Erika Slezak Interview: OLTL Icon Shares Her Thoughts on Her Daytime Emmy Nomination & More!

The one and only Erika Slezak found out her name was called this morning when the nominations for the 39th Annual Daytime Emmys were revealed! And what a bittersweet moment this is for the six-time Daytime Emmy winner, who will now go for her record setting seventh win in the Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her work as Viki on One Life to Live.

On-Air On-Soaps received a call from Erika this morning just shortly after the nominations were announced and she shared her reactions and thoughts and what she submitted that got her the nomination. Plus, she commented on OLTL’s Emmy snub for Best Show and Writing, and the DID storyline on GH where they have referenced Viki!

Here’s our chat with Emmy nominee, Erika!

Congratulations on your Daytime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress! How did you find out you got the nod?

ERIKA: I was a judge, so the Academy had sent me an email last week saying the nominations were supposed to be announced Friday, but now they will be announced sometimes next week. And then I had not really followed it, and then my daughter Amanda called me this morning, and she said, “Mom! Congratulations.” So she figured it out and she was watching it on The Today Show. So I was absolutely delighted it came from her.

What did you submit for the final round of voting? It has to be the 40th Anniversary show! It was one of your greatest performances ever on OLTL!

ERIKA: Yes. I submitted my 40th Anniversary show. I wanted to submit a different show that I just loved because it was so good and that was when Viki walked in on Charlie and Echo in bed. But they split that into two shows, but we taped it as one show. There was so much material in it, so Frank Valentini said we are going to cut it into two shows. I couldn’t submit it because it was not a full show.

But for the pre-nominations, didn’t you go with a two-minute piece from the episode where Viki walked in on Charlie and Echo at the motel?

ERIKA: Yes, that is what I did. Again had that been one show, I probably would have submitted that because there was so much in it and Brian Kerwin (Charlie) was so lovely and Kim Zimmer (Echo) was amazing. So I submitted my show instead, which is just me! (Laughs)

What a tour de force watching you play, Viki, Niki and Jean. The 40th anniversary episode was an actor’s dream show!

ERIKA: It is an actor’s nightmare and dream show! (Laughs) The nightmare part was playing all the different alters all together. Listen, I am not complaining. I loved every second of it! But it was a great deal of work. The problem with doing that show was because we had two doubles, we had to shoot it as if it’s in Viki’s mind. We had to have all three of us, (the three alters), and so I had to have doubles who would be playing the other characters. So when I would be playing Viki someone else would be playing Jean, and someone else would be playing Niki. When I was playing Niki, someone else was playing Viki and Jean, and it was very complicated. I had to know what I was going to do in order to react. So I had to ask these ladies, “Please don’t do anything. Just say the lines flat. I cannot react to you, because I have to know what I am going to say.” (Laughs) That was the only way I could react to them. We started with Viki, and then Jean, and then finally Niki. I was scared to death, and it was shot out of order. It was scary and thrilling! I thank God for Larry Carpenter’s directing. Frank Valentini was there overseeing everything as well. I thank God for that, too.

It would be amazing if you were to win your record seventh Daytime Emmy for playing Viki and accept the award on the year when One Life was canceled!

ERIKA: Yes, but we will see what happens. I am just glad OLTL got a bunch of nominations and we will be there to represent the show!

So from here on out till June 23rd, will it be a nice time for you to enjoy this Emmy ride?

ERIKA: I have made the reservation to Los Angeles with the family and we are going to have a whole week there and make it a vacation. So that will be nice. I am looking forward to it.

One Life to Live was left out, snubbed again, out of the Drama Series and Writing categories, in a year when there submission was great! I am so disappointed!

ERIKA: Me too! I was very disappointed that One Life to Live, did not get a Best Show nod. I mean, c’mon. There were only six shows. It’s a damn shame. And I am really sorry about that. I know what they submitted and I thought it was great material and very different.

Have you checked in to see General Hospital lately and the telling of the Kate/Connie DID storyline? And, how they mentioned Viki in it?

ERIKA: No, but someone emailed me and went, “Oh my God. Viki and Jessica wrote a book together about DID.” I thought, “Oh no! That would never ever happen.” It was something so private between the two of them. But anyway, it’s Ron Carlivati’s idea and he worked it in to GH, and that’s fine. I am just waiting for my $25.00 dollars, for when they use a picture or photo likeness of you. (Laughs)

I believe that the Viki/Jess book referenced on GH was unauthorized and not authored by Viki and Tess, but I could see where it could have been interpreted that way! (Laughs) Finally Erika, what do you think about the other ladies in your Emmy category? Pretty great group!

ERIKA: I know them all! They are all awesome. Every single one of them is a wonderful actress. Laura Wright won last year. Crystal Chappell, I think submitted an awesome tape and Debbi Morgan as well. Heather Tom, who I dearly love, is always wonderful. It will be great to be there at the Emmys with all of them.

What do you think of Erika’s Daytime Emmy nomination for her 40th Anniversary episode? Are you rooting for her to win? Let us know!


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