Leslie Charleson is best known for her role as Monica Quartermaine on General Hosptial, which she’s been on for three decades. Before that, she’d done some episodic TV, including a part on Happy Days where she was turning a teenaged Richie Cunningham’s head and a role on Emergency! as an aggressive journalist who butted heads with the paramedics. She was young, youthful, blonde, and a good actress.

Back in the day when I was going to fan club events and hanging out at the Sunset-Gower studios where the soap opera was taped, Leslie Charleson had a reputation for not really being fan accessible. She was one of those who’d say ‘I’ll be out later’, knowing she had no intention of coming out. She’d smile and wave, but stopping and chatting, or posing for a picture, or signing an autograph was not her style.

In fact, one day, for some unknown reason, Leslie was leaving the studio and she did stop. She posed, talked, and signed. It was shocking. She even said, out loud, “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” I believe I said something like, “Yeah, neither do I because you don’t normally,” which she acknowledged.

I am very ambivalent over Leslie Charleson, and much of that comes from what many fans who went to it call the Fiasco in Frisco. Leslie is a huge supporter of The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She decided to have a get-together with fans in San Francisco. Many of her co-stars agreed to participate. There would be a Q&A and an auction, among other things.

Well, Leslie did a bad job with the planning apparently. The event was hugely successful, a larger number in attendance than counted on, but everyone was seated and having a good time. We had the Q&A and such, and then the auction began. That auction went on forever, and in truth, only a limited number of fans got anything, because they were apparently the ones who had brought a ridiculous amount of money. There was no control on this, and being money-hungry, Leslie let that auction continue well past the cut off on the itinerary which we were all given upon entering.

After the auction, fans were to be allowed to meet with the performers, take photos and get autographs. Well, when the auction ended, Leslie waltzes up to the podium and announces that, gee, they are out of time, and everyone has to go, and thanks for coming.

I mean, it turned ugly. Fans didn’t understand. What had just happened? Not only that, you should have seen the faces on some of the other performers, who just starred at her in their own surprise. One of them tried to stay, but was ushered away. Others also lingered, being torn about what to do. Their reputations were on the line, and they knew it. This was not the game plan. In fact, as I recall, it was security who finally forced others out, as well.

Some fans actually called local media to complain. They hung around for a long time, shocked by Leslie Charleson’s action and her glib remark to just write the studio for autographs. Excuse me? That was ridiculous.

It got worse. We found out that the reason Leslie ended the event early was so the performers could have a party upstairs and meet with an old cast member who was performing on stage in San Francisco at the time. Further proof of said party having been planned was that I actually ran into ex-General Hospital actor, Richard Dean Anderson, in the hotel. We rode up in the elevator together. He was there, for the party, having been invited by Leslie to join in.

Poor Rick. We told him what had happened, and he felt bad. He wasn’t the least bit connected to the shenanigans, but his response was very genuine. He actually apologized for something totally out of his control.

The producers of General Hospital weren’t happy with Leslie Charleson, either. They were inundated with letters from angry fans, and they did indeed send out a large package of autographed photos to fans. The complaints had them actually responding to the fans and apologizing as well.

What Leslie Charleson did was wrong. She tried to cover it up with comments about security concerns over the large audience, but she knew the numbers long before the event was held that day. Her focus was on bringing in the money and getting away from having to talk up close to the fans, something she just hated doing personally.

I know she’s had more events since this nasty one in Frisco. I assume she learned from it and hasn’t pulled that kind of a stunt again. I do know that when I saw some of the other performers later, they were just mortified. I’ve never been apologized to by so many stars in my life. I have a hunch they may have also expressed their opinions to their friend. She caught everyone off guard with her announcement.

Obviously, I haven’t forgotten that event. I spent a lot of money to get to San Francisco for that one day, and it was nothing but a disaster. I think about it every time I see her.

So, while Leslie Charleson is a captivating looker and while she’s been a General Hospital performer and successful actress for many years, I just can’t think of her fondly, or rate her highly. She ruined a special day for me, and she never apologized or made it up to any of us, not that she could. I’m afraid this colors my perceptions of her, big time.

Rating: 3