After more than a decade away from daytime television, six-time Daytime Emmy winner Erika Slezak returned to ABC, but not to her beloved Llanview. The actress took on the new role of Ronnie Bard on General Hospital, and she has revealed the single compelling reason that convinced her to accept the part.
The key factor was the opportunity to work alongside Jane Elliot, the esteemed actress behind the formidable Tracy Quartermaine. Slezak said that when General Hospital Executive Producer Frank Valentini called with the offer, he mentioned she would primarily be working with Elliot, and her response was immediate.
“When Frank called me and asked me to do this [and] said I’d be working primarily with Jane Elliot, I went, ‘Yes! Okay, I’ll do it!’” Slezak told Soap Opera Digest. “I mean, that’s how simple it was because I’ve watched Jane for years and I’m still amazed at how good she is, how interesting she is, how she can twist a simple sentence into a whole lifetime. She’s amazing!”
A Short-Term Role with a Lasting Impact
Slezak’s run as Ronnie Bard was always planned as a short-term story arc. Her final episode aired in early November 2025, wrapping up a storyline that put her character at the center of a major Quartermaine family conflict.
Ronnie was introduced as the long-lost sister of the late Monica Quartermaine. Her arrival in Port Charles quickly created tension, especially with Tracy. The conflict escalated when a forged will was read, leaving the valuable Quartermaine mansion to Ronnie instead of Tracy. This scheme was later revealed to be orchestrated by lawyer Martin Grey, who had blackmailed Ronnie into participating.
The storyline reached its climax when Tracy discovered Monica’s genuine will. The real will left the mansion to Tracy, whom Monica described as the “sister of her heart.” After the truth was exposed, a remorseful Ronnie apologized and was ultimately kicked out of the house by a victorious Tracy.
A Different Kind of Character
For Slezak, who famously played the wealthy and sophisticated Victoria Lord on One Life to Live for over 40 years, the role of Ronnie Bard was a significant change. She described Ronnie as a very different and more simple character.
“I’ve never played anybody like Ronnie… She’s just a hardworking woman who literally had to make her own way in life,” Slezak explained. She detailed that Ronnie was on her own from age 16, worked as a waitress, put herself through community college, and never had the advantages of a rich life. Slezak noted it was a “terrific opportunity” to play someone so different from her iconic One Life to Live role.
Open to a Return to Port Charles
Although her character’s story has concluded for now, Erika Slezak has expressed that she is not closing the door on Port Charles. She described her experience on the show as “delightful” and “terrific,” and stated she would be open to returning someday.
Reflecting on her time on the show, Slezak shared a message with her fans, saying, “Thank you so much for all your emails. I am delighted that you’ve been enjoying my work on General Hospital. It was wonderful to work again in a medium I love. My experience on GH was fantastic.”
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