General Hospital fans were treated to a sweet, albeit short, reunion that hit One Life To Live fans in the feels. On the Friday, October 31 episode of GH, Erika Slezak was reunited on-screen with her former television son, Chris McKenna. The actor also shared a sweet behind-the-scenes moment that took the full-circle to the next level.
Key Takeaways
- General Hospital viewers were treated to a touching on-screen reunion between Erika Slezak and Chris McKenna.
- In a blooper, Slezak softly said, “Joey?” — and McKenna smiled and replied, “Mom, I’m working,” capturing decades of warmth between the former One Life to Live stars.
- The moment resonated deeply with fans, blending nostalgia and affection for a beloved on-screen mother-son bond that’s endured for over 30 years.
Reunited And It Feels So Good
From the moment Erika Slezak joined GH as Ronnie, longtime One Life to Live fans were eager to know — would she reunite with Chris McKenna, who once played her son Joey Buchanan? This week, viewers finally got their answer.
In a brief but nostalgic scene, Ronnie entered Bobbie’s, where Jack (McKenna) was seated with his back to the door. Spotting him, she softly said, “Joey?” — a touching callback to their OLTL history. When he turned around, he introduced himself as Jack, not Joey, before the moment was interrupted by Carly (Laura Wright), who stepped in to identify herself as Michael’s (Rory Gibson) mother. Though it appears Slezak’s short-term run on GH is nearing its end, this emotional nod to Llanview’s past was a treat for daytime fans who remember their mother-son bond.
In addition to what viewers saw on the show, McKenna also shared a clip of what happened first. In it, when Bobbie said, “Joey?” he turned and said, “Mom, I’m working.” You can check out the whole thing in the clip below.
Behind the scenes, the reunion was just as heartfelt. Access Hollywood captured the touching moment, with McKenna admitting, “She was like a second mother to me… I’m gonna cry.” Reflecting on his early OLTL days, he recalled, “From the first day on set, she was so warm and so helpful to me as a young actor and as a young man.”
Slezak shared the same sentiment, saying, “When I saw him today, he’s this unbelievably handsome, tall, gorgeous guy with his own family. And I thought, ‘My little Joey.’”
McKenna has often praised Slezak for her mentorship, revealing that she once told his real-life mother, “That kid… he’s something.” That early encouragement stayed with him for life. As he told Michael Fairman TV, Slezak was more than a co-star — she was a protector, teacher, and trusted friend who always reminded him to “trust his gut.” Their bond has remained strong through the years, and when McKenna landed his General Hospital role, Slezak was one of the first to reach out with her support.
This brief GH moment was a touching full-circle reunion between two beloved daytime stars who still hold a deep respect and affection for each other, decades after their time in Llanview.
Years Gone By
When Slezak joined One Life to Live in 1971, few could have predicted that her iconic run as Viki Lord would span over four decades — lasting until the show’s 2013 reboot ended. During that time, Viki became one of daytime’s most beloved matriarchs, raising five children: Kevin, Joey, Megan, Jessica, and Natalie.
In 1990, a young Chris McKenna stepped into the role of Joey Buchanan, staying until 1993. One of his most memorable storylines came when Joey’s close friend Billy Douglas (played by Ryan Phillippe) came out as gay — a groundbreaking plot for daytime television at the time. When the town reacted with prejudice and rumors, Viki became one of Billy’s fiercest allies. As the editor and publisher of The Banner, she used her platform to stand up against intolerance and support both Billy and Reverend Andrew Carpenter (Wortham Krimmer), showing compassion, courage, and a commitment to what was right.
That storyline not only gave McKenna and Slezak powerful material together but also reinforced Viki’s legacy as the moral compass of Llanview.
In a fun “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” twist, McKenna would later guest star on Castle — opposite none other than Nathan Fillion, who succeeded him as Joey in 1994. Fillion often looks back fondly on his soap beginnings, once saying that his time on OLTL taught him everything about being an actor in television.
Did you love seeing the two soap vets and former co-stars in scenes together? What about the “blooper” McKenna shared?
