Context:

Denise Alexander, celebrated for her portrayal of Dr. Lesley Webber on 'General Hospital,' has passed away at the age of 85 due to natural causes in Boulder, Colorado. Her extensive career began as a child actress in radio and included roles on 'The Twilight Zone' and Broadway. She gained fame on daytime television with significant roles on 'Days of Our Lives' and 'General Hospital,' where she portrayed one of the first female doctors on daytime TV. Denise's career was marked by a return to 'General Hospital' from 1996 to 2009, and she was honored with a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1976. Her passing is mourned by the soap opera community and her family, including her stepson Anthony Colla and her late stepdaughter Elizabeth.

Dive Deeper:

• Denise Alexander began her illustrious career as a child actress, participating in over 2,500 radio shows in New York and making her onscreen debut in 1949 on Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall.

• Her role as Dr. Lesley Webber on 'General Hospital' marked a significant contribution to daytime television, as she portrayed one of the first female doctors, a role she played for nearly five decades.

• In addition to 'General Hospital,' Denise spent over six years on 'Days of Our Lives' as Susan Hunter Martin starting in 1966, balancing her burgeoning career while in college.

• Her character on 'General Hospital' was killed off in 1984 due to contract disputes, but she returned in 1986 to 'Another World' and later resumed her role on 'General Hospital' from 1996 to 2009.

• Denise's career spanned various mediums, including a notable appearance on the acclaimed 'The Twilight Zone' and a Broadway revival of Lillian Hellman’s 'The Children’s Hour.'

• Her personal life included a marriage to actor-director Richard A. Colla and the recent loss of her stepdaughter Elizabeth, adding personal grief to her family's mourning.

• Denise's legacy as a pioneering female figure in television is remembered fondly by colleagues and fans alike, with 'General Hospital' executive producer Frank Valentini honoring her significant impact on and off-screen.

• Denise Alexander has sadly passed away.

• The actress, known for her role as Dr. Lesley Webber on General Hospital, died at 85 due to natural causes at the home of a nephew in Boulder, Col., her stepson Anthony Colla confirmed to THR.
  Denise Alexander, who performed in thousands of radio episodes and on The Twilight Zone as a youngster before starring in two long stints as Dr. Lesley Webber on General Hospital, has died. She was 85.

• She also spent more than six years playing Susan Hunter Martin on NBC’s Days of Our Lives, starting in 1966 while in college.

• She moved to General Hospital as Dr. Lesley Williams in March 1973, and worked there for the next 11 years. Her character was killed in an offscreen automobile accident in March 1984 amid contract disputes.

• In August 1986, she returned to the soap world to play Bay City matriarch Mary McKinnon on NBC’s Another World through 1989, then came back to General Hospital as a regular from 1996 through 2009.

• “She broke barriers onscreen and off- portraying Dr. Lesley Webber — one of the first female doctors on daytime television — for nearly five decades,” General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini said in a statement. “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.”

• Keep reading to find out more…

• As a child actress, Denise starred in more than 2,500 radio shows in New York. Her onscreen debut was an episode of Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall in 1949. She starred in Tom Corbett, Space Cadet from 1951 to 1955.

• She appeared on Broadway in a revival of Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour as well.

• Denise played the daughter of a military scientist (Fritz Weaver) on the 14th episode of CBS’ The Twilight Zone, the acclaimed “Third From the Sun.”

• She received a Daytime Emmy nomination for outstanding actress in a drama series in 1976 for her work in General Hospital. She stopped by the show for the first of several times in 2013 and work on the web shows Pretty the Series and The Inn.

• She was married to actor-director Richard A. Colla,l who played Tony Merritt on Days of Our Lives, from the 1980s until his death on Christmas Eve 2021. Her stepdaughter, Elizabeth, died March 31.

• Our thoughts are with Denise Alexander‘s loved ones at this difficult time. RIP.