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Denise Alexander, ‘General Hospital’ Icon, Dies at 85 – Tributes Pour In
Soap veteran Denise Alexander, best known for her roles as Lesley Webber on “General Hospital” and Susan Hunter on “Days of Our Lives,” has passed away. She was 85 years old at the time of her death.
“GH” showrunner Frank Valentini announced the sad news on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, May 9. In his post, Valentini honored the late actress and reflected on her remarkable contributions to the long-running soap.
I am so very sorry to hear of Denise Alexander’s passing. She broke barriers on-screen and off, portraying Dr. Lesley Webber – one of the first female doctors on Daytime Television – for nearly five decades.
It meant so much to have her reprise her role in recent years, and I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with her. On behalf of the entire General Hospital family, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to her family, friends, and longtime fans. May she rest in peace.
As of now, the cause of Alexander’s death has not been publicly disclosed.
Tributes Pour In for Beloved ‘General Hospital’ Star
Shortly after the announcement of Alexander’s passing, tributes poured in from friends and fans alike. In an interview with TV Insider, Alexander’s on-screen daughter, Genie Francis (Laura Vining), looked back at her relationship with the actress.
Francis credited Alexander for some of her acting style, noting that her TV mom “imprinted” on her.
I loved her. She loved me. I stole her good stuff. When I look at myself sometimes on television, which I don’t do often because I don’t really like to watch myself, but I have seen myself do stuff and been kind of taken aback because I realized I just did Denise. So when I say I stole her good stuff, I’m saying I was so young, she imprinted on me. And some of my acting, some of my style of acting, was directly imprinted on me by Denise Alexander. And she was very, very good to me as I was growing up.
Fans Want Closure
GettyMeanwhile, fans took to social media to express their grief, with many reflecting on her memorable time on “General Hospital.”
“Very sad losing her and Leslie in the same year. Loved them both,” one fan wrote on X, referring to Alexander’s character on the show.
Another requested, “Please, please, please work this into the story. We need Genie Francis grieving her loss and remembering the wonderful times. Fans need closure.”
An Instagram user also commented, “She was a great actress and perfect as Leslie. Her memory will be a blessing.”
Another chimed in, “We will miss this beautiful soap legend. I was hoping she’d return for an episode once more.”
Alexander first joined “General Hospital” in 1973 as Lesley Webber. Her character was killed off the show in 1984 but was later resurrected in 1996. Alexander continued to appear in a recurring role until 2009 and made several appearances in the years that followed, with her final one in 2021.
