'General Hospital' actress Denise Alexander dead at 85
Denise Alexander, best known for her roles in "General Hospital" and "Days of Our Lives," has died at the age of 85.
On Saturday, the executive producer of "General Hospital," Frank Valentini, took to Instagram to share the news and offer condolences to Alexander's family.
"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," Valentini's statement began. "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."
The post was accompanied by a carousel of photos of Alexander throughout the years, both on screen and off.
Fans were quick to share their sympathies as well.
"She was truly such an integral part of the wonder years of GH!," one commented.
"Sending condolences to her family and friends. She was a beautiful actress who provided us many many years of exemplary entertainment on GH," another wrote.
Before her "GH" debut, Alexander portrayed Susan Hunter Martin in "Days of Our Lives" for seven years, from 1966 to 1973. She then went on to play Dr. Lesley Williams on "General Hospital" for nearly five decades. Her last appearance on the soap aired in 2021.
"Days of Our Lives" star Susan Seaforth Hayes took to social media to pay homage to her dear friend.
"Denise Alexander was a friend to treasure and an actress to applaud. She was well established on Days when I joined the cast as Julie #4 (a replacement for 4 previous actresses). She watched Billy and I fall madly in love and, being a romantic lady herself, cheered us on," she wrote, alongside a photo of herself, her husband Billy Hayes and Alexander.
"Such happy memories of her years in Salem and her great success on General Hospital. We both began as child actors, both had strong mothers and both were raised as Christian Scientists in our early years. I was grateful for her wisdom, taste, humor, and goodness every time I saw her. It was never enough. And my love for her will never be over."
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Just two days before he was killed, Joss showed up at a 'King of the Hill' Revival Sneak Peek event at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas – although he had already written on Facebook that he was not invited to attend. Attendee Brandon Robinson said Joss walked up to the Q&A mic and started 'ranting.' Robinson originally thought Joss' speech was planned but said he soon realized it wasn't. After making some references to his character in 'King of the Hill,' Joss said: 'My house burned down three months ago because I'm gay.' The panelists then announced Joss as the voice of the show's character John Redcorn, prompting applause from the audience. Joss spoke about feeling ignored at the event in one of his final interviews, which took place on 'Bwaaa! A King of the Hill podcast.' But he also said he'd loved his life as an actor. 'I've just been really lucky to have really decent parts. I mean, I never had a – I've never done a bad thing when it comes to acting,' Joss said. Another family showed up this week to remember Joss at the site of the shooting. Paul Gonzalez and Tiffany Zurita said that they lived nearby, but never knew Joss lived in the area. 'We grew up watching the cartoon, you know, me and my wife when we were kids – so just shocked by it,' Gonzalez said of the killing. They brought a pinwheel to place at the memorial, explaining that it helped their own family when experiencing loss. It was something 'to kind of bring that little life back in,' Zurita said. 'You know, the wind's blowing, you see it blowing in the wind, and it just, you know, kind of reminds you that that person's still here,' she said. 'It's a symbol of peace and serene surroundings.' They both said prayers for everyone involved in the tragic incident – and for the neighbors as well. 'I hope they all find peace in time,' said Gonzalez. CNN's Lisa Respers France, Dianne Gallagher, Devon Sayers, Andy Buck, Jeremy Grisham, and Leah Thomeer contributed to this report.
