Erika Slezak (born August 5, 1946 in Hollywood, California) is an American actress of Austrian and Dutch descent. She is the daughter of actor Walter Slezak and grand-daughter of opera tenor Leo Slezak.
Erika Slezak | |
|---|---|
| File:Erikaslezak.jpg Erika Slezak as Victoria Lord, from the title opening of One Life to Live. | |
| Born | Erika Alma Hermina Slezak |
| Spouse | Brian Davies (married 1978) |
| Website | http://www.erikaslezak.com/ |
She has portrayed Victoria "Viki" Lord on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live since March 17, 1971.
Viki's story
Slezak's character Viki has suffered many tragedies, and has struggled with dissociative identity disorder (or DID, once known as multiple personality disorder). She has been married and divorced several times (her full legal name is now Victoria Lord Riley Burke Riley Buchanan Buchanan Carpenter Davidson), and has endured through the deaths of loved ones, breast cancer, stroke, and most recently, heart disease, for which Slezak won her most recent Daytime Emmy Award.
In addition to her three children Kevin, Joey and Jessica, over the years Viki discovered that she had two long-lost daughters: eldest child Megan and Jessica's fraternal twin Natalie.
Criticism of head writer
In 2007, Slezak voiced strong criticism of One Life to Live's head writer, Dena Higley. In the March 2007 edition of Slezak's fan club newsletter, she states, "Dena doesn't care about the rich history of the show, which is evident in what she writes" and that Higley "wants to write stories that she thinks are interesting but nobody else does." [1]
Awards
Slezak has won six Daytime Emmys in the category of "Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series," in 1984, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 2005, tying the record for most wins by an actor (shared with Justin Deas), as well as the record for most wins for playing one character and by an actress. Additionally, Slezak won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Favorite Couple with Mark Derwin in 2000.
Awards (Won)
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for One Life to Live |
| 1996 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for One Life to Live |
| 1995 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for One Life to Live |
| 1992 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for One Life to Live |
| 1986 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for One Life to Live |
| 1984 | Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series for One Life to Live |
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Favorite Couple for One Life to Live (shared with Mark Derwin) |