In a Heartbeat If Leslie Charleson were in charge of life at the Quartermaine mansion, you can be sure things would be handled much differently. "The women are obviously smarter than the men," she says of the powerful but problematic clan. "The men are silly and need to be sent to their rooms." And since her character, Monica, is practically a founding member of the first family of dysfunction, Charleson certainly knows the territory of which she speaks. Checking In When Charleson first joined the GH staff, she was no stranger to soaps, but completely unfamiliar with the operating rooms and nurses' stations which would become familiar haunts over the years. Having starred in two East Coast soaps, A TIME FOR US and LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING, Charleson packed her bags and headed to the West Coast to see what might be waiting for her in the land of oppurtunity. And what was waiting for her was an invitation to step into the role of Monica, no audition necessary. "I didn't know who Monica was. I had never seen GH," Charleson admits of the character and show which would soon become her life. Moving On Up In the two decades Charleson has played the role, Monica has metamorphosed from a woman torn between her husband, Jeff Webber, and her lover, his brother Rick, into one who not only married into a powerful dynasty, but often seems the only voice of reason during the somewhat infamous clan gatherings. "As much as the times have changed is as much as Monica has grown," the actress explains. "She's her own person, good or bad." Not that Monica has always made the right choices, as her portrayer freely admits. "She's dedicated, but sometimes misguided." Which explains Monica's somewhat checkered past - including two divorces, a few affairs, and numerous personal and professional rivalries. How does portaying such a character impact one's personal life? "As the character changes, so does the actress," Charleson muses. "In 20 years, everything happens in your personal life, that's for sure." A Lasting Partnership One thing that has remained constant in the life of both character and actress is the presence of Stuart Damon and his alter ego, Alan. "He is one of my best friends," Charleson says fondly. "When we have down days, he's been there for me and I for him, in a heartbeat." The close bond shouldn't come as a surprise, seeing as Alan and Monica have been treading the fine line between love and hate practically since the moment both actors stepped into their roles in 1977. "After 20 years, Stuart and I know each other," Charleson says of the partnership that has developed between them. "It's a trust that we have. There's nothing better than being able to act with somebody who will take care of you. "Of course, I haven't gotten older in 20 years," Charleson says of the intervening time, showing the humorous side that makes the duo a well known pair of cutups. "But Stuart has. So I've had to deal with it." That humor certainly comes into play on-screen as the Q clan proves that the family that snipes together stays together. "The creation of a dysfunctional family that still maintains a sense of humor is something you don't see every day," Charleson says, showing a healthy respect for her on-screen relatives. She also likes the fact that though times have changed, the Q's, as they are affectionately known, have remained basically the same. "Let's keep them the unique family they've always been ." Whom does the actress see as the glue holding the splintered family together? "As long as Lila tells Edward to 'put a sock in it' - and she does it often, bless her heart - we're okay." So what rewards (aside from her four Daytime Emmy nominations) have come from her two- decade commitment? Perhaps it is seeing a suggestion turn into an award-winning storyline, as happened when Charleson approached the topic of breast cancer with then-headwriter Claire Labine. Or, maybe it is the added bonus of playing one of daytime's strongest female roles. "Monica is a New Age woman," says Charleson. "She's not going to kowtow to anything." Somewhat possessively, she adds, "She never has. I would never let her do that." No matter what course the character decides to follow, one thing Charleson is sure of is what drives Monica's strong convictions. "Whatever she does, whatever she is, she's passionate." Interestingly, it would seem that a comment Charleson makes about her character could just as easily have been Monica commenting on her portrayer: "I have lived with her all these years, and she can do anything." By Debbie Enders, Soaps in Depth, December 2, 1997