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Erika Slezak Shared Concern with Frank Valentini That She Wasn’t Being Asked to Come to ‘General Hospital’ to Replace Leslie Charleson

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: ABC

What a treat it is for daytime soap fans to see the one and only Erika Slezak, back on our screens after 41 years as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live, on ABC’s General Hospital.

Now that its clear that the six-time Daytime Emmy winner is playing Monica Quartermaine’s younger sister (that no one ever heard about before), Veronica “Ronnie Bard, it put her smack dab in the middle of the story with another icon, Jane Elliot (Tracy Quartermaine)!

In a new video shared by the official General Hospital You Tube channel and social channels, the series take you behind the scenes with Erika on the set of the long-running soap opera along with some clips from her scenes that have aired thus far.

Photo: ABC

During it, Slezak speaks to how when she was asked by GH executive producer and her former EP at One Life to Live, Frank Valentini to come to GH to play a role; she didn’t want it to be replacing Monica as played by the late Leslie Charleson.

Erika expressed, “When Frank asked me to come here, I said, ‘I’m not going to replace Leslie?’ He said, “No, no, no.” And that’s nice, because it’s wrapping up Monica’s story. I think she (Leslie) would be pleased with it. I hope she would be.”

Photo: ABC

As for sharing the stage with Elliot, Erika shared, “It is such fun to be here with a lot of the actors that I’ve worked with before, actors that I had never worked with before, like Jane Elliot, who is this the Queen! She’s just fantastic and we’ve had a lot of scenes together, which is lovely.”

Coming in as the newbie to the cast, even someone such as TV veteran, Erika Slezak, she found everyone in Port Charles to be pretty friendly, especially bumping into a lot of familiar faces from One Life to Live including, Josh Kelly (Cody), Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis), Chris McKenna (Brennan) and Jessica Tuck (who is now a director at GH). “The first day I thought, ‘Okay, I know so and so,’ but everybody became my friend like right away. Everybody has been lovely, and working with these actors has been an absolute joy.

Photo: JPI

Speaking to the fast-pace of taping GH, and how that format involves playing scenes that may happen out of order and in different episodes, Erika expressed, “The schedule is so different for what I’m used to. You jump back and forth and back and forth, from one script to 12 scripts later. It’s something you just have to get used to. I’m still kind of going, uh, what day is it?”

Check out the “Erika Slezak Joining General Hospital” video below.

Then, let us know, are you glad that GH did not recast the part of Monica with Erika Slezak, but instead made her the sister know one ever knew about it? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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LMFAO ES was eyeing LC Monica last year . She flat out said in a interview that she could see herself temporary replacing LC as Monica while she recovered. FV should of never wait 8 months to address LC Monica death. Just to coincide with the arrival of ES. 5 decided of LC & she was reduced to a day player at her own funeral. Sorry but ES was not need.

Being a temporary replacement while the original recovers is very different than replacing the original after her death.

I’m not sure I understand your point but no, Erika Slezak was never eyeing the role of Monica. It’s rather an unfair statement.

This grammar in this word salad is painful to read.

So disrespectful to Leslie Charleston, Erika Slezak, and Frank Valentini.and all GH fans.

He waited to plan it too. As a fan of the vets I do appreciate it. I don’t think the memorial was perfect but when you rush it could be so much worse.

No one can replace Leslie. But great to have Erika Slezak back on daytime. Lots of fun with an attempted murder, long lost sister and the reading of a will.

Stories are plotted in advance and can not be changed quickly. Waiting for the tribute to Leslie was not disrespectful they waited until it could be done right and I think they did a good job..Erika has added a great new layer to the story and the actors and writers and Frank have done great work..

The Qs were involved in multiple storylines all year. The needed to get to a logical break point so they could devote proper time to Monica’s passing (and its aftermath).

It would’ve been disrespectful if they squeezed it between other front burner (Michael’s recovery, Drew’s shenanigans, and Gio’s parentage) storylines.

Erika Slezak has been wonderful to watch again. A pro.

Love this development. This story is reinvigorating legacy and giving new excitement to GH.

The will is a fake; time will tell the real will is yet to be read–That is the story and the exit of Ronny-

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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ethan is Rocked at News of Delilah; Is Baby Phoebe His Child?

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The return story of Ethan Lovett (Nathan Dean began to unpeel itself on all new episodes of General Hospital, when on Tuesday May 5, he is seen on the pier talking on his phone and clearly calling a woman named “Delilah,” and in what seems like concern for her, tells her on voicemail, “you need to show up.”

As viewers know, Delilah (played by Lily Cardone) was the pregnant woman that Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) found on the side of a road and managed to get her to the hospital. Once at GH, Delilah died, but her baby was born. Brook Lynn and Chase then went to efforts to become the little one’s foster parents, since no other family ties for the baby girl have been found.

Their happiness at finally having a child, may be very short-lived. First, Brook Lynn is a key suspect as the other driver that may have caused the accident that burned and put disfiguring lacerations on Jordan’s (Tanisha Harper) face. At that time, Brook Lynn had a bit of wine with Lucy (Lynn Herring), and had rushed out of the Quartermaine mansion to try to get to Gio’s (Giovanni Mazza) performance with Trina (Tabyana Ali) at the reopening of Charlie’s.

Courtesy/ABC

Fast forward to now. Ethan turns up at the Quartermaines and runs into Brook Lynn and Chase along with baby Phoebe. Brook Lynn introduces Ethan to her husband and then they explain they are foster parents to Phoebe.

Brook Lynn then tells Ethan, that sadly, Phoebe’s mother had died, and all they knew about her was her name: Delilah Wilson. As soon as Brook Lynn mentions Delilah’s name, it’s clear Ethan is stunned, although he tries not to let on anything to Brook Lynn and Chase. Previously, Brook Lynn told Chase that it was recommended to her that they try to search on their own for Phoebe’s family. Well, is this her dad starring her in the face?

All this begging the questions: What is Ethan’s relationship to the deceased Delilah? Were they working on some kind of con together? Were they in love? Is Ethan the biological baby-daddy to Phoebe, which would really throw a wrench into Brook Lynn and Chase’s dreams of starting their own family? And, will all of this dovetail into Michael’s plan to get Chase and Willow to hit the sheets? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Brennan’s Eyes Are Opened About Carly and Valentin, Josslyn Finds Herself Locked Up Like Anna

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In a pivotal episode of General Hospital, Monday, May 4 finally blew the lid off of Brennan/Carly/Valentin and showed off Josslyn’s super spy prowess, and Cassius dark side all in one fell swoop!

Here’s what went down: Brennan (Chris McKenna) went ballistic after catching Carly (Laura Wright) after hitting the sheets, only he didn’t know (yet) with whom. The Port Charles WSB Bureau Chief goes in on Carly wanting to know who is it that she is sleeping with.  After his angry demand, Carly tells Jack to “turn around.” Thus, revealing Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) as the other man, who is holding a gun pointed straight at Jack.

Initially, Jack thinks Valentin played Carly due to their vendetta, but au contraire! Jack gets an earful about how Carly flew to Steinmauer posing as his attorney. When Jack tried to understand why Carly would betray him in such a way, Carly spelled it out for him.

Coutesy/ABC

Next, Carly let Jack have it for his lies and duplicity about her daughter, Josslyn (Eden McCoy). She knows that Jack recruited Josslyn into the WSB, preying on her grief over Dex’s death to get her to murder Cyrus Renault. Carly adds, you tuned my daughter, “into a lying, murdering spy, like you!” In tears, Carly told Jack that Josslyn will never be the same, because of what he did to her.

SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY AND LIVING TO TELL ABOUT IT

Jack realized, Carly was the one behind getting Valentin’s transfer from Steinmauser. Now on the attack, Jack told Carly she will wind up in prison for aiding and abetting a fugitive. He tells her that Valentin will grab his daughter, Charlotte and disappear, and when that happens he won’t lift a finger to save her, in fact, (he throws in for good measure) that she might get lucky and thrown into a pit with Jason.

Valentin told Jack that if he didn’t help them, he will turn him over to Cullum, who he knows is a double agent and would like nothing better than to make Jack the fall guy for all of his own crimes. Jack apologized to Carly for lying to her, said he still loves her, but that he wonders how long it will be before Valentin betrays her too.

After the scenes aired, Chris McKenna took to X and shared, “And after we finished the last scene I ran over to Laura Wright and hugged her, and then pulled in James Patrick Stuart too. Thrilled to have that material with those legends. Hope you dig it.”

Courtesy/ABC

JOSSLYN LANDS IN A SLEEPER HOLD

In addition, Josslyn and Cassius (Ryan Paevey) had literally, a knock down drag out fight. First, after Cassius grabbed her arm as she was set to leave her apartment, he told her he knew she was WSB! Joss suggested that “Nathan” must be traumatized from years of being presumed dead. She grabs a candlestick and the two go at it complete with kicks, shoves, throws and all; leading to Cassius putting Joss in a version of the sleeper hold and making her pass out.

Later, Cassius calls for Sidwell (Carlo Rota), but speaks to Pascal (Marc Forget), that there is an issue that needs to be dealt with. At the end of the episode, Josslyn wakes up in the same room that Anna was driven crazy in which must be somewhere at Wyndemere, Cassius is seen looking through the one-sided window and we fade to black.

So, what did you think of the Carly and Valentin reveal to Brennan? Did Carly come out the victor in her payback to Brennan? Then, who do you think will figure out Josslyn is kidnapped? Will it be Brennan? Will he help her or use it as leverage against Valentin and Carly? Share your theories in the comment section.

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How ‘General Hospital’s’ Ned and Lois Love Story Moved Rosabel Kurth, Daughter of Wally Kurth and Rena Sofer, to Tears and Served as Inspiration

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In a case of life imitating art, literally, Rosabel Rosalind Kurth, the daughter of Wally Kurth (Ned, GH and Justin, DAYS) and Rena Sofer (Lois, GH) took to her Instagram over the weekend to share her emotional reaction to watching her now divorced parents real life love story play out on General Hospital; beginning in the early 90s when on-screen Ned and Lois were one of the “It’ couples of the show.

As Rosalind explained, it was the Lois and Ned’s love story that impacted her so much that it fueled one of her latest art projects. Here’s the backstory: Rena Sofer and Wally Kurth were married in 1995 after being in story on GH. They had Rosabel in 1996, before divorcing in 1997. The two had gone their separate ways for many years, and in 2023 resumed working together on-screen as exes Lois Cerullo and Ned Quartermaine on General Hospital.

Here’s what Rosabel shared in her post, “In 1993 Rena, my mom, was cast on General Hospital to play Lois Cerulo, a spunky band manager and romantic opposite to Eddie Maine (aka Ned Ashton) played by Wally, my dad. As Ned and Lois fell in love, so did Wally and Rena, following relationship milestones close behind the work of the script-writers. Until Wally and Rena got pregnant with Rosie, me, and the scriptwriters had to write in a new pregnancy and eventually a new character.”

Photo: WKurthIG

Rosabel continued the real-life back story, “My mom left the show to have me, and shortly after the love story stopped writing itself my parents divorced. For 27 years my mom and my dad had minimal contact at best, tense contact at worst… until 2023 when Rena was recast to return as Lois on General Hospital to help Eddie (Ned) with identity recall after a bout of amnesia.”

Next, Rosabel revealed the key scene between Lois and Eddie (Ned) in which she noticed it also seemed like a breakthrough moments for her parents, “Two years ago, at 27 years old, I turned on General Hospital to watch Lois and Eddie rehash the past, but what I really watched was Rena and Wally having a conversation, making eye contact and even smiling at each other in the same room at the same time. When I turned on this episode of GH I didn’t know that I’d get to see a flashback sequence encapsulating Lois and Ned’s entire love story in under 2 minutes and I certainly didn’t know it would move me to tears the way it did.”

The art project the talented Rosabel is working on she shared is called, “The Honeymoon Period.” It is the first part of what she imagines to be a years-long investigation of love and fantasy through the lens of my parents’ scripted romance.  Kurth added, “I’m still gathering the courage and figuring out what this body of work will look like, how it will affect my relationships, and how I will share it with you all in the end and in the meantime.”

Photo: JPI

As a proud mama, Rena Sofer jumped into the comment thread and expressed, “Awwwww my love!!! I love this journey for you both as an artist and a daughter!! You are so lucky to have all of this on tape to watch and experience for yourself!! And equally as lucky to have your mother and father here to guide you through any questions that may come up!! I am immensely proud of you!”  As soap fans know, Rena is also an artist having been making ceramics, pottery and the like.

You can watch the montage of Ned and Lois scenes below in Rosabel’s touching post below.

Now let us know, was Lois and Ned’s love story one of your all-time favorites on General Hospital? Are you glad that Rena and Wally got some closure from their 2023 reunion on-screen? What do you think of the artistic talents of Rosabel Rosalind? Let us know via the comment section below.

 

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A post shared by Rosabel (@rosabelrosalind)

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