It was finally revealed in the September 29 episode of General Hospital that One Life to Live legend Erika Slezak’s mysterious role is that of Monica Quartermaine’s secret sister, Veronica “Ronnie” Bard. Having played the part of OLTL’s Victoria “Viki” Lord for more than four decades, Slezak cemented herself as daytime royalty, earning six Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress along the way. Now, as she embraces the opportunity to portray a new character, Slezak is sharing the screen with GH legend Jane Elliot, whose Tracy does not approve of Ronnie’s appearance in town one bit. Immediately upon her arrival in Port Charles, newcomer Ronnie went toe-to-toe with the default Quartermaine matriarch, setting the stage for a storyline between Monica’s past and present that promises to get more intense as the weeks unfold.
Bring It On
Telling TV Insider that she worked with Elliot quite often during her three-week visit to GH, Slezak raved, “Jane is a master class in acting. Every time she steps on the set, she is remarkable.”
The two actresses have known each other for decades, going back to when Elliot worked on several of the network’s East Coast soaps in between GH runs. So, when Slezak’s former OLTL boss, Frank Valentini — currently GH’s executive producer — offered her the top-secret role and shared that one of her primary screen partners would be Elliot, she was all-in. “I went, ‘Yes, I will do it, because that would be such a treat, to work with such a talented, terrific lady,’ ” Slezak explained.
Ronnie and Tracy got off on the wrong foot when the former was found trespassing by the latter in the family crypt. That initial altercation was just the first of many to come, Slezak teased. “Ronnie is constantly confronted by Tracy, who just won’t let it go,” previewed the actress.
Pointing out the differences between her OLTL alter ego and her new character, Slezak shared that while socialite Viki was a “confident and strong” woman, Ronnie doesn’t come from the same privileged financial background and is definitely out of her element around the wealthy Quartermaines. “Ronnie is so out of her depth and doesn’t know what the hell’s going on when she steps into this town,” shared the actress. “It’s all she can do to sort of hold on and not let Tracy bully her around.”
Slezak added that Elliot even made a joke about the friction between their characters, which kicked off with Tracy’s “appallingly awful” behavior in the mausoleum. “Jane said, ‘That’s the only reason you’re here, so I can be mean to you for three weeks.’ ”
Slezak joined the cast of OLTL in 1971 when she took over the role of Viki (played first by Gillian Spencer, then briefly by Joanne Dorian) and went on to play the beloved matriarch through the soap’s final ABC episode in 2012. The actress also carried her role over to OLTL’s short-term online reboot in 2013, and while she’s appeared in a handful of film and television roles in the dozen years since, GH marks her return to the medium that made her a cherished star. “It’s a different character completely and delightful to play,” she enthused about Ronnie. “She has a lot of levels.”
According to a post on her official website, ErikaSlezak.com, the actress has already wrapped her GH run, and her Sept. 26 debut was also her last day in Los Angeles.
