In Her Own Words:
"I
was dopey…I was very, very, very socially uncomfortable." — Erika Slezak
"My father pulled me aside one day...and told me everything bad he could
think of about the business. I was sort of shell-shocked — but undeterred." —
Erika Slezak
"My life has been big magic. I'm not really waiting for the shoe to drop.
I keep thinking [that] one day I'll have to pay for all this. I hope I don't." —
Erika Slezak
1971
2002
For more than 30 years, Erika Slezak has reigned over the soap opera "One
Life to Live" as a larger-than-life character with multiple personalities and
husbands. In real life, she's a grounded, one-man woman.
For more than 30 years, Erika Slezak has reigned over the soap opera "One
Life to Live" as a larger-than-life character with multiple personalities and
husbands. In real life, she's a grounded, one-man woman. Slezak was destined to
be a star. The daughter of a legendary character actor and the granddaughter of
a world-renowned opera singer, her childhood was both glamorous and nomadic.
Despite her father's discouragement, Slezak began pursuing acting in high
school. In 1964, at the age of 17, she headed for London's Royal Academy of
Dramatic Arts, becoming one of the youngest students ever accepted to the
prestigious school.
Two years later, she returned to the United States, determined to make it in
the theater. She appeared in almost 20 plays in the Midwest before heading to
New York City, where she caught her big break when she was cast as Victoria Lord
Buchanan on the popular soap opera "One Life to Live." Slezak made her debut on
the show on March 17, 1970. Critics and audiences alike loved Slezak's delicious
portrayal of a woman afflicted by a multiple-personality disorder; her versatile
performance has won her several awards over the years. In August 1978 Slezak
married an up-and-coming actor named Bryan Davies, who started working more and
more in Los Angeles. The frequent separations put a strain on the young couple's
relationship; Davies decided to move back to New York after the couple's two
children were born. While her husband stayed home to raise the kids, Slezak
became the family's sole breadwinner.
By the early 1980s, Slezak was enjoying a comfortable home life and a
successful career. All that changed with one phone call. Her father committed
suicide in April 1986. The following year, her mother died of a fatal asthma
attack. Slezak's work became an outlet for her grief. In 2000, Slezak celebrated
her 30th anniversary on "One Life to Live." She has earned her place in the soap
opera history books and has fostered a new generation of actors, namely her
daughter, Amanda.
Special Friends Who
Appeared In The Intimate Portrait:
Five Things You Must
Know
1. Erika Slezak's sister, Ingrid, is an attorney and her
brother, Leo, is a pilot.
2. Sometimes she has to memorize 30 pages of
dialogue in one night.
3. Slezak speaks fluent German.
4. She raises
money for cancer awareness.
5. Slezak loves the fact that being an actress
has allowed her to spend a lot of time being a mother.
Film and TV
"Daniel Steel's Full Circle" (1996)
"One Life to
Live" (1971–present) (TV)