Copyright Parade
Key Points Erika Slezak hesitated to join "General Hospital," questioning her ability after years away from acting. She struggled with fast-paced scenes and long monologues but adapted within a week. Slezak reunited with former "One Life to Live" co-stars and hinted at a possible return to the show. Soap legend Erika Slezak is opening up about what almost kept her from her brief stint on General Hospital. The actress just wrapped her run as Monica’s (Leslie Charleson) long-lost sister, Ronnie, on the ABC soap. Ronnie was brought in to help the show pay tribute to Charleson with Monica’s memorial. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 It turns out, though, Slezak didn’t immediately jump at the chance because she had one major concern. Erika Slezak Makes Candid Confession About Soap Return Speaking with People magazine, Slezak admitted she wondered if she could still do the soap thing. After all, Slezak stepped back from acting when One Life to Live went off the air in 2013. “I thought, ‘Wow, can I still do this?’” she shared, adding that her son Mason asked her the same question. Despite declaring to her son, “Yeah, why would I not be able to? I mean, I used to do it every day,’” she quickly learned that both her and her son were right to worry. The pace on soaps was fast 12 years ago when Slezak was doing multiple shows a week. However, it’s even quicker today, and that took some getting used to for the soap legend. Slezak struggled with the monologues she had on General Hospital. “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,’” the actress spilled. It took about a week for Slezak to find her groove, and boy, did she deliver. Slezak was phenomenal in every scene, especially when she was reunited with her One Life to Live co-stars like Amanda Setton (Brook Lynn), Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis), Josh Kelly (Cody), and Chris McKenna (Jack). Erika Slezak Has More One Life to Live Reunions The soap legend made the most of her time filming in Los Angeles by catching up with some old friends. Slezak lives a low-key life in Connecticut, so she doesn’t get to see her One Life to Live family as much. As Parade reported, Slezak had a heartfelt reunion with Roger Howarth and Tuc Watkins. Howarth is currently filming his new role on The Young and the Restless in LA, while Watkins lives there with his two kids. Related: ‘General Hospital’ Star Shares ‘Magical Moment’ Blooper Amid ‘One Life to Live’ Reunion on Show Slezak also met up with one of her former on-screen husbands, Mark Derwin, who played Ben Davidson on One Life to Live. “I had dinner one night with Mark and his very long-term partner, Toni, who I’d never met before. I’ve always loved Mark; Mark and I got along so well, and I loved working with him. We enjoyed the work we did together [as Viki and Ben] so much. So, it was a pleasure to see him, even though I talked to Toni most of the time in the restaurant!” she told Soap Opera Digest. Slezak may have wondered if she could still be in the soap game, but she proved beyond a shadow of a doubt she’s still got it. The good thing is General Hospital fans may not have seen the last of her or Ronnie as Slezak hinted at a possible return. General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC.
