Six-time Daytime Emmy Award winner Erika Slezak (best known as Viki on One Life to Live) has officially joined the cast of General Hospital! According to her fan club president, Walter Miller, and her official website, the legendary actress has already wrapped her first week of filming her brand-new daytime role.
Slezak’s New Home
Slezak reached out to Miller to share how her first week went. This was the message posted on her official website:
“Just heard from Erika! She is currently in Los Angeles, busy taping her scenes at General Hospital. She shared that her first week went well, and she felt warmly welcomed by everyone at GH. ‘Everyone at GH is so wonderfully kind and helpful, and by now I know my way around the studio a bit,’ Erika mentioned. She has reconnected with many old friends from OLTL, which has made her feel comfortable and at ease in her new environment.
Erika also noted that the past week has been quite busy, and she anticipates an even busier week ahead. Her evenings consist of learning lines for the following day! Despite missing her family and animals back home, she is thoroughly enjoying her time at GH. She promised to inform us about the airdates as soon as she knows them. Additionally, she humorously remarked on the consistent weather in LA, describing it as perpetually sunny and hot!”
Is She Playing Monica’s Sister?
With Slezak taping scenes, the countdown is on for her character’s highly anticipated debut on GH. Rumors are swirling that she may be stepping into the role of Monica Quartermaine’s never-before-mentioned sister, following Monica’s heartbreaking death after the passing of beloved actress Leslie Charleson.
In a recent fall preview, GH co-head writers Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten teased Monica’s storyline with TV Insider. “Monica’s death will devastate the Quartermaines, none more than Jason (Steve Burton) and Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot). The family will come together with much of Port Charles to say goodbye to a woman who was an integral part of the community for nearly 50 years. For most, it will be an occasion for mourning and togetherness; but for a few, it will mark an opportunity to be seized. Into all this steps Erika Slezak’s character, who arrives bearing surprising connections to the Quartermaine clan and mysterious ties to others on the canvas. We can’t wait to see how her character challenges the status quo in Port Charles.”
Meanwhile, this week’s GH spoilers preview somber moments ahead. Jason is set to receive devastating news and lean on Tracy as Monica’s passing shakes the Quartermaine family to its core.
Soap Royalty
Before she became a daytime icon, Erika Slezak built an impressive foundation in the arts. At just 17 years old, she was accepted into the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, making her one of the youngest students ever admitted. Born in Hollywood, Erika grew up speaking German as her first language before learning English. For high school, she attended Sacred Heart Schools in both Greenwich, Connecticut, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Slezak’s love of performing runs deep in her family. Her father, the late Walter Slezak, was a celebrated stage and screen actor who earned a Tony Award for his work in Fanny. Her grandfather, Leo Slezak, was a world-renowned operatic tenor who performed on some of the greatest stages in the world, including Vienna, Berlin, and New York’s Metropolitan Opera.
Before stepping into the world of daytime television, Slezak gained invaluable experience in the theater. She spent three seasons with the Milwaukee Repertory Company, taking on roles that ranged from Shakespeare to Noel Coward. She also performed for a season at the Alley Theater in Houston, where she continued to sharpen her craft and develop her commanding stage presence.
In 1971, Slezak made her daytime television debut on the legendary soap opera One Life to Live, where she took on the role of Victoria “Viki” Lord. Her extraordinary portrayal earned her critical acclaim, countless fans, and an impressive record of six Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1984, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1996, and 2005). She was also nominated in the category in 1983, 1988, and 2012.
Soap Hub caught up with Slezak earlier this year for an exclusive interview.
Could Slezak really be playing Monica’s sister, or is GH saving another huge twist for her role? One thing’s for sure—her arrival promises to change everything in Port Charles.
