Basic Hospital sees daytime legend Erika Slezak is coming to GH. In the event you watched One Life to Reside, you already know her as Victoria Lord Buchanan. Slezak performed Viki Lord from 1971 all the way in which to the ultimate episode that aired on ABC in 2012 and in addition within the transient on-line reboot in 2013 that didn’t final too lengthy on the internet.
However the huge query is who will Erika play when she involves GH? And we’re questioning if there’s a attainable enormous recast twist concerned. We’re going to speak about whether or not Erika Slezak is enjoying her character or probably a recast of an present character in her brief arc.
Erica Slezak’s Return to Basic Hospital: Will She Play Viki or a Recast Character?
So, the official data on this look got here first from Erika Slezak’s private web site along with her admin posting. Erika has simply knowledgeable me she has signed a brief time period contract with ABC’s Basic Hospital. The message continued with, “Right now, Erika doesn’t know which character she might be enjoying or when her scenes will air however is worked up to be working once more with govt producer Frank Valentini and the forged of GH.”
They usually promised extra particulars to observe. Then the showrunner himself confirmed, and he posted, “I’m thrilled to verify that my expensive good friend and former One Life to Reside colleague Erika Slezak will seem on Basic Hospital this fall.” And Frank Valentini added, “Keep tuned and maintain watching as we put together to introduce one other daytime legend to Port Charles.”
Fan Theories: Lulu Spencer, Viki Lord, and a Attainable Monica Quartermaine Recast
So, clearly, longtime ABC cleaning soap followers are hoping Erika is coming to Port Charles as her Llanview character. And there was a bit little bit of a form of a a hope about that for a number of months now as a result of when Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins Bruening) woke from her coma and began reviving her journalism profession, she was pursuing a place on the Llanview Banner with Victoria Lord Buchanan as her editor, and that’s what she’s doing now.
So, in fact, with Lulu working for Viki properly, that character is the obvious alternative. Nevertheless, we’re additionally questioning since they launched it as a query mark, if Erika might as an alternative be enjoying a recast character, probably Monica Quartermaine (Leslie Charleson), to offer the character an exit story. Simply as a body of reference, Erika and Leslie are solely a yr aside in age. So, it really works.
Erika Slezak’s Legacy: Daytime Emmy Wins and Iconic Victoria Lord Storylines
We’re going to speak about it extra in a minute, however regardless of who she’s enjoying on Basic Hospital, Erika Slezak was completely superb on One Life to Reside. It’s possible you’ll know that she received six daytime Emmys for excellent lead actress through the years enjoying Victoria Lord Buchanan.
She received in 1984, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1996, and 2005. Erika holds the file, in actual fact, for many lead actress daytime Emmy wins. Superb. So, and all well-deserved, in fact. So, maybe, you already know, Viki’s finest and most memorable storyline on One Life to Reside to me, and you could have a distinction of opinion, was her dissociative identification dysfunction.
Remembering Victoria Lord’s DID Storyline on One Life to Reside
The DID storyline, it went on for fairly some time and the DID story has been carried out on a whole lot of soaps, however I really feel like on OLTL it was carried out proper. Erika performed it so fantastically as Viki’s DID got here and went, you already know, it was on and off. Simply when she thought she had beat it, a number of of her altars would come again. Viki had a number of altars who would take over her life and do issues, huge issues that Viki didn’t keep in mind.
In the event you watched One Life to Reside, it’s possible you’ll recall that one among her altars divorced her husband, Clint Buchanan, as an example. I believe the alter who pulled that was Nikki Smith, who was a promiscuous 22-year-old, who was actually good at fooling folks into considering that she was Viki. Nikki was the altar that we noticed most frequently on OLTL. One other altar was Princess, who was Viki as a traumatized seven-year-old little woman who saved reliving the sexual abuse she suffered by the hands of her father, Victor Lord.
Viki’s Different Alters
Viki’s different altars had been a younger boy named Tommy who would try to shield Princess if I keep in mind appropriately. After which there was Jean Randolph who took care of the opposite altars and Tori Lord who later turned out to be the one who murdered Victor in 1976 however it turned out he had survived after which he lastly died for actual in 2003. And bizarrely her father Victor Lord was her ultimate alter.
The dangerous man who brought about Viki’s did within the first place was mockingly an alter. And that alter tried to persuade Viki to kill herself. Horrible. It was a fascinating storyline. And should you don’t keep in mind, Viki died and was revived thrice. Every time she went to heaven earlier than being introduced again to Llanview.
Precedents and Prospects: Llanview Characters on Basic Hospital
Now she’s headed to Port Charles. The actress possibly or possibly not the character. They haven’t confirmed who she might be, however you already know, this wouldn’t be the first time as a result of Frank Valentini introduced in Blair Kramer from Llanview for a few episodes in 2023. Earlier than that, Norah Buchanan had three episodes in 2019, and there had been some earlier after which there was that complete Prospect Park lawsuit.
So, it’s not unprecedented to have Llanview residents pop up. However to this point, we don’t know for sure who Erika might be enjoying. And whereas most individuals most likely that watched One Life to Reside hope that she might be Viki Lord, and that does appear more than likely, I’ll say that.
The Monica Quartermaine Query: May Erica Slezak Present a Dramatic Exit?
However we additionally marvel if there could be a twist. As it’s possible you’ll recall, longtime GH actress Leslie Charleston handed away in January of this yr. However her character, Monica Quartermaine, continues to be alive. She’s in in poor health well being. She’s talked about at times Leslie final appeared as Monica in 2023.
And in some unspecified time in the future, Basic Hospital has to write down out Monica and acknowledge Leslie Charleson’s character loss of life in some way. So, that has me questioning if they might recast Monica for an enormous dramatic and unhappy exit storyline. A few actresses previously subbed in for Leslie when she had well being points.
And you already know, they may do it once more. They may usher in Erika for a brief arc to play Monica to offer her a really dramatic exit loss of life scenes with the household. We do comprehend it’s only for a brief arc within the fall. And once more, Erika could possibly be Viki. Is smart. But when they’re going to recast Monica Quartermaine for exit scenes, Erica Slezak could be an excellent alternative as a result of, you already know, she slipped out and in of enjoying Viki and all these altars seamlessly.
So clearly she may play Monica. So the showrunners could be plotting an enormous exit for Monica Q, recasting her with daytime royalty whereas nonetheless honoring Leslie Charleston. I believe it could possibly be carried out very respectfully. And Erika Slezak is coming this fall. So, you already know, possibly Monica will get a November sweeps epic exit storyline. You recognize, a recast performed Monica in 2018 when Leslie Charleston suffered a leg harm. That was Patty McCormack. After which in 2022, for one episode, they introduced in Holly Kaplan to play her when Leslie couldn’t. So, it’s not outdoors the realm of risk to have a recast to play out Monica’s ultimate scenes.
Fan Expectations vs. Showrunner Intentions: What’s Subsequent for Basic Hospital?
On one hand, ABC cleaning soap followers would probably want to see Erika Slezak as her Llanview character, Viki Lord. However however, Basic Hospital followers need closure on Monica Q and to see her correctly laid to relaxation. And if they’re going to recast Monica for one ultimate story, I believe Erika Slezak is a good alternative, however it may rub followers the mistaken approach. We’ll see.
We additionally know Frank Valentini actually doesn’t care what followers need as a result of if he did, Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco) could be alive and Drew Cain Quartermaine (Cameron Mathison) could be lifeless. So, we’ll drop extra particulars about Erika Slezak’s GH debut as data comes out.