Trivia

Best known by the public for her role as Dr. Monica Bard Webber Quartermaine on General Hospital (1963).

Is an active celebrity spokesperson for breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, and AIDS-related charities.

In the early 1970s she did several television commercials for "pearl drops" toothpaste (each commercial would end with her swishing her tongue over her teeth and saying "it's a great feeling!"). As a result of these commercials, she became the inspiration for a super-hero in a fan comic book called "The Gang" (made by Richard Campbell and Wayne Smith). Her character was called "The Pearl Drop Kid" and she fought super-villains with a giant super-powered toothbrush. This comic book was made until June 8, 1977.

Her acting mentor was the late Anna Lee.

According to Variety, she had experienced "several falls", which caused problems with her mobility, and had been hospitalized from one of them the week before her death.

In 2010, she was reportedly reduced to recurring status in the soap General Hospital. She continued to appear on the show, though, with her last appearance in December 2023, making her the show's longest-running castmember.

Charleson played Quartermaine, a cardiologist, at the hospital featured on the soap, since 1977. For her role, she received four Daytime Emmy Awards nominations along with two Soap Hub noms and four Soap Opera Digest noms.

During her career, she also appeared in 1973 science-fiction film The Day of the Dolphin, with Shelley Winters.

She started her career on ABC's daytime soap A Flame in the Wind in 1964.

From 1967-73 she was part of the cast of the CBS soap Love Is a Many Splendored Thing.