{"id":2049542,"date":"2025-09-25T16:39:55","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T16:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2049542"},"modified":"2025-09-25T16:39:55","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T16:39:55","slug":"steve-burton-talks-ghs-emotional-farewell-to-truly-amazing-leslie-charleson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/steve-burton-talks-ghs-emotional-farewell-to-truly-amazing-leslie-charleson\/","title":{"rendered":"Steve Burton Talks GH\u2019s Emotional Farewell to \u2018Truly Amazing\u2019 Leslie Charleson"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Eight months after the real-life passing of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-i13n=\"cpos:1;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/people\/leslie-charleson\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Leslie Charleson;cpos:1;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Leslie Charleson<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-i13n=\"cpos:2;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/show\/general-hospital\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:General Hospital;cpos:2;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>General Hospital<\/em><\/a> will say goodbye to her iconic character, Dr. Monica Quartermaine, beginning with today\u2019s episode. The tribute will not only mark Monica\u2019s departure from Port Charles but also serve as a heartfelt remembrance of the woman who played her for more than four decades.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">One of those feeling the loss deeply is <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-i13n=\"cpos:3;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/people\/steve-burton\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Steve Burton;cpos:3;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Steve Burton<\/a>, who first arrived on the show in 1991 as Jason Quartermaine, the son of Alan (<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-i13n=\"cpos:4;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/people\/stuart-damon\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Stuart Damon;cpos:4;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Stuart Damon<\/a>) and Susan Moore, who was raised by Monica. Burton formed an immediate bond with Charleson.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cI never had to really prepare my scenes with her because we just had a connection as soon as I came on the show,\u201d Burton recalls. \u201cIt was very special, and I\u2019ll always cherish my time with her and the Quartermaines. We had so much fun together. She and Stuart always looked out for me and protected me. To have her and Stuart Damon as my parents? I hit the lottery.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Stuart Damon, Leslie Charleson, Steve Burton &#8211; &#8216;General Hospital&#8217;<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">ABC\/TOM QUEALLY<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Burton remembers her not just as a co-star but as a true maternal figure. \u201cI always tell a story about how she hated when I would chew gum, just in general, but on the set, she hated it with a passion,\u201d he muses. \u201cShe was fiery, and she would say, \u2018You\u2019re chewing gum,\u2019 and would put her hand out and say, \u2018Spit it out now.\u2019 And I was like, \u2018I\u2019m 22!\u2019 And she would say, \u2018Spit it out!\u2019 She was so funny. I don\u2019t know if people really knew how funny she was. She was just very special.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It wasn\u2019t until her celebration of life that Burton realized just how many people Charleson had touched. \u201cI had no clue,\u201d he shares. \u201cThe people who got up and spoke were like, \u2018She changed my life.\u2019 \u2018Her house was always open for us.\u2019 \u2018She always did this for us.\u2019 And I\u2019m like, \u2018Man, she was such a serving woman to everybody, and it was just such a beautiful thing.\u2019 She deserves all the honor and credit. She was truly amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Filming Monica\u2019s on-screen farewell so long after Charleson\u2019s real-life passing came with its own emotional weight. \u201cIt\u2019s a surreal thing, because you have a woman who I love dearly who passed, but you had her character who was still alive,\u201d he explains. \u201cSo, it was just this weird world to be in. We had the celebration of life for Leslie, and now we\u2019re having a funeral for Monica, so it definitely was difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Burton was especially moved that it was Jason who was scripted to discover Monica had passed. \u201cI\u2019m glad my character was the one who found her,\u2019 he says. \u201cI just think it had to be Jason or Tracy because of the connection they had to her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">That link, he notes, was both powerful and complex. \u201cHe is obviously devastated by the loss,\u201d Burton says of his alter ego. \u201cObviously, he had a great connection with Monica, but he definitely regretted not spending more time with her. Realizing that she loved him, no matter what happened or what he did, and she wasn\u2019t even his real mother, he\u2019s grateful for the relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Working on the Quartermaine set stirred up a lot of memories for the actor. \u201cIt just brought a lot of feelings up to the surface,\u201d Burton relays. \u201cYou\u2019re spending a lot of time in the Quartermaine house, and you see pictures of [the late] Lila [Quartermaine, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-i13n=\"cpos:5;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/people\/anna-lee\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Anna Lee;cpos:5;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Anna Lee<\/a>] and Edward [Quartermaine, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-i13n=\"cpos:6;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/people\/john-ingle\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:John Ingle;cpos:6;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">John Ingle<\/a>\/David Lewis] and Alan. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-i13n=\"cpos:7;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/people\/jane-elliot\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Jane [Elliot;cpos:7;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Jane [Elliot<\/a>, Tracy Quartermaine] and I are just there doing the scenes in this big, empty place, so it wasn\u2019t easy for sure. And then you add <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-i13n=\"cpos:8;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/people\/wally-kurth\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Wally [Kurth,;cpos:8;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Wally [Kurth,<\/a> Ned Quartermaine] in there, and it\u2019s just three of us left. It\u2019s kind of crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Leslie Charleson, Steve Burton - 'General Hospital'\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"382\" height=\"570\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/EAcHEI5r3lnm1oR1eHgv4A--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTEwNTI7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/tv_insider_639\/9979d16fe11a25e5fb13df9cd69e80cc\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Leslie Charleson, Steve Burton &#8211; &#8216;General Hospital&#8217;<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">MICHAEL YARISH\/American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">When it came time to film the actual funeral, Burton didn\u2019t have to dig too deep to tap into the grief. \u201cHonestly, there was not a lot of preparation,\u201d he reveals. \u201cMy relationship off camera was great with Leslie, so it wasn\u2019t difficult to get where I needed to be. What you hope for as an actor is you have to control your emotions as opposed to muster them up, so that was the most difficult part, controlling my emotions as opposed to going, \u2018Oh, this is going to be a sad scene. I gotta prepare for this and hopefully the emotions come when they roll tape.\u2019 It was actually the opposite.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The performance struck a chord, even with the crew. \u201cThe camera guy, Dean [Cosanella], said to me, \u2018Man, how long did you work on that monologue?\u2019 And I said, \u2018Actually, I didn\u2019t look at it until this morning.\u2019 He goes, \u2018Really?\u2019 I said, \u2018I just couldn\u2019t go there.\u2019 I didn\u2019t want to go there prior to that day. So, I just got up early that day and learned my monologue. There was no planning. I was there emotionally already, so I just got up and spoke, and that was it. I was able to do it in one take, which was great, and it was done.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Steve Burton - 'General Hospital'\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"842\" height=\"570\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/x3bGFRLkviqMXDNXM1Xynw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY1MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/tv_insider_639\/da1e47296de4e39bd2e82c1028b26ab3\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Steve Burton &#8211; &#8216;General Hospital&#8217;<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Disney\/Christine Bartolucci<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While Jason\u2019s association with the Quartermaines has often been complicated, Burton values how it\u2019s changed over time, particularly with Tracy. \u201cIt feels good,\u201d he says. \u201cThe Quartermaines have such a rich history on the show. I really appreciate the relationship that Tracy and Jason have now. It\u2019s like, \u2018Hey, we\u2019ve been through everything, and I\u2019m still probably not going to be that nice to you,\u2019 but you could tell that she loves Jason now. I think there\u2019s a mutual respect. They realize, \u2018We don\u2019t have any family left. So here we are.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Burton is especially thankful for the scenes he\u2019s sharing now with Jane Elliot. \u201cI love it,\u201d he raves. \u201cFor her to still be doing the amount of work that she does, I have such respect for her. She just kills it, and on those days where she has 40 pages, I\u2019m like, \u2018Jane, you\u2019re a freaking rock star.\u2019 So, it\u2019s been a blessing to be a Quartermaine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">And though saying farewell to both Charleson and Monica was hard, Burton feels the episodes do justice to Monica\u2019s legacy. \u201cIt was a tough day, but she\u2019s honored,\u201d he concludes. \u201cI\u2019m glad they did it this way. She deserves it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong><em>General Hospital<\/em><\/strong><strong>, Weekdays, ABC<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the latest entertainment news on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-i13n=\"cpos:9;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:TV Insider;cpos:9;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">TV Insider<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eight months after the real-life passing of Leslie Charleson, General Hospital will say goodbye to her iconic character, Dr. Monica Quartermaine, beginning with today\u2019s episode. The tribute will not only mark Monica\u2019s departure from Port Charles but also serve as a heartfelt remembrance of the woman who played her for more than four decades. One [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2049543,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[32260,380382,364766,364765,380384,322789,380383,364767],"class_list":["post-2049542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-general-hospital","tag-jason-quartermaine","tag-leslie-charleson","tag-monica-quartermaine","tag-quartermaines","tag-steve-burton","tag-stuart-damon","tag-tracy-quartermaine"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Steve-Burton-Talks-GHs-Emotional-Farewell-to-\u2018Truly-Amazing-Leslie.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2049542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2049542"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2049542\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2049543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2049542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2049542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2049542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}