General Hospital: Steve Burton Reveals the Lead Actor Emmy Speech He Never Gave, Built Around Leslie Charleson

STEVE BURTON’S UNUSED EMMY SPEECH WAS A LOVE LETTER TO LESLIE CHARLESON AND JANE ELLIOT

TL;DR: Steve Burton lost Lead Actor to Scott Clifton at the Daytime Emmys on October 30. On his podcast, he confirmed his unused speech centered on the late Leslie Charleson, with love for Jane Elliot and Maurice Benard too.

The Speech Steve Burton Never Got to Give

Steve Burton, General Hospital‘s Jason Morgan, confirmed on Bradford Anderson’s That’s Awesome podcast that his unused Daytime Emmy speech centered on the late Leslie Charleson, who played Monica Quartermaine. “A lot of my material was around Leslie Charleson, and her passing,” he said in the episode released Sunday, November 1, as quoted by Michael Fairman TV.

Burton was up for Outstanding Lead Actor at the 53rd Daytime Emmy Awards in Hollywood on Friday, October 30. Scott Clifton, who plays Liam Spencer on The Bold and the Beautiful, took the trophy, as our full 2026 Daytime Emmy winners list shows. So the speech stayed folded in his pocket, until he and his cohost, the man behind Damian Spinelli (Bradford Anderson), sat down at the mic. The two are already teaming up on a holiday whodunit, and now they gave fans the acceptance speech nobody heard on the night.

Why Monica Sat at the Heart of It

The timing explains everything. Leslie Charleson died on January 12, 2025, after nearly 50 years as Monica. The show wrote Monica as having died peacefully off screen, and Port Charles said its final goodbye to Monica in a two-part memorial in late September 2025. Those were the scenes that carried Burton’s nomination.

Monica was the woman who raised Jason, and Burton never lost sight of what Charleson gave him. If he won, he said, the speech would “give her the love and credit she deserves.” Fans who poured out their love for Monica last fall will need tissues for this one.

Jane Elliot Got Her Flowers Too

The next name on the list was Jane Elliot, who plays Tracy Quartermaine, Jason’s aunt and his scene partner through so much of that grief. The outlets that covered the podcast caught her part a little differently, so we are going with Michael Fairman TV’s version: “Jane is so inspiring. I love her, and I love working with her.”

That bond is still on screen. Tracy runs the Quartermaine house now, Jason lives under her roof, and she was the one who cornered Jason over Deception just last month. When a man credits the aunt who keeps him in line, you know it is real.

Which Jason and Monica scene still makes you cry? Write to the editor at amber@soapoperamagazine.com and tell us.

What Did Steve Burton Say About Leslie Charleson?

He said a big part of his material was built around her and her passing, and that he wanted to give her the love and credit she deserved from the Emmy stage. Steve Burton also wanted to shine a light on Jane Elliot, who stood beside him through Monica’s goodbye.

Maurice Benard and the Rest of the Thank You List

Then came the mentor. Burton credited the man who plays Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) with making him the actor he is: “I definitely wouldn’t be holding an Emmy if I didn’t cross paths with that guy.” That is quite a bouquet from a two-time Daytime Emmy winner chasing his first Lead Actor statue.

The list kept going. Glory to God came first, he said, then his wife, Michelle, then Carly Spencer (Laura Wright), whom he praised for “always showing up, always professional.” Casting director Mark Teschner got a nod, “Mark Teschner believed I had a chance, and that’s all you need sometimes,” and so did executive producer Frank Valentini. The fans got the last word: “We are part of your family, and you’re a part of our family.”

No Sour Grapes, Just a Quartermaine Twist

Do not read this as a snub story. Clifton won his fourth Daytime Emmy, and the Lead Actor field we covered in July was stacked. Here is the sweet part: Clifton once played Dillon Quartermaine on General Hospital, Tracy’s son. The trophy stayed in the family, more or less.

On screen, Jason has no time for speeches. Danny Morgan just told him Jack Brennan is dead, as our Danny and Jason spoilers laid out, and the fallout fills our two-week General Hospital spoilers. Steve Burton signed a three-year deal in June, so there is plenty of time for another nomination.

Should the Emmys have honored Leslie Charleson on stage? Tell us in the comments.

For more Port Charles scoop, visit our General Hospital spoilers page.

The Best Emmy Speech of the Night Was the One Nobody Heard

Our take: losing gave us something a win never could. A trophy speech is a few rushed seconds before the music plays. This one got a whole podcast, and every word of it pointed at Leslie Charleson and the Monica she gave us for nearly 50 years, the heart of the scenes that got him nominated.

What would you want him to say about Monica? Share your favorite memory of her on our Facebook page.