Erika Slezak, the six-time Daytime Emmy winner best known for playing Victoria “Viki” Lord on One Life to Live, is officially returning to daytime television with a new role on ABC’s General Hospital.
The move, confirmed publicly by General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini, marks Slezak’s first significant soap stint in more than a decade and instantly became one of the biggest casting headlines in the genre this year.
At the time the news broke, the show kept key specifics under wraps—most notably who she would be playing and exactly when viewers would see her on screen—only confirming that the deal was short-term and that Slezak would appear later in the year.
What we know about her role in Port Charles
As the rollout continued, later reporting identified Slezak’s character as Veronica “Ronnie” Bard and tied her storyline to the Quartermaine family—an approach that gives her immediate stakes inside one of General Hospital’s most important legacy circles.
People’s later coverage also described the arc as a meaningful, contained run rather than a permanent contract, while still leaving the door open for a possible return depending on story needs and Slezak’s availability.
Why this casting is a big deal in soap history
Slezak isn’t just another familiar face—she’s one of the defining performers of modern American daytime drama. She became synonymous with One Life to Live across more than four decades, building Viki Lord into one of the most recognized characters in soap opera.
Her awards record is equally rare: multiple outlets note her six Daytime Emmy wins for Lead Actress, a level of recognition that places her in the top tier of daytime performers.
The reunion angle: Frank Valentini and the OLTL connection
A big part of the story is the behind-the-scenes reunion. Valentini previously worked with Slezak during the One Life to Live era, and his confirmation of her General Hospital casting framed the move as a return to a familiar creative partnership—one that long-time soap fans immediately understood as intentional, not random.
This is also why the announcement landed as more than stunt casting: it reads like a deliberate effort to give Slezak material worthy of her stature, while also plugging her into a world where legacy characters and long arcs are the point.
What Slezak has said about coming back
In a later interview, Slezak described returning to soaps as both emotional and surprisingly energizing—particularly because the format demands speed, focus, and heavy memorization, even for someone with her experience.
She also spoke about enjoying the cast environment and the way General Hospital incorporated nods and familiarity without making the storyline feel like a gimmick.
What fans should expect
General Hospital has not treated Slezak’s arrival as a quiet cameo. The character placement and the secrecy around rollout details signal that the show wanted her entrance to feel like an event—something that triggers story movement rather than simply serving as fan service.
