Denise Alexander
| Denise Alexander | |
|---|---|
 Alexander in 1973. | |
| Born |
November 11, 1939 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1951–present |
| Spouse(s) | Richard A. Colla |
Denise Alexander (born November 11, 1939) is an American soap opera actress, best known for her role as Lesley Webber on General Hospital, a role she originally played from 1973 to 1984 (contract),[1] 1996 to 2009 and from 2013 onwards (recurring).
Life and career
Alexander was born in New York City and raised on Long Island, she moved to Los Angeles when her father, Alec Alexander, an agent who handled at that point such notables as Frank Gorshin[2] 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 UCLA.[3] She made her feature movie debut at age fourteen, in the John Cassavetes film Crime In The Streets.
Alexander first broke into the soap opera genre by playing Susan Hunter Martin on Days of our Lives from 1966 to 1973.[3] In 1973, Susan H. Martin was written out of the show temporarily when the Days casting office hit a snag renewing her contract and the contract lapsed. ABC Daytime rushed to offer her a then-unheard of salary/perks package to join General Hospital. When Susan H. Martin finally returned to Days, a new actress played her. A few months later, Alexander started on General Hospital, playing the role of Dr. Lesley Webber, which would become her most popular and longest-tenured. She stayed with the show for eleven years, leaving in 1984. In 1986, she was offered a big salary to portray absent McKinnon matriarch, Mary, on Another World. When the commute from her home in Los Angeles to Another World's studio in New York City proved to be difficult for her, she left the show, filming her last scene in 1989. In 1996, she returned to the role of Lesley on General Hospital, which she continued playing until 2009. She reprised the role in time for the show's 50th anniversay in 2013 and remains on the canvas as a recurring character.[4]
Alexander is married to television director and actor Richard A. Colla.
Credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | 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 | The DuPont Show with June Allyson | 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 | 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 | 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 | Episode: "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 |
| 1963-1964 | Combat! | Jacqueline | 2 episodes |
| 1964 | The Fisher Family | Lois | Episode: "The Trap of Freedom" |
| 1965 | Diamond Jim: Skulduggery in Samantha | Catherine | TV Movie |
| 1965 | That Funny Feeling | Helen | |
| 1966-1973 | Days of our Lives | Susan Hunter Martin | Series regular |
| 1973 | The ABC Afternoon Playbreak | Laura | Episode: "The Gift of Terror" |
| 1973–1984, 1996–2009, 2013 - | General Hospital | Lesley Webber | Series regular (1973-1984), Recurring role (1996–2009, 2013 - ) 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 | Another World | Mary McKinnon | Series regular |
| 1995 | Zoya | Axelle | TV Movie |
| 1997-1998 | Sunset Beach | Sister Beatrice | 17 episodes |
| 2010-2012 | Pretty the Series | Louise Fitzpatrick | 8 episodes |
| 2013 | The Inn | Lola | 10 episodes |
References
- ↑ Associated, The (1984-01-31). "Goodbye For Fans". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2013-10-01.
- ↑ Bio of Frank Gorshin
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Denise Alexander Playing Lesley Webber on General Hospital - Soaps.com". Soaps.sheknows.com. 1938-11-11. Retrieved 2013-10-01.
- ↑ Newcomb, Roger (2013-09-19). "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Denise Alexander Talks Playing THE INN's Mysterious Lola & Returning To GENERAL HOSPITAL (Part 1 of 2)". We Love Soaps. Retrieved 2013-10-01.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Denise Alexander. |
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