Although from a storyline perspective it would make more sense for her to join the cast of “General Hospital” as her former “One Life to Live” character, a “rumor report” shared by Daytime Confidential last week indicates that Erika Slezak could be playing someone other than the iconic Victoria Lord Buchanan when she lands in Port Charles later this year.
According to the outlet, while ABC remains mum on Slezak’s upcoming role on the long-running drama series, the actress will be playing a brand new character when she returns to soaps. In this case, appearing as the long-lost sister of Dr. Monica Quartermaine (played until 2023 by the late Leslie Charleson).
Should Slezak join the cast as a relative of Monica’s, it would mark the first time since the character’s introduction in 1976 (then played by Patsy Rahn) that the soap opera would establish a sibling for her, considering Monica was known to have been an orphan raised by Gail Baldwin (played by the late Susan Brown) with no direct family ties introduced beyond her cousin Lorena Sharpe Barrington (Shelley Taylor Morgan).
Word of Slezak joining “General Hospital” first came to light last month when the six-time Emmy Award winner announced her return to soaps on her website.
“Erika has just informed me she has signed a short-term contract with ABC’s ‘General Hospital,’” read a statement released by Slezak’s official fan club president at the time. “At this time, Erika does not know which character she will be playing or when her scenes will air, but is excited to be working again with Executive Producer Frank Valentini and the cast of GH!”
Valentini later confirmed the news on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “I am thrilled to confirm that my dear friend and former ‘One Life to Live’ colleague, Erika Slezak, will appear on @GeneralHospital this Fall. Stay tuned as we prepare to introduce another daytime legend to Port Charles.”
It’s unknown when Slezak will begin taping episodes at Prospect Studios in Hollywood, where the show’s production is based. A first air date was also not revealed at press time.
In the years since “One Life to Live” went off the air in January 2012, Slezak went on to reprise her role from the show for the short-lived 2013 online revival that was produced by Prospect Park Networks, which at the time had landed the exclusive licensing rights to the show’s characters. The company went on to sue ABC, accusing the network of looking to create a “mega soap” scheme following the network’s use of key “One Life to Live” characters on “General Hospital.”
Prospect Park Networks had been seeking more than $95 million in damages. By December 2012, the lawsuit had been dismissed, with the rights to both the “One Life to Live” brand and characters returning to ABC, along with the rights to the “All My Children” brand and characters.
Playing Viki on “One Life to Live” for more than 40 years, Slezak won six Emmy Awards, each in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series, earning the most wins of any individual actress.
By 2018, Slezak would make her first appearance after the dual cancellations of “One Life to Live,” playing the role of Helen in an episode of “The Resident.” She followed that up with an appearance in the May 3, 2019 episode of “Blue Bloods, playing the role of Donna Duvall. She again reprised the role in the January 6, 2023 episode
In 2021, Slezak made her Hallmark Channel original movie debut, appearing alongside soap alums Lyndsy Fonseca (“The Young and the Restless”) and Chandler Massey (“Days of our Lives”) in “Next Stop, Christmas.” Lea Thompson (“Back to the Future”) and Christopher Lloyd (“Back to the Future”) also starred in the holiday movie.
Slezak and her husband, Brian Davies, sadly lost their daughter, Amanda Elizabeth Davies, in January 2024.
