A lot of cast changes are sweeping through GH lately. In an unexpected casting coup, soap vet Erika Slezak has joined the ABC soap opera. Some fans think she’s replacing the late Leslie Charleson as Monica. Keep reading to find out what’s going on.
OLTL Vet Joins General Hospital
Along with actress Susan Lucci, Erika Slezak is considered daytime royalty. She starred on One Life To Live for over forty years. She joined the show as Victoria Lord in 1971. Slezak played the family matriarch until ABC canceled the soap in 2012. The actress briefly resumed the role for the Hulu reboot, which was canceled in 2013. During her time on the soap, Erika Slezak masterfully played Viki’s multiple personalities, including Niki Smith.
She’s appeared on several prime-time shows since the daytime soap was canceled, including Blue Bloods and The Resident. But this will be her first return to soaps in over a decade.
GH Fans Worry The Soap Is Replacing Leslie Charleson As Monica Quartermaine
OLTL fans are excited to see the actress on daytime again. However, the press release didn’t reveal who she will play. Some GH fans took to social media to express concern that Erika Slezak might be taking over the role of Monica Quartermaine, last played by Leslie Charleson.
Charleson played Monica for almost 50 years. Her last appearance was in 2023 amid declining health. She passed away in January at the age of 79. Monica hasn’t been seen on-screen in a while but was honored in an episode in April.
With the battle among the Quartermaines heating up, could Monica return? Viewers assumed that the character would pass away after the actress died, much like Days of Our Lives just killed off John Black after Drake Hogestyn passed away in real life.
One GH fan took to Twitter to vent their concerns over Erika Slezak’s casting. They wrote that they would be “pi**ed off” if she was a Monica recast. The fan felt that would be disrespectful to Leslie Charleson.
Many fans agreed. One responded, “Wait … WHAT?! There’s one ONE Monica, and I’m not watching that crap.”
The only thing that will pissed me off is Frank makes the idiotic decision to cast Erika Slezak as Monica because that is completely disrespectful to leslie charleson and it sets Erika up for failure and she doesn’t deserve that #GH
— GH Fan (@GHFan10130) June 12, 2025
However, another fan didn’t think that GH Executive Producer Frank Valentini would try to replace Monica at all. So, if Erika Slezak isn’t playing Monica Quartermaine, who is she playing?
Other Theories On Erika Slezak’s New Role
Not much is known about Erika Slezak’s upcoming role on GH. According to Michael Fairman, the role is short-term for this fall.
Several fans speculated that Erika Slezak could be playing her OLTL character, Viki Lord Buchanan. Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins) recently name-dropped Viki as the owner of the paper she writes for.
Another theory circulating online is that Erika Slezak plays Monica’s sister and comes to Port Charles with the sad news of Monica’s passing. Monica’s absence from the Quartermaine storyline is glaring, especially with Drew’s (Cameron Mathison) move to destroy the family home, and we all know that’s Monica’s house! Alan gave it to her!
Do you think Erika Slezak could be joining GH as a Monica Quartermaine recast, or another character? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
