Who is Denise Alexander? Everything to know as the General Hospital alum passes away at 85

The American actress Denise Alexander, who portrayed the character of Dr. Lesley Webber on the daytime soap opera General Hospital, passed away at 85 on March 5, 2025. The news was confirmed by Frank Valentini, the executive producer of General Hospital. Frank shared a post on May 9, 2025, in GH's official X handle saying,

“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.” -@valentinifrank

General Hospital is the longest-running daytime soap opera in the history of daytime television in America. The soap opera has been on the air for over sixty years, It first aired in the year 1963 on the ABC Network. The daytime soap opera is set on a fictional island called Port Charles, and the plot of the show revolves around the complex lives of the most significant families of the fictional island.

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Here's everything to know about Denise Alexander, the actress from General Hospital

Denise Alexander is an American actress born on November 11, 1939, in New York City, however, she grew up in a suburb of Long Island. Alexandra was fascinated by the entertainment industry from a young age. She started her journey in the industry as a child actress in 1949, starring on Perry Como’s Chesterfield Supper Club as Perry Como‘s daughter.

The actress has also been a radio jockey and hosted nearly 2,500 radio shows. In an interview with We Love Soap Operas in 2010, the actress shared,

"My dad, at one point, counted up the number I had done, and it was 2,500 radio shows. You would get out of school and go from one show to the next. They were 15-minute or half-hour shows, and you would sit around the table, read the script, rehearse a couple of times, and do it......."

Alexandra made her soap opera debut in 1960 on The Clear Horizon. She later joined the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives in 1966, as Susan Hunter Martin. Later, in 1973, Alexandra came to Port Charles and introduced the character of Dr. Lesley Webber.

Dr. Lesley Webber was a recurring character on the General Hospital. The actress portrayed the character for nearly 50 years from 1973 to 2021. In an interview with Soap Opera Digest in 2010, the actress revealed that,

"The first time that GENERAL HOSPITAL ever went to No. 1 in our era, it was on the Lesley/Rick/Monica storyline."

Throughout her time, Lesley Webber was at the center of several of the show's most significant storylines, such as her relationship with her daughter Laura, her marriage to her husband Rick Webber, and her involvement in various hospital crises. Her character development was reflective of the show itself developing, and her legacy will be remembered as a staple of General Hospital's rich history.

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Other notable projects and achievements of Denise Alexander

Denise Alexander is an American actress and producer, she was married to Richard A. Colla. Denise has been a part of the industry since a young age and has been part of notable projects like Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, The Clear Horizon, Another World, and many more.

The actress has received several Daytime Emmy Award nominations for her portrayal of Dr. Lesley Webber on the daytime soap opera General Hospital.