Denise Alexander has died at age 85.
Alexander was a great star of soap operas beginning with “Days of our Lives.” She played Susan Martin from 1966 to 1973, where she met her husband, Richard Colla. He left after a year but she stayed and became a huge star.
Alexander became such a big star that ABC lured her over to a dying “General Hospital” in 1973. Her character, Lesley Williams, became the central character and brought the show back to life until the late ’70s when her story — a love triangle that was famous — brought “General Hospital” to number 1.
When Lesley was killed off in 1983, there were stories in the papers about the ABC switchboard exploding with protests. ABC revived her from the dead in 1996, and she made appearances on the soap until 2021.
In between, she had a short run on NBC’s “Another World.”
Alexander’s calling card was a light touch. She was not like the scene chewers who blow through soaps. There are plenty of clips on YouTube that show when her daughter, teenage Laura, hooked up with the much older Luke, Alexander kept her cool and calm. Considering what was going on around her, that was pretty good.
How do I know all this? Our housekeeper, Mrs. Daniels, watched all her “shows” when I was a kid, from grade school on. The experience left a mark that has only faded in time. Recently, Leslie Charleson, who played Alexander’s nemesis, Monica, on “General Hospital,” also passed away. It’s sad to think all those classic characters who Mrs. Daniels loved so much are now in heaven. With her.
