The star of General Hospital Denise Alexander has died at the age of 85.
The soap legend was best known for her role as Lesley Webber on the TV series based in the fictional town of Port Charles, New York.
She also received critical acclaim for her part as Hunter Martin in Days of Our Lives.
She is said to have died on Wednesday March 5, according to Variety.
Frank Valentini, the General Hospital showrunner, announced her death on Friday, writing on X: ‘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.’
Alexander was born in New York City in 1939 and grew up on Long Island.
She began working as an actress on the radio at the age of 6 before going into theatre and television.
By the age of 13 she was performing in Broadway in a revival of The Children’s Hour.
In 1956 she then made her movie debut in the drama Crime In The Streets alongside John Cassavetes and Sal Mineo.
Alexander first made her big break in her career when she appeared on another legendary soap, Days Of Our Lives while she was still attending college at UCLA.
She played Susan Hunter from 1966 to 1973, but after being tempted away by a juicy contract she shifted over to General Hospital.
Alexander played the role of Dr. Lesley Webber from 1973 to 1984 before returning between 1996 to 2009.
She then made sporadic guest appearances as recently as 2021.
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