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OLTL's Erika Slezak chats on her 40th Anniversary homage episode & more!
Courtesy/ABC
It is hard to believe, but come this March 17th Erika Slezak will have played the indomitable Viki Lord Gordon Riley Burke Riley Buchanan Buchanan Carpenter Davidson Banks for 40 years on One Life to Live. And, as the centerpiece of Llanview, the series is planning a very special homage to Erika and Viki on April 26th!
TV Guide spoke to Erika Slezak to get her thoughts on the upcoming episode, working on soaps for decades, OLTL’s cancellations rumors, the addition of Kim Zimmer to the mix in Llanview, and the men in Viki’s life. Here are a few excerpts below:
Slezak on the scoop on the 40th Anniversary episode: “I haven’t seen the script yet but I think it’s going to include a lot of me. [Laughs] No flashbacks or anything. I think they’re going to dredge up a lot of what’s going on in Viki’s life right now and how she’s dealing with it. When Frank said, “We’re writing a show for you,” I was so touched I started to cry. It’s so sweet. But I was kind of hoping it would all go by unnoticed.”
Slezak on the men in Viki’s life: “I’ve been fortunate in that they’ve given me partners who were willing to share. Not every actor is unselfish. A lot of them are very selfish indeed and it’s always all about them. Fortunately, I’ve never had that kind of guy. Even Clint Ritchie (Clint), who wasn’t necessarily the best actor in the world, was so wonderfully natural and pure and touching that we made a great pair. They used to call us The Cowboy and the Lady. I’m not saying Clint was a bad actor. He was a real-life cowboy. He wasn’t used to acting, and television. But we found something that worked. Viki brought out a sweetness in him.”
Slezak on if it was true that Robin Strasser was indeed freaked that Kim Zimmer was rejoining OLTL: “Kim coming back to the show was a freakin’ brilliant opportunity. Robin was indeed concerned. She came to me and said, “Erika, I just don’t know about this.” But I told her this could only be good for our characters and the show. Bringing back Echo delved into our history and brought up all that old animosity. It’s just fabulous! And Kim is such a joy.”
So now we ask, “What is your favorite Viki moment from the past 40 years?” Let us know.
It looks like the current run of Lucas Adams (Noah) and Tamara Braun (Sienna) on The Young and the Restless is coming to an end, after the Monday, August 3 edition of the CBS daytime drama revealed that Noah and Sienna are leaving Genoa City and heading back to Los Angeles.
In the storyline, Noah informed his mother, Sharon (Sharon Case) and half-sister Mariah (Camryn Grimes) that he and Sienna made the decision to move back to the West Coast to put distance between themselves and Matt Clark (Roger Howarth). Although Noah did not say it was a permanent move, he did assure his mom that once Matt is hopefully gone from Genoa City they could return.
However, as previewed already on the video teaser for this week’s episodes of Y&R (see below), it appears Noah left Genoa City’s The Shadow Room to be run by a returning Danny Romalotti (Michael Damian). So with that, coupled with today’s episode, it would appear the move could wind up being more permanent.
Photo: JPI
COMINGS AND GOINGS
Adams made his Y&R debut on November 4, 2025 as the successor to Rory Gibson who last played Noah on-screen in April of 2023. Earlier in 2025, Gibson took over the role of Michael Corinthos on Genera Hospital replacing Chad Duell, who stepped away from the part after 15 years.
Braun who played Adam’s mother on Days of Our Lives when she was Ava Vitali and he was Tripp Dalton, first appeared on Y&R back on October 14, 2025, where we soon learned she had become Noah’s lover as the new character, Sienna Bacall. It should be noted, Adams was on contract with the number #1 soap, while Braun has been on recurring status.
With Josh Griffith now exited as head writer of The Young and the Restless, and the newly announced co-head writing team of Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor having taken his place and starting their new tenure this week, it will be interesting to see how the duo resets the show, and if a Noah and Sienna return is in the cards for the future or not.
So, what do you think about the seeming departures of Lucas Adams and Tamara Braun from The Young and the Restless? Weigh-in via the comment section. But first, check out our recent live chat with Tamara and Lucas on the Michael Fairman Channel.
Rosie O’Donnell revealed that she plans to head back to a seat at the table of ABC’s morning talk show The View.
The announcement came during Monday’s episode of The Tangle Podcast where she shared she will participate in “in whatever way they want” her or “just as a guest” for its upcoming 30th season.
The View’s season 30 will kick-off this fall in September. O’Donnell explained, “They’re bringing back all the hosts, I think. And, you know, I’m pretty proud of that show, what it’s become and how it really speaks to the people and to politics.”
Photo: ABC
ROSIE ON HER PREVIOUS GO-ROUNDS ON THE VIEW
As fans of The View know, O’Donnell famously had two different one-year stints on the talk show in 2007 and again in 2014- 2015. She often feuded with then co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck.
However, during her discussion with host, Kyle Ridley on The Tangle Podcast, O’Donnell also noted she often had tense moments with longtime moderator and anchor, Whoopi Goldberg.
O’Donnell also expressed, “Many, many people got the short end of the stick there. It was, you know, it was a factory where people were being churned in and out and their tenuous security, nobody got to be calm. It also was a show at the time that was run by a man. A show created by a woman, for women, about women, and the man was deciding what we should talk about. And that didn’t sit right with me, you know.”
Back in 2023, Brooke Shields had asked Rosie on her podcast, Now What? with Brooke Shields, about how she felt on her two stints at The View and all the controversy that surrounded it. Rosie at that time, stated, “I know this, it’s not the best use of my talent to get in a show where I have to argue and defend basic principles of humanity and kindness. It was not something I’d ever do again.”
You can check out the clip with Rosie and Kyle Ridley discussing her return to The View in some form for its upcoming 30th season below.
Then weigh-in: Would you be excited to see Rosie, even for a one-day or a week guest stint on the upcoming celebratory season of The View, or not so much? Let us know via the comment section.
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General Hospital Fan Club Weekend brought out many of your favorites to the four day event; with the main cast gathering on Saturday, August 1. Fans near and far attended the weekend held this year at the Burbank Marriott Hotel. Whether it be the main cast event or the smaller more intimate events featuring two or three cast members a great time was had by all.
Some of the cast participating in the main cast event included: Cyrus Hobbi (Yuri), Gary James Fuller (James), Bradford Anderson (Spinelli), Viron Weaver (Wiley), Paige Herschell (Jacinda), Chris McKenna (Brennan), Josh Kelly (Cody), Kayden Brenna Tokarsi (Scout), Cassandra James (Terry), Laura Wright (Carly), Dominic Zamprogna (Dante), Carolyn Hennesy (Diane), Rick Hearst (Ric), Adrian Anchondo (ex-Marco), and Chloe Lanier (ex-Nelle).
In addition to, Van Hansis (Lucas), Cameron Mathison (Drew), Ryan Paevey (ex-Cassius), Easton Rocket Sweda (Leo), Maurice Benard (Sonny), Kristen Vaganos (Molly), Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis), Kate Mansi (ex-Kristina), Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth), Cynthia Watros (Nina), Kristina Wagner (Felicia) and more.
Take a look at some of the snaps from the main event arrivals below:
Photo: HutchinsPhoroi
GH’s Rick Hearst with on-screen daughter, Kristen Vaganos, plus Nancy Lee Grahn, and Kate Mansi.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
GH’s Maurice Benard on-hand to meet the fans.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto.com
Jack Brennan in the house … Chris McKenna.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
Adrian Anchondo, Van Hansis and Anchondo’s boyfriend, Days of Our Lives, Colton Little.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
GH’s Josh Kelly and his gal, the former Nelle Benson of Port Charles, Chloe Lanier.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
Who is James’ father? Not Cassius or Spinelli, actually. Actors Gary James Fuller, Ryan Paevey and Bradford Anderson!
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
One of General Hospital’s newest cast members, Kayden Brenna Tokarski attends her first GHFCW event.
Check out some more arrival images featuring: Laura Wright (Carly), Cassandra James (Terry), Carolyn Hennesy (Diane) and more in the gallery below.
Michael Fairman TV will be adding more images to this post in the day ahead.
So, were you glad to see so many of your GH favorites attending this year’s General Hospital Fan Club Weekend? Let us know via the comment section.
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I am happy they are doing an episode for her. She is the heart of the show. My neice used to say at 2:00 every day…”it is time for the Viki show”.
Ms. Slezak is a class act…a gracious lady and a brilliant actress. Happy anniversary to her! I hope she and OLTL enjoy 40 more years of success!
Miss Erika is the greatest! 🙂
I liked it when she told Clint that Cord Roberts was his son. Not to mention that Natalie was Jessica’s twin sister and also her daughter. Plus the way that she stood up to Roxy when she started to trash Natalie . That was completely awesome. But then riding into save Natalie’s life against her own father. Now that says something about a mother’s love. Natalie’s and Viki’s love has truly evolved. Plus , the way that she adores Rex . Even though , she didn’t know anything about him. Now, finding out that Rex is actually biologically Clint’s and Echo’s son , she doesn’t seem to care. Natalie is still protective of him. And loves him . All and all, Viki will do anything to protect and be there for her children.
Favorite Viki moment? Gosh, there are too many to even begin to count! LOL One of my first memories of Viki actually was back in 1985 when she turned into Niki Smith on the witness stand at Tina’s trial for the murder of Harry O’ Neill. I remember just being mesmerized by the whole thing!! And shouting at the TV “Leave her alone! She’s not Viki. She’s Niki!” LOL From that moment on I was a HUGE Viki and Erika Slezak fan. Viki going to heaven, Gabrielle Medina leading Viki into Eterna and Viki remembering more about Eterna, Viki going back to 1888 in time to stop Clint’s wedding to Miss Ginny, and the stroke storyline are also all favorites of mine. And of course anytime she is Niki Smith or pretending to be Niki it is freakin’ hilarious!! And I love all of her alters! So, congratulations Ms. Slezak on 40 years! Here’s to 40 more (and more Emmy’s)!! You deserve it all!