NEED TO KNOW
Erika Slezak is headed to Port Charles.
The 78-year-old soap opera icon, best known for her role as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live, is joining the cast of General Hospital, PEOPLE has confirmed.
“I am thrilled to confirm that my dear friend and former One Life to Live colleague, Erika Slezak, will appear on General Hospital this Fall,” Frank Valentini, former executive producer of OLTL and current executive producer for GH, said in a statement. “Stay tuned and keep watching as we prepare to introduce another daytime legend to Port Charles.”
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The news of Slezak joining General Hospital was first announced on the actress’ website.
“Erika has just informed me she has signed a short-term contract with ABC’s GENERAL HOSPITAL,” reads a message still posted to the homepage of Slezak’s personal website.
“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!” the message continued. “More details to follow as they become available.”
Slezak played Victoria on One Life to Live from 1971 until the soap ended in 2012, and returned for the short-lived online revival in 2013.
Victoria Lord was the main protagonist and matriarch of the Lord family on One Life to Live.
Throughout her more than four decades on the soap, Slezak won a record six Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series — the most of anyone in the category.
Slezak won the trophy in 1984, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 2005, in addition to being nominated three other times.
In 2000, she and her One Life to Live costar and onscreen husband Mark Derwin (Ben Davidson) won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Favorite Couple.
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After the end of One Life to Live, Slezak has continued to add to her acting résumé.
In recent years, Slezak has appeared in films like 2019’s Guest Artist alongside Jeff Daniels and the forthcoming 2025 film Song Sung Blue alongside Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson.
The actress has also made several guest appearances on television, including an episode of The Resident in 2018 two episodes of Blue Bloods, one in 2019 and the other in 2022.
