General Hospital
GH’s Jane Elliot Opens Up on the Loss of Leslie Charleson as Tracy Mourns Monica Quartermaine, “Losing Her Was Like Losing an Arm”
On tomorrow’s Thursday, September 25 and Friday, September 26 episode of General Hospital, Port Charles, the Quartermaine family, and the viewers will say goodbye to the longest-running tenured character and actress on the ABC soap, when the funeral for Monica Quartermaine gets underway. As previewed, it will be filled with hankie-inducing moments, so prepare yourself to have a good cry.
The memorial service for Dr. Monica Quartermaine also serves as the vehicle to pay tribute to the unforgettable Leslie Charleson, who sadly passed away earlier this year in January. Charleson became the second actress to play the role of Monica and made her debut on GH back in 1977. In recent years, her failing health precluded her from appearing on the show, but the GH writers kept the character alive off-screen and upstairs at the Q mansion.
That all changed, when the soap opera decided to craft a proper goodbye and use Monica’s passing as a way to kick-off another major storyline – Erika Slezak’s arrival on Friday! Now, the elusive Jane Elliot, who over the past week has once again illustrated why she has no peer on the current daytime canvas, spoke with Variety about her close bond with Leslie Charleson over decades, and what the loss of her long-running scene-partner and former Quartermaine sister-in-law Monica Quartermaine has meant for her.
Courtesy/ABC
As Tracy, Elliot’s character was one of the last ties to Monica, other than her two adoptive sons, Jason (Steve Burton) and Drew (Cameron Mathison). Jane shared on how this storyline had dredged up the same feelings as she went through when her pal Leslie Charleson passed.
“Leslie left two voids in my life,” Elliot shared. “She left a void as an acting partner and a friend. Leslie and I knew each other for 60 years.” Jane added, “She was an integral part of my life. 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. You know, Monica was Leslie, and Leslie was Monica. I had shared experience with Monica, and I had shared experience with Leslie, so she left me twice.”
Photo: JPI
General Hospital fans know that Monica was the love of Tracy’s late brother, Alan Quartermaine, played by the late Stuart Damon. Often Monica and Alan would cheat on each other, but often found their way back to one another. Tracy had always thought her brother married beneath him when he married Monica, who was a successful surgeon at GH. However things eventually changed.
Jane explained. “Tracy had evolved over the years and was a more substantive human being and had gone through the heartbreak of losing Luke twice, and she developed a fuller personality. Because of that, she could see Monica’s weight and respected her for it.”
Photo: ABC
Now as Monica’s funeral approaches, the family is concerned if Tracy can make it through it and show up for it! “It’s a huge loss for her (Tracy),” shares Elliot. “All of her contemporaries are gone. Her mother, her father, her brother, Luke, Gregory, I mean, Monica was it. They were the last two standing hand in hand, side by side. So losing her was like losing an arm.”
What do you think about the comments made by Jane on her longtime beloved co-star Leslie Charleson and how Tracy feels about losing Monica? Are you ready to pay tribute to Leslie Charleson and say goodbye to Dr. Monica Quartermaine? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
To me, she is the heart and soul of the show. Lila and Edward would be proud.
“They were the last two standing hand in hand, side by side.” Very well said Jane Elliot. I know exactly what she means. I was a regular GH viewer from day one until 2005 and enjoyed all the antics of the Quartermaine family. Plus, I followed Leslie Charleson from her time on Love is a Many Splendored Thing and her episodic TV career. Thursday and Friday are going to be rough days.
Side note…Interested to know (not sure if you’d revealed) what made you stop watching in 2005? Was it the mob focus or something else?
I also took a break for part of that decade but would come back for the bigger events.
Steve, I humbly insert myself into this conversation only to add that my faithful daily GH viewing is similar to that of Llanviewer717 (mine, 1969-2005). For me, it was definitely the unrelenting focus on Sonny and the mob storyline, which continues to this day, that led to my decision to give it up. Over the years, I have returned only for special episodes or briefly for a return of a beloved character (e.g., Laura). I will be watching the sendoff for Monica (Leslie Charleson).
James – I always appreciate your insights.
I started around 1977 through a good part of the 90s. I was sporadic through the aughts. Came back after JFP and Guza were let go. Left for a bit after Ron killed AJ for the last time. Was going to depart again towards the end of Ron’s period but then they announced his departure, so I stuck it out.
Hoping these episodes (and Slezak’s guest stint) bring back viewers for a good storyline.
Thank you, Steve. Nice to hear about your (as well as Llanviewer717’s) viewing habits — and likewise, your observations. Slezak’s appearances will no doubt be valued. As we all cherish our favorite Monica moments and other beloved storylines and characters…
That is exactly why I stopped watching. I was sick of Mob Hospital. After One Life to Live was cancelled, I’d drop in when Llanview citizens like Nora Buchanan or Blair Cramer made guest appearances. I did not watch regularly when Todd and Starr and John became Port Charles residents. All I remember from that era was when TPTB killed Cole and Hope.
Kudos to Variety for getting the notoriously press-shy Elliot to reveal so much. Wow, did anyone really know that she and LC were so close? You have to feel for Jane when she stated it feels like she’s mourning Leslie all over again.
So glad the TV academy is giving Jane her flowers. Look forward to the acceptance speech of one of the best daytime performers of all time.
Well said.
I love Jane Elliot as Tracy. Legacy character/vet. I couldn’t have been happier GH-wise when we learned that she was on for the long haul. But I always fear, now that all her sparring Q family are gone, that Jane might be tempted to leave again. GH really messed up when they gave Gregory such a horrible disease. He and Tracy were so great together; like Edward and Lila in reverse. He would’ve have added so much to the Q home if the two had married. As for the last standing…it’s Tracy, NED, and Jason. I truly can’t believe how rarely Wally Kurth is on the show. With Tracy, Ned, and Jason, all living in the same house, I was hoping they’d bring back Dillon, and Lois would still be around and the Qvhouse might come alive again. Instead, Jason’s barely in the house and “Ned,” as said, is very rarely on the show. .
Wasted opportunity when they could have revitalized the remaining characters in family scenes. If they could bring Britt back, I’d throw out my disbelief and would love them to bring AJ back again (Carlivati should have never killed him off for such petty behind the-scenes bull). Seeing that Q house with Tracy, Ned, Jason, AJ, Dillon….and Yuri should be on; he’s so fun as security…then bring another female peer for Tracy to snark with. I was hoping that’s the role Erika would have filled if she was staying on…that she’d inherit the house; live in the house with her newfound family. And come on… more Ned!
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Carly Fears Escalating Tensions Between Sonny and Josslyn: ‘I’ve Already Lost One Kid Because of That Man. I Won’t Lose Another’
On the Thursday, November 12 episode of General Hospital, as battles line are drawn by Carly’s (Laura Wright) ex-husband, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and her daughter, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy), she realizes things are about to get a whole lot worse, and she expressed her fears to Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart).
After Sonny came to see Carly to get her daughter to back off of him; especially when Josslyn lit into him in front of nuAvery (Ayla Bullington), Carly is terrified that Sonny could retaliate against Josslyn. Realizing, Josslyn is in danger, Carly won’t sit by and let anything happen to her. She tells Valentin, “I’ve already lost one kid because of that man. I won’t lose another.”
Viewers won’t soon forget the devastation Carly felt when Morgan (Bryan Craig) died in a car bomb explosion back in 2016 because of Sonny’s dealings in the mob in a complex story involving Julian (William deVry) and Olivia Jerome (Tonja Walker).
Courtesy/ABC
SONNY IS READY FOR WAR
Meanwhile in the aftermath of his visit with Carly, Sonny told his brother Ric what went down when Josslyn disrespected him in front of his own daughter and hurt Avery. Since Josslyn already make it known that she no longer considers herself part of Sonny’s family, he’s decided to treat her accordingly.
Sonnys first step in payback is to take away her support system at JJE by approaching Hudson Parker (Troy Lennon Appel) again, but this time in a much less-friendly way.
Ric points out that this would go against every move Sonny made as a legitimate businessman in Port Charles and would mean he’s back in the mob? Sonny doubles down, saying Josslyn changed the game when she involved Avery. While he showed concern of how bad Carly would feel over all this year, he said he is ready to finish what Josslyn started.
At the Metro Court, Ava (Maura West) is listening to Avery explain what happened between Sonny and Josslyn and how much she hates Josslyn right now, which Ava seems to be OK with.
WILL JOSSLYN’S WORLD BLOW UP ON HER?
Speaking of Josslyn, she is on the pier still after her talk with Hudson and still crying over her confrontation with Sonny and Avery overhearing it, and what she told her sister. Lucas comes across her at the pier while out for his run.
Explaining how badly she feels for what she said about Sonny to Avery, Lucas says that eventually Avery will discover the truth about Sonny. He explains to Josslyn that even though Avery hates her now, she will come to realize that what she said about her father was the truth, and that Josslyn was not lying to her at all.
So, what do you think about Sonny ready to play dirty to take down Josslyn? How will Carly ensure her daughter does not wind up dead? Who do you think is in the right here? Is Josslyn’s vendetta against Sonny justified, at the cost of the relationships with her family? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
General Hospital star Cynthia Watros, who can currently be seen in on the ABC soap opera in the role of Nina Reeves, has had a enduring career in television. That included her time on the 2000-2002 Fox sitcom, Titus.
In Titus, Watros starred along with Stacy Keach as Erin Fitzpatrick and Ken Titus, respectively. After the November 10th news that Keach had passed away at 85 while living in Poland, Cynthia took to her Instagram on Thursday, November 12 to pay tribute to the great actor.
Watros expressed, “My first prime time show was along side Stacy. I loved him instantly. What an amazing talent and man.❤️”
Photo: ABC
In Titus, Stacy played stand up comedian Christopher Titus’ heavy-drinking, chain-smoking, five-times-divorced father who frequently pulled cruel pranks and tried to toughen his kids up. Cynthia played by Christopher’s level-headed, big-hearted girlfriend trying to build a normal life with him. In fact, Cynthia’s role on the sitcom was first series regular role after her Daytime Emmy run of Annie Dutton on Guiding Light which ran from 1994-1998.
STACY KEACH’S WIFE ON HIS PASSING
Keach’s wife, Malgosia shared the news of the actor’s death publicly in a statement with PEOPLE. Malgosia expressed, that Stacy had, “a long and difficult battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure.”
She added, “Stacy peacefully departed this world. He fought for so long, with extraordinary courage, determination and strength. He was a true warrior, facing his illness with the same remarkable spirit and resilience that defined his life.”
Małgosia continued, “Stacy was not only a legendary actor, admired and loved by audiences the world over, but also my beloved husband, my companion and the heart of our family. His passing leaves an immeasurable emptiness in our lives. But his extraordinary spirit, his unforgettable voice and the love he gave so generously will remain with us forever.”
Now, let us know do you remember when Cynthia made her sitcom debut in Titus? Share your thoughts via the comment section on Cynthia’s many TV roles and the passing of Stacy Keach in the comment section. But first, check out the very first episode of Titus with Cynthia Watros below!
The latest ratings are out for the week of October 26-30, 2026 and the big takeaways include: that CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates was separated by only 23,000 viewers behind third place (of the soaps) General Hospital! For the last several weeks, Beyond the Gates has been closing the gap on this year’s winner for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, and continuing to best GH in the key demos.
According to the latest Nielsen ratings breakdown from Soap Opera Network, the final week of October brought Beyond the Gates 1.790 million on average tuning-in and the show set a season high in total viewers. Meanwhile, General Hospital hit a new season low! The long-running ABC soap had 1.813 million for the week, and once again the series did not go over the 2 million mark.
Meanwhile, in the key Women 18-49 demo, Beyond the Gates was firmly ahead of GH with a rating share of 0.21, while General Hospital had 0.17 rating share.Then, in the key Women 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates was once again ahead of the ABC soap with a ratings share for that demo at 0.30 while GH came in with 0.26.
Photo: CBS
MORE BY THE NUMBERS
In addition and comparatively, Beyond the Gates +22,000 viewers week-to-week, and had the largest gains in viewership year-to-year in daytime TV with +267,000 from this in 2025.. However, General Hospital seems to be going in reverse. The show was down -56,000 viewers week-over-week and down -22,000 year-over-year .
BEYOND THE GATES
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines that had people tuning-in to Beyond the Gates during the ratings week:
Hayley (Marquita Goings) attempted a massive shocker regarding her pregnancy and tried to use it to extract money from Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). Although, Bill saw right through her game, he demanded a paternity test, and made it clear he has no intention of raising the child—planning instead to pay her off to take the baby and leave. Meanwhile, Hayley confided her plan to her cousin Randy (Maurice P. Kerry).
Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) clashed over Jacob’s ongoing investigation into The Impaler, causing significant strain in their marriage. At the same time, Smitty (Mike Manning) considered taking matters into his own hands—including potentially heading to Mexico for evidence—while Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) worried about what comes next.
Photo: ABC
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Over at General Hospital for the ratings period, the story served up included:
Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) teamed up to investigate what really happened to Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). Later, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) leads them to Jack’s dead body.
Jude (Wil Traval) dropped a bombshell claim to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn); that he is Phoebe’s father, while Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) signed their divorce papers.
Then, Danny caught Rocco (Finn Carr) and Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) sharing a kiss, plus the shocking return of Heather Webber (Alley Mills) capped the week.
Now the questions become; without having much promotional synergy in the ABC day-part to draw more eyeballs it is not helping but hurting General Hospital. It seems Beyond the Gates is also a benefactor of a one-two-three punch of CBS soaps (Y&R, B&B and BTG) and promotion.
However, that still doesn’t take away the fact that Beyond the Gates is close to besting GH in all ratings category as they go head-to-head in some markets across the country.
So, are you excited to see Beyond the Gates climb in the ratings? Are you concerned for General Hospital? Do you think they can stave off Beyond the Gates in total viewers or will the upstart soap overtake them in the next ratings report? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Carly Fears Escalating Tensions Between Sonny and Josslyn: ‘I’ve Already Lost One Kid Because of That Man. I Won’t Lose Another’
‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (Exclusive)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ in Total Viewers
Y&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
‘Days of our Lives’ Kyle Pryor Debuts as Dominic Marino and Says of Alleged TV Mom, “Deidre Hall is the Absolute OG, Amazing” (Exclusive)
‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (Exclusive)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
‘Days of our Lives’ Veteran James Reynolds Reveals Parkinson’s Diagnosis
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General Hospital3 days ago‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
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Days Of Our Lives1 week ago‘Days of our Lives’ Kyle Pryor Debuts as Dominic Marino and Says of Alleged TV Mom, “Deidre Hall is the Absolute OG, Amazing” (Exclusive)
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