Denise Alexander, Trailblazing Soap Star of General Hospital and Days of Our Lives, Passes Away at 85

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Denise Alexander, a well-recognized actress primarily for her extended roles in General Hospital and Days of Our Lives, passed away at 85 years old. To fans of daytime soaps, Alexander was synonymous with Dr. Lesley Webber on ABC’s General Hospital and Susan Hunter Martin on NBC’s Days of Our Lives. With a career in soap operas that lasted more than five decades, she earned great respect within the world of these popular shows.

Alexander started acting during the 1950s, marking her Broadway debut in “The Children’s Hour”. Furthermore, she appeared as a guest star on popular prime-time series such as “The Twilight Zone”, and eventually transitioned to soap operas, as reported by Deadline.

1960 saw her debut in “The Clear Horizon”, followed by an unbroadcast pilot episode for “General Hospital” in 1962. It wasn’t until 1965 that she made her on-air appearance on “General Hospital”. She left “Days” and returned to “General Hospital” in a significant role in 1973.

Between 1966 and 1973, Denise Alexander made over 800 appearances on Days of Our Lives, with her character being a crucial part of numerous key plotlines. Fan reaction was intense when she left the show in 1973.

In the very same year, she became part of General Hospital, portraying Lesley Webber. This decision sparked quite a stir in the media. At that moment, General Hospital was facing low ratings, but her character significantly revitalized the series.

1976 saw her receive a Daytime Emmy nomination due to her performance on General Hospital. She was involved in a well-loved love triangle with Chris Robinson’s character Rick Webber and Leslie Charleson’s character Monica Quartermaine. Alexander continued on the show until 1984, when negotiations for her contract failed. It was later revealed that her character was still alive, and she made a comeback in 1996, reappearing sporadically up until 2021.

Denise Alexander has been featured in more than a thousand episodes of the television series General Hospital. She came back to the show on several occasions – for its 50th anniversary in 2013, as well as in 2017, 2019, and 2021. Her long-time partner, actor and director Richard Colla, passed away in 2021 after they had been married for over four decades.

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2025-05-11 14:22