Denise Alexander

Denise Alexander (November 11, 1939 – March 5, 2025) was an American actress best known for her role as Lesley Webber on General Hospital, a role she originally played from 1973 to 1984 (contract), 1996 to 2009, and a guest stint in 2013, in honor of the show's 50th anniversary. Alexander returned to General Hospital for two other guest appearances in December 2017 and April 2019, the latter to commemorate the 56th anniversary of the show. She then reappeared from January to February 2021.

Life and career

Alexander was born in New York City on November 11, 1939, and Sal Mineo, decided to make the switch from the East to the West Coast. Alexander had appeared on TV and radio by the time she was a junior at University of California, Los Angeles. She made her feature movie debut at age fourteen in the Don Siegel film Crime in the Streets starring John Cassavetes. In 1962 Alexander appeared as Mildred Kroeger on the first season of the TV western The Virginian on the episode titled "Impasse."

Alexander first broke into the soap opera genre by playing Lois Adams on The Clear Horizon in 1960. Her big break on soaps came via the role of Susan Hunter Martin on Days of Our Lives from 1966 to 1973. Alexander reprised her role on General Hospital in late December 2017 for a short stint, and also for one episode in April 2019 for the show's 56th anniversary. She also reprised the role from January to February 2021.

Alexander died in Boulder, Colorado, on March 5, 2025, at the age of 85. According to her stepson, she died of natural causes.

Filmography In November 1949, Alexander played Perry Como's daughter on Perry Como's Chesterfield Supper Club on NBC. It was a Thanksgiving-themed show with guest Raymond Massey portraying Abraham Lincoln. Year Title Role Notes 1950 Dimension X Mink Episode: "There Will Come Soft Rains / Zero Hour" 1951 Robert Montgomery Presents Episode: "Bubbles" 1951 Armstrong Circle Theatre Episode: "That Man Is Mine" 1952 Kraft Television Theatre Episode: "Lace on Her Petticoat" 1955 Robert Montgomery Presents Jeannie Episode: "The Tall Dark Man" 1955 Mary Jane Wilks TV movie 1956 Crime in the Streets Maria Gioia 1956 Father Knows Best Georgia Episode: "No Apron Strings" 1958 The Veil Ruth Cooper TV mini-series 1958 The Walter Winchell File Teresa Filchok Episode: "Hot Night in Manhattan" 1958 Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Episode: "Song of Bernadette" 1958 Make Room for Daddy Connie Coleman Episode: "Terry's Girlfriend" 1959 The Danny Thomas Show Gerta Shoentler Episode: "Red Tape" 1959 Ellie Episode: "Love Is a Headache" 1959 The Ann Sothern Show Connie Episode: "The Sal Mineo Story" 1960–1962 The Clear Horizon Lois Adams Series regular 1960 The Twilight Zone Jody Sturka Episode: "Third from the Sun" 1960 This Is the Life (TV series) Lois Episode: The Trap of Freedom 1960 Letter to Loretta Joyce Parker Episode: "Plain, Unmarked Envelope" 1960 The Detectives Donna Episode: "Armed and Dangerous" 1960 The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Jini Metzger Episode: "Rock-A-Bye Dobie" 1960 The Blue Angels (TV series) Sally Beckett Episode: "Blind Flight" 1961 The Detectives Madge Snyder Episode: "The Frightened Ones" 1961 The Barbara Stanwyck Show Janue Hunter Episode: "Call Me Annie" 1961 Angel Episode: "Goodbye, Young Lovers" 1961 Sea Hunt Caroline Tucker Season 4, episode 23: "Baby" 1962 Ben Casey Ann Muller Episode: "A Memory of Candy Stripes" 1962 Stoney Burke Arlette Hughes Episode: "The Mob Riders" 1962 The Virginian Mildred Kroeger Episode: "Impasse" 1963 Ben Jerrod Emily Sanders Series regular 1963 Combat! Annette Season 1 Episode 21 "No Time for Pity" 1964 Combat! Jacqueline 1964 The Fisher Family Lois Episode: "The Trap of Freedom" 1965 Diamond Jim: Catherine TV movie 1965 That Funny Feeling Helen 1966–1973 Days of Our Lives Susan Martin Series regular 1973 The ABC Afternoon Playbreak Laura Episode: "The Gift of Terror" 1973–1984, 19962009, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2021 General Hospital Lesley Webber Series regular (1973–1984), Recurring (1996–2009, 2013), guest (2017, 2019, 2021) Nominated − Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1976) 1976 The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case Violet Sharpe TV movie 1983 Shaft of Love Maxine Burke TV movie 1984 Hotel Gail McLain Episode: "Lifelines" 1986–1989, 1991 Another World Mary McKinnon Series regular 1995 Zoya Axelle TV movie 1997–1998 Sunset Beach Sister Beatrice 15 episodes 2010–2012 Pretty the Series Louise Fitzpatrick 8 episodes 2013 The Inn Lola 10 episodes