on DOOL, and it was huge news, even in the days when the main media format for soaps was print magazines.
During her entire daytime run, Alexander was mesmerizing, and I believe it was her witty personality that prompted the GH writers to give Lesley some humor, even amid all the dramatic storylines and compelling love stories. Her work with everyone (especially Genie Francis, Leslie Charleson, Michael Gregory, Chris Robinson, and Don Matheson) was compelling and enjoyable. She will be missed. May her memory be a blessing.
Denise and Genie had the best mother/daughter relationship in the history of soaps. And they were both the best criers! May she rest in peace.
Sorry to read this. She was great on GH back in the day of the Lesley/Rick/Monica triangle. Fortunately, many great clips are still available on youtube to re-watch those moments. Rest in Peace.
Watching Denise as Susan Martin shoot and kill her husband David after blaming him for their son’s death was absolutely riveting storytelling and acting and made me a life long soap fan. I followed her to GH (while maintaining my loyalty to Days) and I’ve been watching both ever since. Lesley, Rick & Laura were a wonderful family and the Luke & Laura storyline (1979-1982) was my all time favorite soap story and couple. RIP dear Ms Alexander.
Beyond the Gates
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the full list of nominees for the upcoming 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, and it was CBS daytime’s The Young and the Restless and broadcast television newest soap opera, Beyond the Gates that racked up the most nominations with 18 and 16, respectively.
The full reveal on Tuesday follows the announcement of several major categories including Lead Actor and Actress on Monday via Extra and Entertainment Tonight and The View today revealing Daytime Drama Series and more.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmys ceremony is set to take place on Friday, October 30 at the historic Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California.
Photo: CBS
In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS expressed, “We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television, As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
“Each year, the Daytime Emmy Awards celebrate the creativity, passion, and dedication that drive this vibrant community of storytellers,” said Rachel Schwartz, Head of the Daytime Emmy Awards. “Congratulations to this year’s nominees, whose work continues to entertain, inspire and connect with audiences every day. We look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements in Hollywood this October.”
The Daytime Emmy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of genres, including daytime dramas, talk series, entertainment news, culinary, adventure, instructional and legal/courtroom programming.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Honoree, Gold & Silver Circle Inductees, and ceremony host will be announced at a later date.
Now below, check out the nominees in the daytime drama, talk show, entertainment news series and creative arts categories and congratulations to all!
Photo: JPI
Outstanding Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Stacy Haiduk (as Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives
Karla Mosley (as Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Michelle Stafford (as Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless
Heather Tom (as Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful
Tamara Tunie (as Anita Williams Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Eric Braeden (as Victor Newman), The Young and the Restless
Steve Burton (as Jason Morgan), General Hospital
Scott Clifton (as Liam Spencer), The Bold and the Beautiful
Thorsten Kaye (as Ridge Forrester), The Bold and the Beautiful
Christian Jules Le Blanc (as Michael Baldwin), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Linsey Godfrey (as Sarah Horton), Days of Our Lives
Camryn Grimes (as Mariah Copeland), The Young and the Restless
Beth Maitland (as Traci Abbott), The Young and the Restless
Trisha Mann-Grant (as Leslie Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Amanda Setton (as Brook Lynn Quartermaine), General Hospital
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Sean Dominic (as Nate Hastings), The Young and the Restless
Timon Kyle Durrett (as Bill Hamilton), Beyond the Gates
Michael Graziadei (as Daniel Romalotti), The Young and the Restless
Roger Howarth (as Matt Clark), The Young and the Restless
Mike Manning (as Bradley “Smitty” Smith), Beyond the Gates
Lawrence Saint-Victor (as Carter Walton), The Bold and the Beautiful
Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series
Braedyn Bruner (as Emma Scorpio-Drake), General Hospital
Al Calderon (as Javier Hernandez), Days of Our Lives
Alice Halsey (as Rachel Black), Days of Our Lives
Giovanni Mazza (as Gio Palmieri), General Hospital
Ambyr Michelle (as Eva Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Arielle Prepetit (as Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series
Jasmine Burke (as June Hughes), Beyond the Gates
Jeff Kober (as Cyrus Renault), General Hospital
Eva LaRue (as Natalia Rogers-Ramirez), General Hospital
Christopher Sean (as Paul Narita), Days of Our Lives
Ray Wise (as Ian Ward), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Casting for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series
3rd Hour of TODAY
The Drew Barrymore Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Live With Kelly and Mark
TODAY With Jenna & Friends
The View
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host
Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin & Ana Navarro, The View
Kelly Clarkson, The Kelly Clarkson Show
Tamron Hall, Tamron Hall
Jennifer Hudson, The Jennifer Hudson Show
Sherri Shepherd, Sherri
Outstanding Entertainment News Series
Access Hollywood
Entertainment Tonight
Extra
Outstanding Daytime Personality (Daily)
Mona Kosar Abdi, Derek Hough & Terri Seymour, Extra
Cassie DiLaura, Denny Directo, Kevin Frazier, Rachel Smith & Nischelle Turner, Entertainment Tonight
Scott Evans, Zuri Hall, Kit Hoover & Mario Lopez, Access Hollywood
Star Jones & Corey Jovan, Divorce Court
Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program
Beyond the Gates: Welcome to the Neighborhood — An Entertainment Tonight Special
Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter
Variety & CNN Actors on Actors
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Working In the Theatre
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Daytime
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
Have Guitar Will Travel World
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5033
Let Frankie Cook,” Getting the Band Back Together
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Outstanding Technical Direction and Video for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 104
The Bold and the Beautiful,” Episode 9511
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade”
The Jennifer Hudson Show, ” Episode 4041
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”
Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
General Hospital, Episode 15719
The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Episode 5033
The Young and the Restless,” Episode 13273
So, what do you think of the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy nominations? Who are you happy to see receive a nomination and who do you think was snubbed? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Monday on Entertainment Tonight, the second set of nominations for the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards were announced which included the highly-coveted Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actress and Outstanding Daytime Talk Series.
ET followed suit after Extra announced the nominees, as previously reported, in the Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actor and Outstanding Daytime Talk Host.
Now, five leading ladies of the soaps are vying for the gold for Lead Actress and the category marked the first-ever nominations for CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates when two actresses made the final cut. Only General Hospital is not represented among the actresses this year after Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) took home the trophy last year.
Photo: NATAS
THE FIVE LEADING LADIES OF THE SOAPS ARE …
The 2026 Lead Actress nominees are: Stacy Haiduk (Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives, Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates, Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless, Heather Tom (Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful, and Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree), Beyond the Gates.
This marks the first Daytime Emmy nominations for Karla Mosley and Tamara Tunie. In addition, this marks the first-time in her career that Stacy Haiduk had received a Lead Actress nod after two Supporting Actress nominations.
Meanwhile, Michelle Stafford had previously won 3 Emmys – 2 for Lead Actress and 1 for Supporting, but this recognition makes it her 11th overall nomination.
Heather Tom currently is tied for the most all-time Daytime Emmy wins with One Life to Live alum and General Hospital guest star, Erika Slezak. The B&B star has 19 nominations throughout her career.
Photo: ABC
DAYTIME TALK SERIES
In the Outstanding Daytime Talk Series category, the nominees are: 3rd Hour of Today, The Drew Barrymore Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Live with Kelly and Mark, Today with Jenna and Friends and The View.
“We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television,” NATAS president and CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement on the nominations. “As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
The rest of the nominations will be revealed tomorrow on Tuesday July 14 starting on The View and then the full list of nominees in both the main and creative arts will be released by NATAS. The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are slated for October 30th in Hollywood, California.
So, what do you think about the women who are vying for the Lead Actress Daytime Emmy? Happy with who got in? Who do you feel got snubbed? What do you think of the nominees for Daytime Talk Series? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Monday afternoon, Extra kicked-off the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy nominations with the reveal of two major categories. First, Outstanding Lead Performer in a Daytime Drama Series — Actor, and second, Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host.
Previous Emmy winners all, the men who will be vying for daytime’s most coveted prize are: Eric Braeden (Victor Newman), The Young and the Restless, Steve Burton (Jason Morgan), General Hospital, Scott Clifton (Liam Spencer), The Bold and the Beautiful, Thorsten Kaye (Ridge Forrester), The Bold and the Beautiful, and Christian Jules Le Blanc (Michael Baldwin), The Young and the Restless.
Let’s take a look at the actors Emmy resumes: Eric Braeden has been nominated nine times for Lead Actor and won once in 1998. Steve Burton is a two-time Daytime Emmy winner, both in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category for GH as Jason Morgan and Y&R as Dylan McAvoy. Today’s nomination makes it his 10th overall, and his third time in the the Lead Actor category.
Photo: NATAS
Scott Clifton has won three times previously in 2011, 2013 and 2017 and has the distinction of being the only actor to win in Younger Actor, Supporting and Lead. This is his 8th nomination.
Thorsten Kaye is a two-time Lead Actor winner in 2023 and 2024. Christian LeBlanc has also won three times as Lead Actor in 2005, 2007 and 2009 and this is his first nod in over a decade.
Photo: NBCUniversal
TALK SHOW HOSTS
In the Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host, the nominees are: Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, and Ana Navarro, The View, Kelly Clarkson, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Tamron Hall, Tamron Hall, Jennifer Hudson, The Jennifer Hudson Show, and Sherri Shepherd, Sherri.
Both The Kelly Clarkson Show and Sherri have come to their conclusions as Sherri was canceled after 4 seasons and Kelly Clarkson decided to end her talk show after 7 seasons.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are set to be handed out in a ceremony on October 30 in Hollywood with more details forthcoming. The complete list of 2026 Daytime Emmy nominations will be revealed tomorrow on July 14 beginning at 12pm ET/9am PT via The Emmys.TV social channels and website.
So, what do you think of the race for Lead Actor in a Drama Series? Surprised by any of the nominees? Who are you rooting for? What do you think about the the talk show host category? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actress Drama Series
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actor Drama Series
Scott Bryce, ‘As the World Turns’ Craig Montgomery, Passes Away at 68
‘The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards’ Nominations Announcement Date Revealed: Who Will Be Going For Gold?
Randolph Mantooth, ‘Emergency!’ and ‘Loving’ Actor, Dies at 80
Steve Burton Returns to ‘General Hospital’ on Its 16,000th Episode: How Will Jason Be a Changed Man?
‘Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026’ Live on the Michael Fairman Channel
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
GENERAL HOSPITAL Spoilers Promo: Jason’s Back, Drew Begins to Make His Move, Portia Goes Into a Labor
Scott Bryce, ‘As the World Turns’ Craig Montgomery, Passes Away at 68
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Preview: Daphne’s Devastated, Steffy Finds Herself at a Crossroads with Finn
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