{"id":2052285,"date":"2025-09-26T17:39:17","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T17:39:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2052285"},"modified":"2025-09-26T17:39:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T17:39:17","slug":"first-look-at-erika-slezaks-daytime-return-on-general-hospital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/first-look-at-erika-slezaks-daytime-return-on-general-hospital\/","title":{"rendered":"First Look at Erika Slezak\u2019s Daytime Return on \u2018General Hospital\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Six-time Daytime Emmy winner <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/people\/erika-slezak\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Erika Slezak;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Erika Slezak<\/a> returns to soaps today in a new mystery role on <em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/show\/general-hospital\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:General Hospital;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">General Hospital<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Best known for her four-decade run as <em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/show\/one-life-to-live\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:One Life to Live;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">One Life to Live<\/a>\u2018s<\/em> Victoria Lord Buchanan, Slezak wasn\u2019t actively seeking a daytime comeback, but a call from <em>GH<\/em>\u2018s executive producer, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/people\/frank-valentini\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Frank Valentini;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Frank Valentini<\/a> \u2014 who previously helmed <em>OLTL<\/em> \u2014 changed everything.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWe\u2019ve been friends for a long time,\u201d Slezak begins. \u201cHe called me in April and said, \u2018Would you like to come out and play at <em>General Hospital<\/em>? \u2018And I went, \u2018Sure, sometime.\u2019 And then he said, \u2018Well, how about in September?\u2019 And I went, \u2018Sure, September is far enough away.\u2019 And then he filled me in on what he wanted for the story arc, and I said, \u2018That\u2019s very interesting, because it\u2019s completely different from what I played on <em>One Life to Live<\/em>.\u2019 And slowly, over the summer, it was dawning on me, \u2018Oh, my gosh, I\u2019m going back to work.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Erika Slezak &#8211; &#8216;General Hospital&#8217;<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Disney\/Bahareh Ritter<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Once back on set, it didn\u2019t take long for reality to set in and for the fast-paced world of Port Charles to keep her on her toes. \u201cThe studio is huge,\u201d she reports. \u201cBut people are so unbelievably kind, sweet, and helpful. The schedule is so completely different from what I\u2019m used to, and quick. My God, they do so much in one day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Slezak received a warm welcome from co-star <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/people\/jane-elliot\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Jane Elliot;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Jane Elliot<\/a> (Tracy Quartermaine), which made her feel instantly at home. \u201cJane was in my dressing room, making sure everything was nice and neat and clean and turning all the lights on,\u201d Slezak relays. \u201cShe said, \u2018Well, I wanted to make it comfortable for you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Although the two hadn\u2019t worked closely before, they had crossed paths in New York. \u201cI had met Jane many years ago,\u201d Slezak shares. \u201cShe came to <em>One Life<\/em> to observe as a director or a producer. I knew who she was, and I went over and introduced myself, and we chatted a little bit. She\u2019s a wonderfully delightful lady. It is amazing that she can play so mean. So, when Frank said, \u2018You\u2019re going to be working a lot with Jane Elliot,\u2019 I went, \u2018Yes, I will do it, because that would be such a treat to work with such a talented, terrific lady.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Elliot wasn\u2019t the only familiar face on set \u2014 Slezak was happy to find herself surrounded by old friends from Llanview, both in front of and behind the camera. \u201cThere are so many people on this show that I know and worked with,\u201d she points out. \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/people\/amanda-setton\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Amanda Setton;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Amanda Setton<\/a> (Brook Lynn Ashton, who played <em>OLTL<\/em>\u2018s Kimberly Andrews), <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/people\/jessica-tuck\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Jessica Tuck;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Jessica Tuck<\/a> (Megan Gordon, <em>OLTL<\/em>] who is observing as a director, and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/people\/lisa-locicero\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Lisa LoCicero;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Lisa LoCicero<\/a> (Olivia Falconeri; Sonia Toledo, <em>OLTL<\/em>), who I worked with. Gary Tomlin (director), M.K. (Weir, producer), and Bruce Cooperman, our cameraman for so long. It\u2019s just a pleasure to look out and see him behind camera one. It makes it more comfortable; it makes me feel at ease.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">She was also delighted to reunite with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/people\/chris-mckenna\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Chris McKenna;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Chris McKenna<\/a> (Jack Brennan), who played her on-screen son, Joey Buchanan. \u201cOh, my Joey. He\u2019s so cute,\u201d she says. \u201cHe was 11 years old when he was my son, and he stayed till he was 15 or 16. And when they broke that I was coming on the show, he texted me, \u2018Oh, my God, Mom, Mom, Mom.\u2019 And I said, \u2018You\u2019ll always be my little Joey.\u2019 And when I saw him, this is a kid who\u2019s six foot something, so handsome, so tall, so beautiful, with a family of his own. It\u2019s really wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While she spent more than 40 years in the ABC daytime lineup, Slezak confesses she wasn\u2019t fully up to speed on what was happening in Port Charles, but someone at home was. \u201cFor all the years I was on <em>One Life<\/em>, we had a monitor in the makeup room, and every time you went in or out, ABC was on,\u201d she explains. \u201cAnd I used to watch <em>General Hospital<\/em> during makeup or whatever, so I knew all the characters. After the show went off the air [in 2012], I didn\u2019t really watch, but my husband, who never ever watched <em>One Life to Live<\/em>, started watching <em>General Hospital<\/em> off and on. About a year ago, I said, \u2018Really, you\u2019re watching <em>GH<\/em>? You never watched <em>One Life to Live<\/em>.\u2019 He said, \u2018Well, I have to find out what\u2019s happening to Sonny (Corinthos, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/people\/maurice-benard\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Maurice Benard;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Maurice Benard<\/a>).\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">When she shared the story with Benard, he got a kick out of it. \u201cHe laughed. I called home the second day I worked with Maurice, and I said, \u2018Brian, he\u2019s a really nice man. Very calm, very gentle. He\u2019s not Sonny at all.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Jane Elliot, Erika Slezak - 'General Hospital'\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"386\" height=\"570\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/IRAvRfAnoxhBtRMO1QJAJA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTEwNDE7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/tv_insider_639\/f3f9700938ab8548d72bd1366b193912\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Jane Elliot, Erika Slezak &#8211; &#8216;General Hospital&#8217;<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Disney\/Bahareh Ritter<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Reflecting on her <em>One Life to Live<\/em> journey, Slezak acknowledges it was an unexpected, but deeply fulfilling experience. \u201cIt was not at all what I thought my career was going to be,\u201d she admits. \u201cI trained in the Royal Academy in England to be in the theater, and that\u2019s how I started for five years. When I got the job on <em>One Life to Live<\/em>, I had never been on television. Once I learned how to work in television, I got quite comfortable with it, and every day was a different script. Every day, there were new people. It was not like being in the theater where you\u2019re doing the same performance eight times a week and you\u2019re working with the same people eight times a week. This was different every single day, so that was very exciting. And the excitement stayed all those years. Every time my contract came up, they said, \u2018You want to stay?\u2019 I went, \u2018Yes, please,\u2019 because I was having such fun. I\u2019m very grateful for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Though she enjoyed stepping back into the daytime world, Slezak isn\u2019t looking to make a full-time return. \u201cIt\u2019s been fun to do it now for three weeks, but I\u2019ll be glad to go home,\u201d she shares. \u201cI was on the air on <em>One Life<\/em> for 42 years, and I had a routine. I knew when to get up in the morning, and I knew what day it was only because I knew what days I was working. And when it stopped, well, every day is Saturday when you\u2019re not working, and it\u2019s a real adjustment to make. So, this is fun to do for a short time. I don\u2019t know that I would want to do it for a longer time, unless it were in New York.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">These days, she\u2019s content right where she is, enjoying the quieter moments of life. \u201cI\u2019ve become kind of lazy,\u201d she muses. \u201cI like being at home. I\u2019m doing all the things that I never really had time to do. I read, I cook, I complain, but I have my family, and I have my dogs and my cat, who\u2019s getting old. All these little things are just part of my normal life now, and I\u2019m happy. So, this was a very nice, different thing, and I will take away lovely, wonderful memories, but I\u2019m happy to be going back to my normal life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong><em>General Hospital<\/em>, Weekdays, ABC<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the latest entertainment news on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvinsider.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:TV Insider;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">TV Insider<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Six-time Daytime Emmy winner Erika Slezak returns to soaps today in a new mystery role on General Hospital. Best known for her four-decade run as One Life to Live\u2018s Victoria Lord Buchanan, Slezak wasn\u2019t actively seeking a daytime comeback, but a call from GH\u2018s executive producer, Frank Valentini \u2014 who previously helmed OLTL \u2014 changed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2052286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[364768,344203,32260,371301,381249,313623,381251,381250],"class_list":["post-2052285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-erika-slezak","tag-frank-valentini","tag-general-hospital","tag-jane-elliot","tag-joey-buchanan","tag-maurice-benard","tag-oltl","tag-victoria-lord-buchanan"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/First-Look-at-Erika-Slezaks-Daytime-Return-on-\u2018General-Hospital.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2052285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2052285"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2052285\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2052286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2052285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2052285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2052285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}