Will General Hospital fans accept Erica Slezak as Monica?

Will Erica Slezak portray Monica?

Leslie Charleson passed away in January of this year. Her death left a lingering question mark over the fate of her General Hospital character, Monica Quartermaine. Despite the show taping only four weeks in advance, Monica's future remains a mystery to fans five months later. The recent confirmation of Erica Slezak joining the ABC soap has only added to the intrigue, sparking speculation about her possibly taking over the role of Monica.

As the drama unfolds in the mansion that Alan Quartermaine (Stuart Damon) bought for his wife, Dr. Quartermaine's fate remains a burning question for fans. With Frank Valentini's silence on whether Charleson's character will be replaced or written off, the arrival of Erica Slezak has only intensified the anticipation. Will she be the one to fill Monica's shoes? If not who will she portray?

Slezak portrayed the beloved Victoria Lord on One Life to Live from 1971 until the show ended in 2012. Once during an interview, she said the following.

This is a very, very good job, but it takes a lot of work, and it takes responsibility. You are responsible to the audience for who you're playing. You're responsible to your writers and your producer for the character, and you are extremely responsible to your fellow actors. There are people who don't realize that.

Frank Valentini remains mum on the subject

General Hospital did not announce Rory Gibson as Chad Duell's replacement for Michael Corinthos until he was about to air. Fans love his version of Carly Spencer's (Laura Wright) son, but will they accept anyone else as Monica?

Charleson's character was temporarily recast twice when she was injured, but during the illness that led to her death, kept her away for close to two years. Her character was said to be away at medical conferences or upstairs in the Q mansion.

The actress portrayed Dr. Quartermaine for 47 years and was beloved. Some fans say Charleson is irreplaceable, while others say the show must go on. John Ingle replaced David Lewis as Edward Quartermaine, and the show did not miss a beat. Would it be disrespectful of Charleson's memory to recast Monica or just business?

Who will Slezak portray?

If Slezak is indeed joining the cast, the question on everyone's mind is: who will she be playing? With a temporary contract and the show's secrecy, some fans speculate that she might be stepping into Monica's shoes. This uncertainty has piqued the interest of GH viewers, keeping them on the edge of their seats for the big reveal.

Some General Hospital viewers thought perhaps Dr. Quartermaine might be found deceased in her bed like Doug Williams on Days of Our Lives after Bill Hayes passed away.It took eight months for his character's death to be addressed on-screen because Days tapes that many months in advance.

Drake Hogysten (John Black) died in September 2024; his funeral on DOOL was this past week. He had been off-screen for about eight months previously because he was battling pancreatic cancer. Days executive producer Ken Corday had talked to teh actor while he was ill and agreed that hsi character should be killed off.

Valentini said he spoke with Leslie Charleson regularly before her death, but didn't mention if they discussed Monica. Could he have promised her the role wouldn't be recast, or did she give her blessing for another actress to take over, or for the beloved doctor to die?

General Hospital fans must wait to learn Monica's fate and what role Erica Slezak will play on the ABC soap. Be watching for updates and breaking news on this subject.