General Hospital alum and Days of Our Lives star Tamara Braun remembers Leslie Charleson

Fans and co-workers alike are still reeling from the death of General Hospital legend Leslie Charleson. She began playing Monica Quartermaine on the show in 1977, quickly becoming a fan favorite. Over the years, she’s been in scenes with nearly all of the cast of the long-running daytime drama. Tamara Braun, who currently plays Ava Vitali on Days of Our Lives, played Carly Corinthos from 2001 to 2005 on General Hospital. Of course, Carly had an intimate relationship with the Quartermaines because she had a baby, Michael Corinthos, with Monica's son AJ Quartermaine. As a result, she had a lot of dealings with Monica and recently spoke out about the late Charleson, singing her praises.

She loved animals and life

“Lester, Lefty, Bionic woman…I was thinking of you strongly yesterday,” began Braun’s Instagram post that included a photo of her and Charleson at an event. She continued, “I almost sent a text because I know how you have been through many fires here in LA and we’re ALWAYS taking care of the animals during them. Always making sure they were safe. You LOVED animals, you loved an adventure, you loved life.”

She remarked that Charleson’s “Quick wit and sense of humor always had me laughing loudly or biting my lip to stop. When we worked together, you would have me laughing in between takes and crying during them. It was always a privilege to get to share the screen with you. You hated being up last one day and first the next. ‘I got the fuzzy end of the stick’ you’d say.”

Braun continued praising Charleson, noting, “You were a strong woman with a beautiful heart. A couple of months ago I sent you a photo of a beautiful hibiscus flower that made me think of you. It reminded me of a lovely day we had at your house when we fed your sweet 🐢 them. We talked about getting together when you were feeling better. Oh, how I wish that day had come. Hopefully, now you ARE feeling better and are so strong and able that you are joyously riding horses and surrounded by all the wonderful animals in the spirit world. Oh, Lester…Lefty…you are already so missed. Give Jackie and Stewy a hug from me and have them give you one back from me too. 🩷 #RIP #love #gonetoosoon #LeslieCharleson.”

The Jackie she referred to was none other than Jacklyn Zeman, whose General Hospital character, Bobbie Spencer, often butted heads with Monica. Stewy was Braun’s cute way of mentioning Stuart Damon, who played Monica’s husband, Alan Quartermaine, from 1977 to 2013. Zeman died in 2013, and Damon passed away in 2021.

The fans sent their condolences in droves. @michaelfrye746 replied, “Beautiful tribute. Sorry for the loss of your dear friend. May those precious memories bring some comfort. ❤️❤️.” Many stated that they enjoyed Charleson’s performances on GH. @gypsy_blonde responded, “She certainly was an ICON. Well liked & very respected. 💗🙏👩🏼.”

Overall, the fans will miss Charleson, and Braun did a great job saluting her old friend.

You can watch new episodes of General Hospital on ABC and Hulu.