Veteran soap star Erika Slezak surprised fans when she first confirmed that she would be joining the cast of “General Hospital” in a limited-run role. She spent 40 years working on “One Life to Live” as Victoria Lord, and when that soap folded in 2013, Slezak decided to step away from acting. She recently told PEOPLE that a need for “fun” helped sway her to take the GH gig, but it came with some concerns.
It Took Erika Some Time to Find Her Groove Again
GettyWhile Erika was intrigued by a return to soaps, she admits to having had a bit of trepidation, too. “I thought, ‘Wow, can I still do this?’” she shared with PEOPLE. Her son, Michael, also questioned whether or not she would be able to return to the mental grind, and at first she thought, “Yeah, why would I not be able to? I mean, I used to do it every day.” She then realized that her son was right to be a little concerned.
Soaps run at a faster pace than they did even 12 years ago, and it took Slezak some time to find her footing again. “In the beginning, I had a lot of trouble, especially with the long speeches, where I would just in the middle of a speech go, ‘I have no idea what I say next,’” she admits.
After about a week, the actress found her groove, and GH fans were treated to a series of powerhouse performances. Slezak’s confidence in her delivery soared, and her experience on “General Hospital” was joyful. “It turned out to be so much fun. And you miss that when you’re not working,” she explained.
Will Erika Return to GH?
ABCErika returned to her life with her husband, Brian Davies, in Connecticut in late September 2025. “I have a wonderful life. I have a husband whom I love, and a son whom I love. My daughter passed away almost two years ago, which broke my heart. It still lives with me every day. The sadness just hangs over me, but I have a wonderful life, with the exception of that.” She went on to say that adding to the fun of working on GH to her home life was “wonderful.”
“The people I worked with were just fabulous and generous and helpful,” she says.
While her role as Ronnie Bard was deemed a short-term run, she made quite an impression on the Port Charles landscape. Monica Quartermaine’s sister held her own against Tracy and then encouraged the younger members of the family with kindness and empathy. Fans have been thrilled to learn that Erika would love to return again down the road.
When Soap Opera Digest asked the obvious question, the actress said, “Yes, I would. It was delightful, it was terrific, it was a pleasure. It was different every day, which was unusual for me because Victoria was Victoria all the time. Yes, she was sometimes crazy, but she was always Victoria! Ronnie grew through this whole process, and learned — and yes, I would be open to coming back.”
Are you hoping that Ronnie returns to Port Charles sooner rather than later?
I watched her for years on OLTL….she is truly a great actress. I definitely would love to see her on GH again and again!