Beloved 'General Hospital' and 'Days of Our Lives' Star Denise Alexander Dead at 85

Actress Denise Alexander, best remembered for her iconic role as Lesley Webber on General Hospital, sadly passed away on Wednesday, March 5, at the age of 85, RadarOnline.com can report.

The news of Alexander's death led to an outpouring of tributes from the television community.

Showrunner Frank Valentini shared his condolences 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."

He continued: "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."

Born in New York City in 1939, Alexander's journey in acting began at the tender age of six on the radio.

In a 2010 interview with We Love Soaps, the actress said: "There was television, there was radio, I did theater, I did everything there was to do, and it seemed natural.

"Now, when I look back, I think, 'How lucky was I?', because a lot of people didn't have those experiences." Her family relocated to Los Angeles due to her father's work as an agent, and Alexander quickly established herself, racking up a staggering 5,000 radio and 500 TV appearances by 1968.

The stunning actress made her film debut in the 1956 film Crime in the Streets, alongside John Cassavetes.

Her early career saw her in radio soaps, but her first significant on-screen role was in 1960's The Clear Horizon, where she played the daughter of an astronaut. In 1966, Alexander landed a role in Days of Our Lives, offered without an audition by the show's creators, Ted and Betty Corday. Though she initially turned down the role to focus on her studies at UCLA, when called again, she decided to give acting another shot. "Now I'm thankful I did," she stated. Three years later, she joined General Hospital, taking on the character originally named Lesley Williams, later revealed to be Laura's mother. Her portrayal of Lesley became legendary, involving a passionate love triangle that captivated audiences and earned her a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1976.

Her tenure with General Hospital extended until 1984, when contract disputes saw her controversially written off the show, resulting in a backlash from fans who protested her death.