News
Erika Slezak Posts Annual Holiday Letter! Shares Heartfelt Words On Turbulent Times Of Revival's Of OLTL & AMC!
Courtesy/ABC
You may need a hankie for this one, folks, because it comes from the icon of One Life to Live, Erika Slezak! Today, Erika posted her 2013 holiday letter on her website, which has become an annual tradition for her fan club. In the 2013 version, the six-time Daytime Emmy winner addresses the hopes and the despair we all went through with the revivals of One Life to Live and All My Children online and the sad quick ending, that as of now has left both shows shelved.
What made this letter so poignant is that Erika shared how wonderful it was to be back with her OLTL family again, and stepping into the shoes of Viki, even if for a very short time. Erika also pays tribute to the fans for making this all possible in the first place. Read Erika’s letter below, that we are sure long time fans of Llanview will want to check out!
ERIKA: “Dear Friends: Well, this year has certainly been one of ups and downs; we started last January with such high hopes for the revivals of One Life to Live and All My Children and things seemed to be going so well when we started production in March. Unfortunately we produced only 8 weeks of shows, and then everything fell apart. Our boss, Jeff Kwatinetz, is still trying to bring both shows back, but personally I think that will be a very difficult feat to pull off. As things stand now, production on both shows has been shut down, so there will be no more OLTL or AMC, at least not in the near future. But we never give up hope! In any case, I loved being back at OLTL; I loved being back with all my friends on the show and we had a wonderful time although it was short lived. Still, I am very grateful for that brief opportunity to have played Viki once more.
Personally my life has been very busy and very good. It’s wonderful to be home and enjoy all the pleasures of home life. I am hoping that in the next year I will be able to find work elsewhere but if that doesn’t happen right away, I will be grateful for what I had.
Once again, I want thank Walter Miller for his unflagging support and for keeping this little club afloat. I also want to thank AJ, Kit Williams and Stephen Schofield. Walter and Stephen spent a lot of time in correspondence with Jennifer Pepperman, our most recent producer, and were invaluable in assisting her with photos and background information on OLTL and Victoria Lord. And in particular, I would like to thank all of you for your incredible support during our online phase. This would never have come about if it hadn’t been for you, and the entire cast and crew of OLTL is extremely grateful.
I wish all of you a very happy and healthy holiday season and all good wishes for the New Year. We never know what the future holds, so perhaps I will see you all again from the screen or the stage or wherever. Merry Christmas! With Love, Erika”
What did you think about how Erika shared her excitement and disappointment at the ups and downs of bringing OLTL back from the dead if not for just a short time? What would you like to see Erika do next, if playing Viki on OLTL is no longer an option? What were your thoughts when you read her letter? Comment below!
Such a classy lady and I can see her on The Bold & The Beautiful as a Forrester relative or maybe a cousin of Stephanie & Pam. Just wishful casting!
I always thought ABC was nuts to let her go. How many Emmys and how big a following? She’s be a natural for an American remake of the British show New Tricks or a judge/attorney on one of its many crime shows. Sad.
I always thought she kinda resembles Susan Flannery!
she’s a class act. I adore her. ….and I miss her and OLTL
Me Too!!!
Beautifully written letter.
It was wonderful to have OLTL back, even if for a short time, better then not at all.
(( life is not always fair ))
“Life is not always fair”? Um, you act as though Miss Slezak was whining or complaining when she was actually being the gracious class act that she is.
Thank you Miss Suooo for that insensitive comment.
su0000000 – still the master of defending ABC and Ron and sniping at OLTL stars and fans.
Love you too Erika…
Your class and dignity (and some great acting skills) always brought me enjoyment.
I miss seeing your TV family every day and even watch OLTL 2.0 on HuluPlus.
I’m not giving up hope for your return.
Thanks for all the memories.
There is only one solution to this problem… OPRAH!!! She has a network, connections, money, and she is a soap fan. Our soaps never belonged on the internet.. they belong on t.v.! Even if you made them a half hr. each… they belong on a network. Let’s all make a plea to Oprah to revive our precious soaps the old fashioned way and put them on her network!!! PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASE Oprah! We miss them!
I don’t think these soaps are dead. We have to many fans who expressing their loyalty and now believe more see how valuable they really are. Really believe its not over and we need to keep reminding networks this too. don’t watch anything were they should and did have soaps. Networks need to see how valuable they are.
I would be thrilled and so proud to see Erika both onstage and onscreen. So sad that OLTL is gone again… but if Jeff K can pull off the seemingly impossible, truly, power to him. Until then look sharp entertaiment industry-there is a superb amount of talent here.
I will follow Erika, Kassie and most of the OLTLers anywhere, but I’m still hoping for more Llanview.
Such a wonderful lady miss the soaps every day. I cancelled Hulu and am so sad. I heard that Opeah was interviewing the soaps stars. Do you know a date and time for that .
I think Erika is pure class and style. I look forward to seeing her in her next venture.
She truly is the classiest woman out there. Love her, and hope that I can see her lighting up the screen again soon. Whether it be online, daytime, prime-time or big screen.
Erika is such class. I miss OLTL, sad to think it may never live again.
OLTL and the uber- talented, Erika Slezak are the best. PP WAS DISAPPOINTING to be sure. However, cast and crews gave it their all.
For a long time I have thought that Erika Slezak and Robin Strasser should do the Neil Simon stage play “The Odd Couple” the female version. I see Erika as Olive Madison and Robin as Florence Ungar. If I was rich, I would put my money up for that!(if they were willing)
I would love to see them together on stage in either a comedy or a drama.
That’s a really good idea.
Such a lovely lady!!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Erika!!!
I’m dry-eyed, but that was a great letter. Like alot of the OLTL and AMC actors, she’s walking the fine line between having hope that the shows will be revived again some day, and realizing how slim those chances are. That’s not an easy position to be in and it doesn’t erase the fact that right now, the shows are not in production and she’s out of a job, like alot of her colleagues. I wish her well and hope we will see her again on our screens again soon.
Erica, you and the rest of the cast of OLTL will be so missed,I pray the show comes back and if not it has been a great ride growing up with you all. XOXO
Erika is a class act. She always has been and always will be.
DITTO!
Cast erika slezak as the new dina abbott , on the young and the restless. she would be great as dina.
That is lovely idea, ricardo. I like it, but would such a New Yorker/East Coaster relocate to LA? Still, I wonder if a short-term front-burner storyline for the Dina Abbott character is possible… perhaps a secret terminal lillness and she returns to Genoa City to make amends with her children, or to drop a bombshell secret on the city’s upper crust that shifts alliances somehow?
My hunch is Miss Slezak will be on the Broadway or off-Broadway stage. She would be a delight to see on the boards.
It was a dear letter she penned to us. I miss ONE LIFE TO LIVE and her character, the grace for the program all these years. Even at its lowest times, Miss Slezak and her alter ego Viki shone brightly.
I personally think it’s time to say good bye to AMC and OLTL as we knew them. PP will never be able to run them on a long term basis. The only who can is ABC but they don’t want to have anything to do with daytime soaps except for GH.
I would like ABC to get the rights back from both soaps and merged them into a weekly primetime series with key actors of both shows. Llanview and Pine Valley are sister towns in PA. They would very well blend into an unified TV show. It would something like Revenge or Nashville which are quite successful.
PP was creating a soap opera for TOLN and when AMC and OLTL were canceled PP took them over instead of creating their own soap..
Perhaps they will gather actors from both the soaps and continue on with creating the soap they were working on.. 🙂
I’m grateful for the many decades of both soaps that had ..
all things come to an end, even or lives on earth will end..
OMG, suoooooooo, that is sooooooo profound.
It’s one thing to lay down and die of old age, but in OLTL’s case they were MURDERED at their peak. I’m not grateful for that AT’ALL.
Llanview and Pine Valley are sister cities in PA. Port Charles is in NY. In any event, let the AMC/OLTL characters be on GH! But things need to be worked out.
Yes would love to see her on bold and beautiful too but will always be oltl for me
Thank you Erika for this beautiful letter and for always being such a beautiful and gracious lady. We miss you and the entire OLTL family.
Love her and still hoping both iconic soaps return. They deserve it. Erika is definitely a class act! Adore her!
As always a class act , I hope and pray we will see her back as Vicky and both shows will live on !
Yes, I had tears while reading Erika’s lovely letter. I love and admire this woman so much, and it truly hurts my heart to think we will not see her playing Viki anymore. I’m still holding onto the hope that someday OLTL and AMC will be back in production, and that we’ll be able to enjoy and appreciate all the hard work that the talented cast and crew on both shows are known for. Merry Christmas Erika!
Always a treasure to hear her thoughts. Thank you so very much Erika
Wish I could seen those episodes…secretly wished Oprah would have picked up those shows…sure would have boosted ratings for all!!!!
W-O-W…a totally beautiful and heartfelt letter!!!!! Thank You Miss Erika…you will ALWAYS BE A CLASS ACT in my book!!!!! Good Luck to you in all of your future endeavors!!!!!!
Peace.
Is there anybody better than Erika Slezak? She is one of a kind. A great actress, graceful lady, and major team player. ABC needs to do some serious soul-searching and admit they made a big mistake and bring Erika and One Life to Live back to ABC where they belong!
Dearest Erika,
Words cannot express how thankful I am for the joy you and the other Llanview residents have given me for more than 40 years. I was blessed to have OLTL in my life since the age of 8!!! I will NEVER forget the years of your lives you all gave to bring OLTL into my home and family. It was such FUN :o)
Sincerely and with much Gratitude,
Phyliss
I could cry all night. I think of the last few episodes of OLTL in Jan. 2012 & am still just absolutely floored that the show was ripped away from us in the middle of such fantastic stories-there was so much to look forward to. My days have never been the same without my Llanview friends. Love Erika & everyone else from the show. Miss you all.
As always, very gracious. She is such an awesome lady, inside and out. I hope to see her again on OLTL soon!
Ms. Slezak is wonderful and her letter, like her interviews over the years, addresses everything with intelligence and class. She and Viki Buchanan have meant so much to me over the years. I really, really, hope someone again rewards the cast, crew, and fans of these two incredible shows with another, permanent resurrection. What’s happened is baffling and painful. Best wishes to Erika and all at AMC and OLTL.
I wish Days would write a part just for her, hopefully a long term front burner one. She could play a heroine or villain-perhaps a nemesis of Stephano. Too much talent for one of the other soaps not to pick her up. The tragedy is OLTL should never have been cancelled, I will never get over it. THE ABC BOYCOTT CONTINUES!
Maybe they can bring one more new soap back and have all the people from both shows in it!
I dearly loved Erika (Vicki) I will miss OLTL and AMC terriably.Fingers crossed that someday we will see the permanant return of our iconic soap operas.
you can feel the love coming thru her words in the letter – such a gracious woman!
She is so classy there just isn’t anyone like her on daytime anymore
Maybe Erika could come on GH… As a different character or not. She will always be Viki to me! Erika was always my #1 favorite on OLTL…RV & RC should put her on GH it would be an added bonus to the show.. That’s just an idea that crossed my mind…I will miss her a lot. She was the heart & soul of OLTL!!!!
Erika: I still miss OLTL and especially “Viki”. I hope that someday OLTL will come back in some form. There are still a lot of fans out there who are waiting for this. I watched OLTL for years, but I have not bothered to get into another soap as OLTL was the only one that I cared to watch. I am still waiting for Viki and Clint’s remarriage…Thanks for sharing the holiday letter with your fans.
The best actress in daytime ever…hands down! Erika is missed! Hello Ron? Hello Frank?? Why not bring her on to GH? She could be Heather’s sister and then she could be Franco’s Aunt and this way she could be back with RH. Imagine the fun of putting her up against the Q’s…there’s so much they can do with her! Just a thought 🙂
I don’t know….. Look what they’ve done to Roger. I want my favorites on TV and in great roles.
She could be more Nikki Smith then Viki 🙂
I believe that there will never be a replacement for the original OLTL, and Vicky.. Erik was the best at what she did, and the original cast made OLTL what I remember.. I am happy the online is over with, it could not meet my standards. I loved to see OLTL brought back on ABC or any network with most of the original cast members.
I so agree…. the online vesion was nothing but an embrassment in my opionion…it only picked up in the last few episode…. just could not stand all the loud techno music in the Shelter scenes.. it just drowned out all the dialogue.
Please ABC do us right and bring them back properly.
I’m ALL for that – those stupid endless “Shelter” scenes were annoying and tried to take the place of true storyline which they did not. I am hoping both One Life to Live and AMC return, somehow, but my secret wish is that ABC will take them back and either present them as half hour programs (Like “Bold and the Beautiful”) or combine them into one show, called Pine Valley or Pineview or Landview or Scooby Doo I don’t care I just want the shows back. I don’t know if I can honestly say I want them in the hands of Prospect Park as I did not think the online inceptions were that enthralling or compelling, but in fairness they weren’t given proper time On-line to truly prove themselves.
She is so wonderful! Classy lady. Still shocked everyday with the soaps that are left on tv while OLTL is gone.
She is a class act all the way! Would watch her on any show she appeared on but would love to see her on General Hospital.
I love her, she was the very best thing about the On-line version of ONE LIFE TO LIVE to me, and brought life to every scene she was in. I don’t think either One Life or ALL MY CHILDREN got a fair chance to find their footing as on-line presentations. I too am hoping against hope that both shows can return (I’m all for combining both shows into one creation since Landview and pine Valley are near each other anyway) – right now, it seems only a dim possibility though.
General Hospital
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
It was just over 13 years ago on General Hospital when Ava Jerome (Maura West) shot and killed Kate Howard/Connie Falconeri (Kelly Sullivan) in an effort to keep her quiet from revealing that Derek Wells was actually Ava’s back-from-the-dead brother, Julian Jerome (William deVry). It’s a crime that somehow Ava never has quite paid for either.
The episode back aired on August 13, 2013 and viewers had to say goodbye to Kelly Sullivan who played Kate and her alter, Connie. In the story, just before she died, Kate/Connie scrawled the letters AJ in her own blood, initially making the PCPD and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) think that it was AJ Quatermaine (Sean Kanan) who did the deed.
Now, Sullivan recalled sharing scenes with the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning West, during a live conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel. Kelly was the special guest talking about her recent return to the soaps in her new role as The Bold and the Beautiful’s Darcy Dylan.
Photo: JPI
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MAURA WEST
Speaking of her final GH scenes and working with Maura West, Sullivan gave her then GH co-star major props. “If you’re going to be shot by somebody (on the soaps), you want to be shot by Maura West, c’mon!”
Maura West debuted back in May 2013 as Ava, and Sullivan remembered when the As the World Turns favorite began on GH. “I remember when Maura West first arrived at GH. She walked in with this cute little bob (hairdo) and she’s just delicious,” shared Sullivan.
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
Kelly revealed more about Maura, adding “I think she’s amazing! I remember right before I left the show, someone suggested, and I would still love to do this with her, if she ever want to, but someone suggested that they wanted to direct the stage play A Streetcar Named Desire with Maura and I, where I would play Stella and she would play Blanche! Wouldn’t that be great?”
Speaking of the Ava/Connie showdown scenes, Sullivan expressed, “On television and on General Hospital specifically, Maura West is able to play a character who does the most horrendous things and you still care about her and that’s the mark of a really great actor. In other words, you’re able to be liked in the midst of the most horrendous things, and as a performer not shying away from that, and to just have the courage to do what’s on the page (in the script).”
Photo: JPI
KELLY SULLIVAN PARTING THOUGHTS AS SHE LEFT GENERAL HOSPITAL
Kelly also shared her sentiments when she walked off the set of General Hospital after her run back in August of 2013. “I really was honored. Every day I would go to work and I would say a little prayer, which is I want to do justice for my character, explained Kelly. “It’s between me and my character. I get to walk this path with her and to leave the show on that note, which is, I left every out there. I just gave it my all and again what an honor it was to play Kate/Connie.”
You can catch the full conversation with Kelly where she talks about her time on General Hospital, The Young and the Restless where she played Sage Warner and now The Bold and the Beautiful below.
So, do you remember the Ava and Connie scenes where Ava shot and killed her? What did you think of Kelly Sullivan’s sentiments about Maura West? Share your thoughts via the comment section. But first, watch the reveal where Ava recalls murdering Connie below!
The question of will Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) stay awhile at General Hospital after his recent extended hiatus from the show earlier this year, has reportedly been answered.
TMZ via court documents obtained in Burton’s ongoing legal battle with his ex-wife Sheree Gustin, shared that Steve actually inked a new three year deal with the ABC soap opera back in June.
That is significant because it was June when Burton returned back to work as Jason. In addition, the court filing confirmed that Burton had already moved back to California from Tennessee.
Photo: ABC
STEVE’S HIATUS AND HIS RETURN TO PORT CHARLES
GH fans will recall, it was back in February of 2026, that Burton announced via his Instagram that he was stepping away from his role of Jason Morgan for short break and pointed to wanting to spend quality time with his new wife, Michelle Lundstrom Burton with whom he tied the knot back on May 17, 2025.
Steve expressed at that time, “I’m newly married and looking forward to spending some quality time with my family.” It was back on March 25 that viewers saw Jason carted away by the WSB after taking the fall for Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) who shot then WSB Director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).
Burton returned to work on June 1, and due to General Hospital taping roughly six weeks ahead of air, made his on-screen comeback on the July 13 episode.
GOING FOR GOLD AT THE UPCOMING DAYTIME EMMYS
Then, Steve and his enduring fans got an extra special treat on the same day, when it was revealed on Extra that he was nominated for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series category.
Steve previously won in the Supporting Actor category for his work as General Hospital’s Jason in 1998 and as The Young and the Restless’ Dylan McAvoy in 2018.
Now with Jason and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship seemingly hitting the skids, plus Jason’s commitment to staying out of mob life to focus on being present for his son Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn), what does the future hold for the fan favorite character? Stay tuned.
So, happy to hear that Steve Burton signed a new three year deal with General Hospital? Knowing that, what storyline would you like to see Jason get involved and with who? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.
The Young and the Restless enduring favorite and two-time Daytime Emmy-winning actress, Jess Walton (Jill Foster Abbott) is set to release her memoir!
Kensington Publishing has revealed on their website that Walton’s book The Young and the Rest of Us is now available for pre-order while listing an April 27, 2027 release date. In addition, in June of 2027, Walton will mark her 40th anniversary with The Young and the Restless and her debut as Jill.
The official log lines for the memoir share, “Emmy Award-winning actress Jess Walton, known to millions as the iconic Jill Abbott on the #1 soap opera The Young and the Restless, shares her extraordinary journey to stardom, sobriety, true love, and self-discovery in this startingly candid, intimate, and star-studded memoir.”
Photo; Kensington Books
CAKE FIGHTS AND CORPORATE INTRIGUE
The book description for The Young and the Rest of Us adds, “In June 1987, Jess Walton walked through the artists’ entrance at CBS for her first day on The Young and the Restless,where she had just been hired to play the recast role of Jill Abbott. Two Emmy awards, four decades, and countless onscreen affairs, marriages, corporate takeovers, and cake fights later, she’s a beloved icon with an astonishing tale to tell.”
“In her refreshingly candid style, Jess shares her journey as a young actress from Toronto theaters to Los Angeles, where she found herself at the center of a Laurel Canyon circle that included the likes of Neil Young, David Geffen, Laura Nyro, and Joni Mitchell. Landing a Universal contract and a steady stream of guest starring roles, Jess embraced everything 1970s L.A. had to offer—including Hollywood parties fueled by limitless booze and drugs, and trysts with stars. She recounts with candor and gratitude the surprising path that eventually led her to sobriety, true love—and ultimately, to fictional Genoa City, Wisconsin, and the role of a lifetime.”
“Brimming with behind-the-scenes drama and celebrity cameos to delight fans, The Young and the Rest of Us is also rich in personal, relatable truths about marriage, motherhood, empty-nesting, self-discovery, and finding the courage to start over—as often as it takes. In a voice as fearless and frank as Jill’s, but with, humor and grace all her own, Jess Walton looks back on a life as unpredictable, and adventure filled as anything she has portrayed on screen.”
WHO ELSE PLAYED JILL FOSER ABBOTT?
Fans of The Young and the Restless know that Walton became the fourth actress to take on the role of Katherine Chancellor’s original nemesis Jill Foster back in 1987. The OG Jill was played by Brenda Dickson, also Deborah Adair, Bond Gideon and Melinda O. Fee played the part.
This year, Days of our Lives star Lauren Koslow (Kate Roberts) filled-in for several episodes for Walton who was unavailable to travel from her home in Oregon to Los Angeles where Y&R was taped. Walton is still with the long-running soap opera as Jill.
So, excited to learn of Jess Walton’s upcoming memoir, ‘The Young and the Rest of Us?’ Will it be it a must-read for you? Drop a comment below.
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
Steve Burton Reportedly Signs Three-Year Contract with ‘General Hospital’
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy Tells Carter She’s Pregnant, But He Has a Way ‘Out of This Situation For All of Us’
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‘General Hospital’ to Rebroadcast Special Episode in Tribute to Anthony Geary
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Jess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
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