Hubbry Logo
Victoria LordVictoria LordMain
Open search
Victoria Lord
Community hub
Victoria Lord
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Victoria Lord
Victoria Lord
Victoria Lord
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Victoria Lord
One Life to Live character
Erika Slezak as Victoria Lord
Portrayed by
Duration1968–2013
First appearanceJuly 15, 1968 (1968-07-15)
Last appearanceAugust 19, 2013 (2013-08-19)
ClassificationFinal; regular
Created byAgnes Nixon
Introduced by
Book appearancesPatrick's Notebook
In-universe information
Other namesNiki Smith, Tommy, Jean Randolph, Princess, Tori Lord, Victor Lord (alternate personalities)
Barbara Wedgeworth
Occupation
FamilyLord
Parents
StepmotherDorian Lord
SistersMeredith Lord
Half-brothersTony Lord
Todd Manning
Victor Lord, Jr.
Half-sistersTina Lord
Husband
Sons
Daughters
StepdaughtersMegan Craig Riley
Grandsons
Granddaughters
Aunts and uncles
Nieces and nephews
First cousins
Other relatives

Victoria Lord is a fictional character and matriarch of the Lord family on the American soap opera One Life to Live, played for over 41 years by six-time Daytime Emmy Award-winning actress Erika Slezak.

The character was created as one of the protagonists by series creator Agnes Nixon, and first cast to Gillian Spencer on the pilot aired July 15, 1968.[1] Nixon later recast her with Slezak, who became synonymous with the character role following a continual portrayal spanning her debut March 17, 1971 through the ABC Daytime finale January 13, 2012. Slezak reprised the role in The Online Network continuance of One Life to Live aired on Hulu, iTunes, FX Canada, and the Oprah Winfrey Network from April 29, 2013[2][3] through the final episode released August 19, 2013.[4]

The role of Victoria is the mainstay original lead character of the serial, and her storylines focus on drudgery, love, and family troubles. One of the longest-running characters on American daytime television, Victoria weathers widowhood (three times), divorce (four times), a brain aneurysm, a near-death out-of-body experience (three times), being shot (two times), sent to jail, suffering a stroke, breast cancer, rape, recovered memories of being molested as a child, a heart attack, heart disease, a heart transplant, the abduction of three of her five children as infants, discovering she has four half-siblings, the deaths of two siblings, and the death of her daughter from lupus. Most notably, she suffers recurring bouts with dissociative identity disorder throughout the show narrative.

Slezak's tenure as Victoria earned the actress a reputation as a leading actor in American serials,[5][6][7][8][9] with her portrayal becoming one of the most lauded and longest-running in American soap operas.[10]

Character background

[edit]

It is a very, very good job, but it takes a lot of work, and it takes responsibility. You are responsible to the audience for who you're playing. You're responsible to your writers and your producer for the character, and you are extremely responsible to your fellow actors. There are people who don't realize that.

—Erika Slezak on playing Victoria Lord, Archive of American Television[11]

Conception

[edit]

One Life to Live series creator Agnes Nixon conceived the central role of Victoria "Viki" Lord inspired by her relationship with her domineering father, Harry Eckhardt, and her own married family life along the Philadelphia Main Line in Bryn Mawr.[12][13] Nixon took further inspiration from lead protagonist Tracy Lord of the 1939 play The Philadelphia Story,[14] portrayed on stage and film by actress Katharine Hepburn.

Casting

[edit]

The role of Victoria was originally cast to Gillian Spencer, who appeared from the July 1968 debut until 1970.[1] Joanne Dorian replaced Spencer from October 1970 until March 16, 1971,[1] when established theater actress Erika Slezak stepped into the role in the following day's episode.[1][10] Slezak was told she was auditioning for a new character, but when offered the role she learned she was replacing someone else.[15] The producers informed Ernest Graves and Lynn Benesch, who played Viki's father Victor Lord and sister Meredith Lord, of the change in advance, but no one else in the cast or crew knew of the switch when Slezak arrived to work.[15] Slezak became synonymous with the character since her first appearance in the role March 25, 1971, playing Victoria continually for 41 years until the original One Life television finale in 2012. Slezak reprised the role onscreen upon Prospect Park resumption of the serial from April 29, 2013, through the final episode released August 19, 2013.[4]

Two other actresses portrayed Victoria while Slezak was on maternity and personal leave: Christine Jones in 1980 and 1981,[16] and Judith Barcroft in 1987.[16] In the summer of 2003, Slezak's real-life daughter, Amanda Davies, portrayed a teenaged Victoria in flashbacks.[10] Leah Marie Hays played the role of a young Victoria Lord in a series of flashbacks as well.

At the death of show and character creator Agnes Nixon in 2016, Slezak eulogized that, "When she hired me to play Viki on One Life To Live, she changed my life and my career and I will forever be grateful to her."[17]

Slezak expressed interest for reprising portrayal of the character in a short-term guest appearance on ABC's last remaining soap opera, General Hospital, in a March 2018 interview with Soap Opera Digest magazine, ahead of the 50th anniversary of the July 1968 premiere of One Life to Live.[18]

Characterization

[edit]

At the debut episode of One Life to Live July 15, 1968, twentysomething recent college graduate and heiress Victoria "Viki" Lord is described by author Martha Nochimson as "blonde [and] ivory-complexioned ... the clichéd American princess," personifying the "woman on a pedestal" archetype.[14] The show's heroine from the outset,[12] ingenue Victoria initially harbors a strong Electra complex and suffers a bout with multiple personalities prompted by her mother Eugenia's absence from childhood and father Victor's incessant grooming of her to eventually helm the family's communication business, Lord Enterprises. As Erika Slezak stepped into the role in 1971, head writer Nixon matured Victoria to a self-assured working woman managing fictional Llanview's predominant newspaper, The Banner. An increasingly headstrong Victoria, relinquishing her primal desires to pander to Victor, marries working-class Banner editor Joe Riley, much to the patriarch's chagrin.[14]

By the mid-1980s, Victoria largely adopts a matronly role[19] along with her capacities as well-connected town businesswoman and socialite, though she is still plagued with intermittent bouts of mental illness. The character comes to mother five of her own children onscreen (three from infancy), while providing surrogate nurture to younger siblings Tina and Todd. Since 2000s, the role has evolved to be regarded as the "grande dame of Llanview."[7][8][9] In a 2006 Boston magazine article, Slezak remarked of Victoria representing "the very classy, very old-world money,"[12] with writer Michael Callahan calling the character "the stiff-upper-lipped matriarch"[12] of the prominent Lord family.

American journalist and soap opera critic Connie Passalacqua Hayman (pen name "Marlena De Lacroix") briefly summed up the character role:

... Slezak's 'Viki' is the consummate soap opera heroine, because she has so harrowingly and humanistically triumphed over all her life's tragedies.[20]

Storylines

[edit]

1960s and 1970s

[edit]

The eldest child of domineering millionaire publisher Victor Lord (Ernest Graves), Victoria Lord, often nicknamed "Viki," (originally Spencer) has little time for romance when One Life to Live begins in 1968.[21] She clashes with reporter Joe Riley (Lee Patterson), but they soon fall in love; Victor disapproves and tries to keep them apart. Torn between pleasing her father and following her heart, Viki develops a wild alternate personality named "Niki Smith", who falls in love with Vinny Wolek (Antony Ponzini). Viki's illness — apparently caused by seeing her pregnant mother fall down the stairs as a child — is eventually treated, and she and Joe marry December 11, 1969.[22][23] Joe is presumed dead in a car accident in 1970, and a heartbroken Viki (Slezak onward) finds comfort with fellow reporter Steve Burke (Bernie Grant) in 1971. After Steve is put on trial and exonerated for the murder of Banner secretary Marcy Wade (Francesca James), he and Viki marry in 1972.[24] When a very-much alive Joe returns in-time for the nuptials, having survived his supposedly deadly car accident, Viki is forced to choose between two husbands. Viki initially stays married to Steve out of obligation, but ultimately divorces him in January 1974. That summer, Dr. Dorian Cramer (then Nancy Pinkerton) blames board member Viki for her suspension from Llanview Hospital, and a rivalry is born that will last decades. Viki and Joe remarry in a simple, New York City ceremony in September.[25][26] In 1975, Dorian becomes the private physician to Viki's father Victor, soon eloping with him.[27] Viki learns she has a half-brother, Tony Lord (George Reinholt), and Dorian plots to keep Victor's fortune for herself.[28] In 1976, Victor suffers a heart attack and dies after wife Dorian denies him medication, and in his wake Dorian wreaks havoc on the Lord family.[29] Viki and Joe have a son, Kevin Lord Riley, who is soon kidnapped by jealous Cathy Craig Lord (then Jennifer Harmon), but is later returned.[30] In 1978, Viki takes in Tina Clayton (Andrea Evans), the sixteen-year-old daughter of college roommate and best friend Irene Manning Clayton (Kate McKeown), who is apparently dying of cancer.[31] Shortly after Irene dies, Viki goes on trial for the murder of her nemesis Marco Dane (Gerald Anthony), but she is later exonerated following confessional testimony by Karen Wolek (Judith Light).[32] Joe dies from a brain tumor in October 1979.[33][34][35] Also in October 1979, Viki serves as the matron of honor in her friend Carla Gray's (Ellen Holly) wedding to Dr. Jack Scott (Arthur Burghardt).[36]

1980s

[edit]

Widowed Viki gives birth to her second son, Joe Riley Jr., in January 1980. After a disastrous relationship with con man Ted Clayton,[37][38] who brainwashes and drugs her in an attempt to get his hands on her fortune, Viki marries newspaper editor Clint Buchanan (Clint Ritchie) in 1982; he adopts both of her sons.[39] Echo DiSavoy (Kim Zimmer), seeking revenge on Clint for her mother's murder, seduces him in 1983 to ruin his marriage, then fakes her own death and frames him for it. Clint is later exonerated after Echo is found alive, and he and Viki reunite.[40] Viki is shocked to discover in 1985 that her former ward Tina Clayton (Evans) is in fact her half-sister, daughter of Viki's father Victor and not Ted. Thanks to the machinations of Tina's boyfriend Mitch Laurence (Roscoe Born), Viki succumbs to the pressure and Niki Smith returns. Posing as Viki, Niki divorces Clint; Viki later overcomes her illness with the realization that it had actually been triggered by her witnessing Victor and Irene in bed many years before.[41] Clint and Viki remarry in 1986,[42] and Viki gives birth to their daughter Jessica Buchanan in September 1986. Jessica is kidnapped shortly after birth by Allison Perkins (Barbara Garrick), a disciple of Mitch Laurence; Jessica is soon returned unharmed in December, and Allison institutionalized. In 1988, Viki learns that she married and gave birth to a child in high school with high school sweetheart Roger Gordon (Larry Pine), but father Victor had her hypnotized to forget the occurrences. With Viki's memory restored in 1989, she annuls her 1960s off-screen marriage to Roger and initiates a relationship with daughter Megan Gordon (Jessica Tuck), an actress on the soap opera (within a soap opera), Fraternity Row. Megan and Viki initially spar, but ultimately get past their initial conflicts and become close.[43]

1990s

[edit]

In 1990, Viki is elected mayor of Llanview,[44] but a shooting and subsequent stroke leaves her paralyzed and in a wheelchair;[45] Niki Smith emerges to aid a paralyzed Viki stand up and shoot Johnny Dee Hesser (Anthony Crivello) when he attacks Tina.[46] Viki recovers and later donates a kidney to daughter Megan suffering terminal lupus, but Megan dies, leaving Viki devastated.[47][48] Growing ever-distant from Clint, Viki engages an extramarital affair with Sloan Carpenter (Roy Thinnes); she and Clint divorce in 1994, and she marries Sloan. Sloan dies soon after from Hodgkin's lymphoma, just as the existence of a second child of Victor and Irene's is revealed.[49] Viki's stress reaches a critical point when Dorian (Robin Strasser onward) tells Viki a secret of which she thought Viki had been aware: the fact that Victor had sexually abused his daughter as a child. With this trauma being what had actually initiated Viki's dissociative identity disorder, she subsequently splinters into several personalities, one of which imprisons Dorian in a secret room below Llanfair. Dorian is eventually freed from her confinement, and Viki recovers after realizing she herself (more specifically, one of her alternate personalities) was the one who had smothered Victor to death in 1976.[50] In 1995, reviled town outcast Todd Manning (Roger Howarth) is proven to be Victor and Irene's illegitimate son; Viki and Todd eventually become close.[51] After a failed reconciliation attempt with Clint, Viki meets and falls in love with Ben Davidson (Mark Derwin),[52] who is eventually revealed to be the long-lost son of Asa Buchanan (Philip Carey) and Renée Divine Buchanan (Patricia Elliott). Ben's first wife, Skye Chandler (Robin Christopher), comes to town and tries in vain to keep Ben and Viki apart.[53] That same year, Jessica falls pregnant, but miscarries the child when she is run over by Dorian. She names the child Megan.

2000s

[edit]

Viki is diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000, but survives after a mastectomy and chemotherapy.[54] She and Ben marry in November.[55] In 2001, a girl named Natalie Balsom (Melissa Archer) makes the startling claim that she is Viki and Clint's biological daughter, which is confirmed by a DNA test.[56] Mitch Laurence returns from the dead, divulging to Viki he drugged and raped her around the same time she and Clint conceived Jessica and had unknowingly become pregnant with fraternal twins, one fathered by Clint, Natalie, and the other fathered by Mitch, Jessica (Erin Torpey).[57] Unable to reconcile the revelation, Niki Smith emerges during the ordeal and plots to kill Ben in order to have her freedom, but when Ben is accidentally shot by Antonio Vega (Kamar de los Reyes), Viki returns. Ben is left comatose after the shooting. In 2003, Victor (William Stone Mahoney) is ostensibly revealed to be alive, claiming to have faked his death in 1976; however, shortly after he returns, Victor dies — but not before Viki and Todd confront him on ills inflicted to them in his wake.[50] In 2004, Viki is diagnosed with heart disease and eventually needs a heart transplant. Coincidentally, a comatose Ben dies just as Viki takes a turn for the worse, and his heart is transplanted into Viki, who recovers but must face widowhood once again.[58]

In 2007, Viki and Clint (now Jerry verDorn) start dating again, but Dorian decides she wants Clint for herself and plots to break up the couple. Dorian's schemes succeed, and Clint ends things with Viki to start a new relationship with Dorian. Feeling humiliated and defeated, Viki leaves Llanview for a much-needed vacation and finds herself in Paris, Texas, where she tries to reinvent herself by waiting tables at a local diner. It is there that she meets patron Charlie Banks (Brian Kerwin), a recovering alcoholic, and the two begin seeing one another. Viki ultimately returns to Llanview once her family discovers her secret life, and Charlie's search for his estranged son Jared (John Brotherton) leads him there as well. Viki and Charlie resume their relationship, but break up when Viki discovers that Charlie had lied about the identity of his son in extenuating circumstances. In July 2008, Viki is involved in a car accident with Dorian; Viki's heart stops as a result of the crash, but Dorian manages to revive her. During her unconsciousness, Viki visits Heaven and reunited with her granddaughter, Megan Rappaport (Erin Torpey), Ben and Asa. Reexamining her life, Viki reunites with Charlie, and they marry on August 4, 2009. Viki runs for mayor against Dorian and wins; she steps down, however, to help her family deal with the unexpected return of Mitch Laurence, who wreaks havoc on her daughters and murders Jared in the process.

2010–13

[edit]

Charlie, devastated over his son's death, quits his sobriety and began drinking, distancing himself from Viki, choosing instead to conspire with Dorian to kill Mitch. Though Dorian tries to stop him at the last minute, Charlie ends up accidentally shooting Jessica (Bree Williamson onward), who survives. Devastated by Charlie's actions, Viki asks him for a divorce, but they eventually reconcile. Viki and Charlie's marriage is further complicated by the return of Echo DiSavoy, a woman who almost destroyed her marriage to Clint in 1983. Echo begins insinuating herself into Charlie and Viki's marriage, much to Viki's dismay. When a paternity revealed Charlie not to be the father of Rex Balsom (John-Paul Lavoisier), a devastated Charlie turns to Echo for comfort. Dorian, who had suspicions about Echo and Charlie's dealings, forged a truce with Viki to uncover Charlie's misgivings. A devastated Viki finds out about Charlie's affair and definitively asks him for a divorce. After confronting Charlie and Echo, Viki goes to court to fight for custody of grandson Ryder Ford while his mother Jessica was ill with her multiple personality. A stressed Viki suffers a bout with multiple personalities on the stand, leading the judge against giving the child to Viki but instead to her son and daughter-in-law, Joey (Tom Degnan) and Aubrey Buchanan (Terri Conn).

In summer 2011 a man with the "original" face of her only known living brother, Todd (Howarth), returned to Llanview claiming to be the victim of eight years of imprisonment and torture at the hands of his mother and Viki's childhood friend, a back-from-the-dead Irene Manning (now Barbara Rhoades). After medical tests revealed the "newer" Todd (Trevor St. John) and the "old" Todd (Howarth) to have identical DNA, Irene appeared to reveal the "two Todds" to be twins. The man who resembled Walker Laurence (St. John) and who has been living as Todd since 2003 was revealed actually have been born Victor Lord, Jr., brainwashed into believing that he is Todd by Irene. Meanwhile, Viki agrees in court to put up Clint in Llanfair for house arrest after he was convicted of various crimes in Llanview. Dorian and Viki ostensibly put an end to their feud of nearly four decades when Dorian leaves town to become an acting U.S. senator. Viki continues work at The Banner when Tina returns to town for the reading of the will of recently murdered Victor, Jr. After months of rehashing old feelings and living under the same roof, Clint and Viki too admit to their unresolved feelings and agreed to give a romantic relationship one more try.

At the original finale, a prison breakout leads Allison Perkins to shoot both Clint and Viki, but only after telling the two that Jessica is in fact Clint's daughter after all and not the daughter of Mitch Laurence. Clint sanctions another paternity test and, in the presence of Jessica, Viki and Natalie, it is revealed Allison's claim to be true. Following all the emotional revelations and tears, Clint again declares his undying love for Viki and asks her to marry him for a third time.

Upon the series resumption in April 2013, Viki accepts Clint's marriage proposal, and concurrently hires freelance journalist Jeffrey King (Corbin Bleu) to investigate the alleged congressional malfeasance of junior U.S. senator Dorian. Upon visiting niece Danielle Manning (Kelley Missal) in the hospital after overdosing on drugs and alcohol, she uncovers her brother Victor, Jr. to be alive. With her family newspaper in financial straits, The Banner focuses on growing the publication's online presence.

Alternate personalities

[edit]
Slezak as Victoria's main alter-ego Niki Smith in 1985, a performance for which she earned the 1986 Daytime Emmy Award for Lead Actress in a Drama Series

As of the final ABC episode, all of Victoria's six[29] alternate personalities are integrated with her baseline psyche. At times during the series, Viki has been forced to impersonate one of them, particularly Niki and Jean. In order of their first appearance on One Life to Live, they are:

  • Nicole "Niki" Smith – a devil-may-care, sexually promiscuous party girl, approximately 22 years old. First appearing in the episode first-run November 15, 1968, Niki appears more times than all of the other alters combined and is very skilled at masquerading as Viki when necessary to hide her re-emergence.[59] Niki has had two serious relationships with Vince Wolek (1968–69) and Harry O'Neill (1985); neither Vinny or Harry realized at the time that Niki was an alter of Viki.
  • Tommy – a 14-year-old male alter who first appeared in the episode first-run February 2, 1995, who embodied Viki's anger and rage at her abuse.[60] Tommy usually emerged to protect Princess (another alternate personality), and once threw Dorian Lord down the La Boulaie staircase and attempted to beat her to death with a claw hammer in the Llanfair secret room.
  • Jean Randolph – Jean Randolph is the calm, cool, collected and calculating caretaker of all the other alters, who first appeared in the episode first-run February 2, 1995 when Viki's abusive childhood was revealed.[60] Her name is derived from that of Viki's mother, Eugenia Randolph Lord. Jean blackmailed con man David Vickers into divorcing Viki's sister, Tina, and also freed Viki's son, Joey, from Dorian Lord's clutches by imprisoning Dorian in a secret room in the basement of Llanfair, which led Joey to believe that Dorian left him. Jean then forced Dorian to marry David to keep them both occupied and away from Viki's loved ones.
  • Princess – a manifestation of Viki as a seven-year-old girl. First appearing in the episode first-run February 21, 1995, Princess is a traumatized child who is constantly reliving the molestation by Viki's father. Protected by Tommy, the 14-year-old alternate personality, who is most angry about the abuse.
  • Tori Lord – Tori first appeared in the episode first-run April 18, 1995, approximately 19 years old, after Dorian revealed the truth of Victor's abuse to Viki. It was established that Tori was the alter who murdered Victor Lord in 1976. (It was later revealed that Victor survived and did not die until 2003. However Dorian has planted a seed of doubt regarding that notion, suggesting that the man who re-emerged as Victor in 2003 was a fraud.) Although her declared mission was to force Viki to face the truth, she wreaked much destruction before getting around to that. Tori started undermining The Banner by feeding stories and information to rival newspaper editor Todd Manning, and she torched Llanfair, nearly killing Jessica in the blaze.
  • Victor Lord – this personality is the reflective image of Viki's abusive father, Victor. First appearing in the episode first-run October 23, 1995, the Victor Lord personality only emerged a handful of times, but one of the instances that he took over led Viki to attempt suicide by cutting her own wrists to "expel" Victor from her body.

Reception

[edit]

Series fansite Llanview Labyrinth remarks that although Gillian Spencer's Victoria is featured at the show's outset, "the obviousness of Viki being the show[']s unquestioned 'lead' did not smack the viewer quite as hard as it later would [with Erika Slezak's portrayal],"[61] with Spencer's Victoria melding into the ensemble cast. Joanne Dorian briefly stepped into the role beginning in October 1970, with a markedly less dynamic presence on the series than her predecessor.

In March 1971, One Life to Live executive producer Doris Quinlan remarked to After Noon TV magazine of Erika Slezak and her audition before herself, series creator and head writer Agnes Nixon, and director David Pressman, "You've got to meet this girl—she's going to be a star."[62]

Since the introduction of Slezak as Victoria, her portrayal has become regarded as definitive to the role.[61] Slezak's work has garnered her the acclaim of media critics and viewers alike, earning the actress comparisons between herself and contemporary film star Meryl Streep for perceived similarities in acting range, versatility, and numerous award nominations.[63][64] Slezak has received nine Daytime Emmy Award nominations in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress for her portrayal of Victoria, winning in 1984,[65] 1986,[66] 1992,[67] 1995,[68] 1996,[69] and 2005.[70] At the finale of the show's last iteration, she held the record for most Emmy wins by an actress. She also garnered the Soap Opera Digest Award for Favorite Couple with co-star Mark Derwin (Ben Davidson) in 2000.[10]

In 2002, in recognition for her work on One Life to Live, Slezak was inducted as a member of the Silver Circle of the New York chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for over a quarter-century of "significant contributions" to television.[71][72] In July 2020, Soaps.com cited Slezak's casting in the role as the third-best recast of all-time on a soap opera.[73]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Victoria Lord

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Victoria Lord, known familiarly as Viki, is a fictional character and the central protagonist of the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live, portrayed primarily by from March 1971 until the series' original conclusion in January 2012. Introduced in 1968 as the daughter of publishing tycoon , Viki inherits control of the family's flagship newspaper, The Banner, becoming a pivotal figure in the fictional town of . Her character arcs encompass a wide array of dramatic elements, including numerous marriages to figures such as Joe Riley, Victor Lord II, and Clint Buchanan; intense family rivalries, particularly with her cousin ; and a long-running battle with (DID), triggered by childhood abuse, manifesting in alters like the promiscuous Niki Smith and others such as Jean Randolph and Tori. Slezak's nuanced depiction of Viki's psychological complexity and resilience garnered critical acclaim, including six Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Series between 1984 and 2005, underscoring the character's status as one of daytime television's most enduring and multifaceted heroines. The role's emphasis on themes of trauma recovery and personal agency distinguished Viki amid the soap's exploration of social issues, though some storylines drew scrutiny for sensationalizing conditions prevalent in the genre.

Creation and development

Conception

Victoria Lord was conceived by series creator as the foundational character and protagonist of , debuting in the premiere episode on July 15, 1968, to serve as the narrative anchor amid explorations of . Nixon envisioned the show as a realistic alternative to the fantastical elements prevalent in contemporary soaps, focusing instead on the everyday struggles of middle- to upper-class families in the fictional town of Llanview. As the eldest child of domineering newspaper publisher , Viki was positioned to ground family-centric storylines, highlighting tensions between parental expectations and personal agency. Initial arcs emphasized the monotony of high-society obligations contrasted with Viki's drive for independence through her role at the family-owned newspaper, alongside relational conflicts arising from class divides, such as her romance with working-class doctor Joe Riley, whom Victor opposed. These elements reflected Nixon's commitment to depicting authentic interpersonal and socioeconomic dynamics without supernatural or exaggerated tropes.

Casting history

Victoria Lord was first portrayed by upon the premiere of on July 15, 1968, continuing in the role until 1970. The character was then briefly recast with Joanne Dorian from late 1970 to early 1971 as producers sought a long-term fit for the matriarchal lead. Erika Slezak, then 24 years old, debuted as Viki on March 17, 1971, after being cast by series creator Agnes Nixon following an audition originally intended for another soap. Slezak's selection emphasized her potential to convey the character's emotional depth and evolving storylines, marking the end of early recasts. Slezak held the role uninterrupted for 41 years through the ABC broadcast's conclusion in January 2012, with temporary absences filled by body doubles or editing rather than new actresses. She returned briefly for the Prospect Park online revival episodes aired in 2013, after which no further portrayals occurred.

Characterization

Victoria Lord, known as Viki, is depicted as a proud, intelligent, and independent woman shaped by her father's influence as the publisher of The Banner, instilling in her a deep sense of responsibility for the family newspaper's legacy. Her core traits include unwavering loyalty to her family, demonstrated through her devotion to raising her children single-handedly following profound losses, and a moral compass that emphasizes high standards and in both personal relationships and journalistic pursuits. Viki's resilience is a defining characteristic, enabling her to endure repeated personal tragedies, such as the deaths of spouses, which test but ultimately reinforce her strength and focus on family and professional duties. This fortitude manifests in her ability to overcome grief and adversity without succumbing to dependency, reflecting a pattern of growth driven by direct confrontation with life's challenges. Her actions often stem from the causal impact of prior hardships, leading to initially flawed responses that evolve into redemptive outcomes, highlighting a realistic portrayal of agency amid trauma. Throughout her arc, Viki transitions from a more submissive role, reliant on male figures for support, to an assertive matriarch who thrives independently, managing The Banner and prioritizing over external aids. This evolution underscores themes of forged through and steadfast commitment to ethical and familial bonds, positioning her as a confident and strong figure in her narrative world.

Major story arcs

Early years (1968–1979)

Victoria Lord debuted on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live on July 15, 1968, as the adult daughter of , the wealthy and autocratic publisher of the Llanview Banner. Portrayed initially by , Viki managed the family newspaper while chafing under her father's domineering influence, which extended to dictating her personal choices, including her engagement to Joe Riley, a working-class doctor from the rival Riley family. Victor opposed the match due to socioeconomic differences and Riley's lack of pedigree, viewing it as beneath the Lord's status, yet Viki persisted, highlighting early tensions over her limited personal agency amid familial expectations. Viki and Joe married in June 1969 despite Victor's disapproval, marking a brief period of independence as she balanced marital life with her duties at the Banner. Their union produced son , born on September 12, 1970—later retconned to 1976 in some storylines—amid escalating family pressures. Tragedy struck in late 1970 when Joe was presumed dead in a plane crash, prompting Viki to legally declare him deceased and grapple with sudden widowhood while raising their infant son under Victor's watchful oversight. Joe resurfaced alive in 1972, revealing he had survived but suffered ; the couple reconciled, only for Joe to be diagnosed with an inoperable , leading to his death in November 1973 and leaving Viki to assume full control of the Banner as a young widow with a . The mid-1970s saw Viki's early motherhood expand with the conception of a second son, Joey (born Joseph Francis Riley Jr. onscreen in January 1980, posthumously to Joe), underscoring her romantic tragedies and the persistent shadow of paternal control, as Victor continued to meddle in her professional decisions and personal recovery. Conflicts intensified around Victor's rigid authority, including revelations of long-suppressed family dynamics that strained Viki's autonomy, though she increasingly asserted herself in managing the newspaper empire. In , Victor was shot at the Lord mansion in an incident that left him presumed dead for decades, further destabilizing Viki's world and forcing her to navigate legal and emotional fallout while protecting her children.

1980s developments

In 1982, Victoria Lord married Clint Buchanan, the brother of and a key figure in the family's vast business empire, which facilitated greater collaboration between Lord family holdings and Buchanan Enterprises. This union provided stability following earlier personal losses, with Clint adopting Viki's sons, and Joey—born to her late first husband Joe Riley—thus expanding the blended family structure. The marriage emphasized Viki's resilience, as she balanced editorial responsibilities at The Banner with integrating into the influential Buchanan dynasty amid ongoing corporate rivalries. Viki continued to oversee expansions at The Banner, Llanview's leading newspaper, navigating competitive pressures from emerging media outlets and internal family disputes over control. These efforts underscored her professional autonomy, as she leveraged journalistic investigations to challenge business adversaries, including those tied to Buchanan operations. By prioritizing over , Viki positioned The Banner as a in local corporate battles, reflecting her commitment to independent oversight rather than passive reliance on inherited wealth. From 1987 to 1989, Viki deepened her involvement in Buchanan family mergers, contributing to strategic consolidations that bolstered their industrial portfolio while using The Banner to expose linked political scandals, such as allegations surrounding local figures. These arcs highlighted her proactive role in family and civic affairs, including adoptions and that reinforced familial bonds without diminishing her self-directed career trajectory. Widowhood from prior unions had not defined her path; instead, Viki's actions demonstrated adaptive strength in forging new alliances and professional ventures.

1990s plotlines

In the early 1990s, Victoria Lord grappled with profound family losses that intensified her ethical commitments to transparency through The Banner. The death of her daughter Gordon Harrison from on February 7, 1992, deeply affected Viki, as Megan succumbed in the arms of her husband, Jake Harrison, amid a storyline emphasizing Viki's maternal bonds and the causal fallout from her own past secretive decisions about family origins. This tragedy compounded Viki's dilemmas, linking earlier revelations about Victor Lord's hidden indiscretions to ongoing loyalties tested by betrayals within the extended Lord and Buchanan clans. Viki's longstanding feud with escalated over control of the Lord estate and legacy, with sharp confrontations in 1992 and 1993 highlighting disputes rooted in Victor's will and family inheritance claims. Dorian's maneuvers to undermine Viki's at Llanfair and exploit estate assets reflected causal chains from Victor's manipulative , forcing Viki to balance familial preservation against Dorian's opportunistic schemes. From 1994 to 1995, Viki married Sloan Carpenter, whose investigation into Victor Lord's past unearthed evidence of a second child born to Victor and Irene, amplifying ethical tensions between personal revelations and public accountability. Sloan's death from Hodgkin's disease shortly after the wedding in early 1995 left Viki confronting these compounded betrayals, while her role at The Banner involved exposés on local corruption, such as ties influencing Llanview politics, underscoring her prioritization of truth over family insulation. A in 1990 further strained her resilience, linking physical vulnerability to the psychological toll of inherited family deceptions.

2000s narratives

In the early 2000s, Viki confronted the shocking revelation that was her biological daughter, the fraternal twin of who had been abducted at birth and raised by another family. Natalie arrived in Llanview in 2001, initially posing as Clint Buchanan's niece before asserting her true parentage through DNA evidence, a disclosure that strained family dynamics but ultimately integrated her into the Lord-Buchanan fold after Viki's persistent verification efforts. Viki's personal life intersected with broader Llanview upheavals, including shootings and kidnappings that tested her resilience; for instance, during a 2007 crisis, her husband Charlie Banks intervened to rescue Natalie and her partner Jared from peril amid escalating threats from criminal elements. These events underscored Viki's central role in navigating communal dangers, often leveraging her influence at The Banner to expose underlying deceptions and advocate for accountability. By the mid-2000s, Viki's relational landscape evolved with her romance and marriage to Charlie Banks, a recovering alcoholic she met while supporting community recovery programs; the couple wed in a double ceremony alongside Clint Buchanan and Nora Hanen on August 4, 2009, marking a period of relative stability amid ongoing family expansions, including the arrival of grandchildren that reinforced her matriarchal bonds. This union highlighted Viki's pattern of seeking authentic partnerships post-widowhood from , though it faced strains from external crises like the 2008 marital discord revelations involving Clint. Viki's truth-seeking persisted through exposés of familial lies, such as the 2003–2004 unraveling of deceptions tied to her children's histories, and culminated in her late-decade political candidacy for Llanview , where she campaigned against corrupt incumbents, prioritizing transparency and ethical governance over entrenched power structures. Her platform drew on decades of journalistic integrity at The Banner, positioning her as a counter to media rivals like Todd Manning's The Sun, which aggressively challenged her publication's dominance in local reporting.

Final years (2010–2012)

In 2010, Victoria Lord divorced her husband Charlie Banks after learning of his deception regarding the true parentage of his grandson Shane Baldwin, who was revealed to be the biological son of Rex Balsom rather than Charlie's late son Jared. This fracture prompted a reconciliation with longtime love Clint Buchanan, with whom she rekindled their romance amid ongoing family upheavals in Llanview. Viki provided steadfast support to her daughter Jessica during her struggles with dissociative identity disorder, including integrations of alters and related traumas. Throughout 2011, Viki confronted lingering threats from past adversaries, including the machinations of Mitch Laurence, who had orchestrated schemes against the Lord family prior to his presumed death in 2009 but whose influence persisted through associates and unresolved vendettas. She battled health concerns, drawing on her resilience from previous medical ordeals such as heart complications, while mentoring descendants like granddaughter and guiding the Buchanan-Lord legacy. These arcs emphasized Viki's role as , fostering reconciliations and defending against external dangers to the town. The series' abrupt cancellation by ABC, announced on April 14, 2011, and culminating in the final episode on January 13, , truncated Viki's concluding narratives. In the finale, new DNA evidence confirmed Jessica's paternity as Clint's, nullifying prior claims by and solidifying family bonds; Viki and Clint reunited romantically, symbolizing enduring unity. However, broader threads—such as the survival of Victor Lord Jr. and potential rifts—remained open, reflecting the rushed closure imposed by the network's decision to end production.

Dissociative identity disorder portrayal

Diagnosis and alters

Victoria Lord's dissociative identity disorder originated from childhood inflicted by her father, , leading to the creation of alternate personalities as a mechanism. The first alter, Niki Smith, emerged in 1968 as a brash, flirtatious escape from her father's control, manifesting during periods of stress and enabling behaviors uncharacteristic of Viki's reserved nature. Niki was depicted as a sexually promiscuous, fun-loving party girl who frequented bars like Ernie's Bar and engaged in impulsive affairs, such as with local characters, while Viki experienced blackouts and amnesia regarding these episodes. Subsequent traumas, including rapes by figures like Mitch Laurence in later arcs, triggered additional alters during the 1970s and beyond, with the condition recurring through blackouts and divergent actions into the . was portrayed through psychiatric sessions where alters were identified via inconsistencies in , handwriting analysis, and direct confrontations during switches, confirming multiple personalities beyond the initial dual presentation with Niki. Key alters included Tori, a vindictive teenage protector embodying rage toward abusers; Jean Randolph, a calm and methodical caretaker managing household duties during crises; and others like the childlike Princess and adolescent male Tommy, each surfacing to handle specific emotional loads from abuse.

Key episodes and resolutions

In the mid-1980s, Viki underwent intensive following the revelation that her alter Tori had murdered her father years earlier, leading to a successful integration of her personalities as a direct response to confronting the suppressed childhood trauma. This resolution allowed Viki to regain full control, though it was precipitated by the psychological strain of unresolved guilt and loss from Victor's in 1976. During the 1990s, Viki's DID resurfaced amid escalating family revelations, including the discovery of her half-brother Todd Manning's origins, triggering the emergence of alters Tori and Jean; Tori, driven by vengeful impulses rooted in the original abuse, was linked to prior violent acts, while Jean imprisoned rival in Llanfair's basement for months, attempting to protect Viki from perceived threats tied to Victor's legacy. These conflicts culminated in Viki confessing on December 12, 1995, that Tori had killed Victor, not Dorian, enabling further therapy that achieved another major integration by addressing the causal chain of intergenerational trauma and betrayal. In 2003, schemes involving and antagonist Mitch Laurence exploited Viki's vulnerabilities to induce a , aiming to destabilize her control over the family estate by reactivating states amid the stress of conflicts and estate disputes. Subsequent occurred in 2007–2008, triggered by personal betrayals such as husband Charlie Banks's , prompting brief takeovers by Niki Smith before Viki reasserted dominance through self-awareness of the loss-induced triggers. These episodes underscored the condition's persistence, with resolutions relying on confronting specific relational ruptures rather than .

Psychological realism and debates

The depiction of Victoria Lord's (DID) in , introduced in the 1970s and recurring through multiple arcs peaking in 1985 with the alter Niki Smith, contributed to early public discourse on childhood trauma's long-term psychological effects, portraying fragmentation as a mechanism for paternal . This narrative humanized mental illness by linking alters to repressed memories, aligning with trauma-based models and fostering viewer empathy for survivors, as evidenced by contemporaneous analyses noting their role in mirroring repressed familial dynamics. Such storylines predated widespread clinical recognition of DID in the DSM-III-R (1987), potentially elevating awareness of dissociative symptoms amid limited empirical data on prevalence. Critics, however, contend that the show's emphasis on dramatic, observable multiplicity—such as rapid switches triggered by stress, with alters exhibiting stark behavioral contrasts like Niki's versus Victoria's restraint—exaggerates clinical , where overt switches are infrequent and often subtle even in corroborated cases. Empirical studies indicate DID diagnoses remain rare globally, with prevalence estimates under 1% and skepticism regarding their authenticity due to suggestibility in therapeutic settings; psychiatrist Paul McHugh has argued that many instances arise iatrogenically from and leading questions rather than innate trauma responses, likening them to historical hysterias rather than discrete pathologies. In , resolutions via integration therapy mirrored proponent views but overlooked data showing most trauma survivors exhibit resilience without fragmentation, potentially fueling public misconceptions of DID as a common outcome. Debates persist on the portrayal's net impact: advocates for the trauma model praise it for validating experiences in media-scarce eras, suggesting therapeutic parallels in narrative "fusions" that echoed emerging protocols. Detractors, including those citing media-induced distortions, warn it contributed to diagnostic enthusiasm in the – "memory wars," where suggestive portrayals correlated with rises in unsubstantiated claims and iatrogenic cases, undermining causal realism by prioritizing dramatic over longitudinal evidence of with borderline traits or . Balanced assessments note the storyline's role in destigmatizing therapy-seeking while cautioning against conflating sensationalism with verifiable phenomenology, where genuine DID, if existent, manifests covertly without the scripted multiplicity's theatrical flair.

Family and relationships

Marriages and romances

Victoria Lord's marriages frequently involved partners who provided protection or stability amid her personal traumas, yet many concluded tragically through or dissolution, reflecting patterns of intense but unstable commitments. Her initial to physician Joseph "Joe" Riley occurred in 1970, ending with his from a on July 17, 1973, after he had supported her through early psychological struggles. Subsequent unions, such as to Steve Burke in 1973, dissolved via following legal entanglements, while her brief to Sloan Collier in 1976 terminated with his from cancer the following year, underscoring a recurring theme of widowhood that compounded her emotional vulnerabilities. These relationships often stemmed from Viki's attraction to authoritative, safeguarding men—evident in her bond with Clint Buchanan, a former turned media executive—who became her most enduring partner. Buchanan and Lord wed on November 15, 1982, after years of mutual support following Riley's death; though they divorced in 1986 amid Viki's dissociative episodes and remarried intermittently (including 1989–1994 and later reconciliations), their connection represented a break from prior cycles of loss, evolving into a stabilizing force by the through shared resilience rather than dependency. Affairs outside were infrequent for Viki's primary persona, who prioritized marital fidelity and long-term ideals despite repeated failures, contrasting with impulsive actions by her alters; notable exceptions, like a 1980s entanglement with Mitch Banks leading to a short-lived , yielded divorces without sustained disruption to her core commitment ethos. Later romances, including with from 1999 until his death in 2004, reinforced patterns of seeking security but highlighted maturity in navigating grief without perpetual recurrence of early traumas.

Children and descendants

Victoria Lord bore two sons, Kevin and Joey Buchanan, with her first husband, Joe Riley, prior to his death in 1976; Clint Buchanan later adopted both upon marrying Viki in 1982. Kevin developed a career in journalism and publishing, echoing the legacy of his grandfather Victor Lord's newspaper empire, while demonstrating professional autonomy through roles at The Banner and later ventures amid personal setbacks like political scandals in the 1990s. Joey pursued a clerical path, entering seminary and serving as a minister, reflecting Viki's influence in fostering moral and spiritual independence despite family upheavals such as his brief marriage to Jennifer Rappaport in 2001. Viki's maternal approach prioritized guiding her sons toward self-sufficiency, intervening decisively during crises—like supporting Kevin's recovery from a 1995 shooting—without enabling dependency, which enabled their navigation of Llanview's intrigues as adults. Viki's daughter , born in 1980 during her marriage to Clint, presented unique generational challenges, developing with an alter named Tess, paralleling Viki's own condition rooted in childhood trauma. A 2003 plot revelation disclosed Jessica's biological paternity as resulting from Viki's drugged by Mitch , yet Viki raised her as her own, providing therapeutic support and family resources that facilitated Jessica's management of the disorder through integrations in key episodes around 2006 and 2008. This parental commitment extended to shielding Jessica from exploitative elements in her life, such as early romantic entanglements, instilling resilience that allowed Jessica to build a career in design and motherhood despite relapses. Viki's hands-on yet empowering style—contrasting permissive depictions in later soap eras—underscored causal links between parental vigilance and offspring autonomy, as evidenced by Jessica's eventual stabilization and professional pursuits. Among Viki's grandchildren, Kevin fathered Demerest "Duke" Buchanan (deceased 2006 from injuries in a feud-related explosion) and Kevin Buchanan Jr. with Kelly Cramer, while Jessica gave birth to Megan Rappaport (deceased infancy, 2004) with Antonio Vega and Bree Brennan (later Buchanan) on May 1, 2006, with Nash Brennan. These descendants inherited elements of familial volatility, with Bree facing early custody battles post-Jessica's DID episodes, yet Viki's overarching role involved stabilizing generational dynamics through inheritance oversight and emotional anchoring at Llanfair, promoting continuity of the Lord-Buchanan legacy without overreach. Joey, who fathered no known children in canon, exemplified Viki's success in channeling progeny toward vocations over reproduction amid the family's expansive lineage.

Rivalries and feuds

Victoria Lord's longstanding feud with , her aunt by marriage, centered on struggles for dominance within the Lord family legacy and control of key assets like the Llanfair estate, fueled by Victor Lord's overt favoritism toward Viki as his primary heir. This rivalry intensified after Dorian's 1974 suspension from Llanview Hospital for mishandling a patient's care, which she attributed to Viki's influence as a board member, despite Viki having opposed the suspension. Over decades, their conflicts encompassed battles over Victor's estate following his 1976 death—initially pinned on Dorian—and public scandals, such as Dorian's 1980s political ambitions thwarted by Viki's journalistic scrutiny at The Banner. Viki's ethical stance frequently yielded victories against Dorian's more manipulative strategies; for instance, Viki's exposure of Dorian's involvement in ethical breaches at Llanview Hospital and later senatorial improprieties underscored how integrity trumped scheming in sustaining Viki's authority. However, Viki's occasional naivety toward family loyalties allowed Dorian temporary advantages, such as disputes in 1982 over inheriting Llanfair, where Dorian leveraged legal maneuvers before Viki reclaimed control through verified will provisions. Additional antagonisms arose with , head of the Buchanan conglomerate, whose aggressive business expansions clashed with Viki's stewardship of Lord media properties, exemplifying broader elite rivalries in Llanview that tested Viki's principled negotiations against Asa's cutthroat tactics. Clashes with , Victor's former mistress and mother to Viki's half-siblings and Todd, stemmed from betrayals tied to Victor's secrets, culminating in Irene's 2011 resurgence as a manipulator who orchestrated threats against the Lord lineage, forcing Viki into defensive confrontations over family patrimony. These dynamics illustrated how spurred Viki's growth, with her resilience often prevailing through adherence to moral boundaries rather than expediency.

Reception and analysis

Acting accolades and praise

Erika Slezak garnered significant recognition for her portrayal of Victoria Lord, winning a record six for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Series, the most for any female performer in that category. Her victories included awards in 1984, 1986, 1992, 1994, 1995, and 2005, reflecting sustained excellence over her 41-year tenure from 1971 to 2012. Critics and industry observers praised Slezak's nuanced performance, highlighting her ability to convey Victoria Lord's resilience amid personal traumas, including multiple marriages, health crises, and . TV Guide described her as a "superstar" whose work elevated the character to iconic status in . Soap Opera Digest noted her as one of the most respected performers, crediting her depth in embodying the character's evolution from vulnerable heiress to formidable matriarch. Fans echoed this sentiment, viewing Slezak's interpretation as layering complexity onto Victoria Lord that transcended stereotypes, with her record as the longest-running lead actress in the role underscoring her enduring appeal. Her performances were seen as pivotal to the show's narrative strength, earning her additional honors like the NATAS Silver Circle in 2002 for contributions to .

Criticisms of storylines

Critics of soap operas, including , have argued that frequent depictions of and serial marriages normalize marital breakdown, thereby eroding traditional family structures by minimizing the consequences of personal choices in relationships. Victoria Lord's narrative arc exemplified this pattern, as the character entered multiple marriages—beginning with Joe Riley in 1969, followed by Steve Burke in 1971, Jr. in 1976, and Clint Buchanan twice (1986 and 1994)—often intertwined with extramarital affairs that drove conflict without emphasizing accountability or long-term relational stability. Such portrayals, according to conservative observers, contribute to cultural attitudes that treat commitment as disposable, sidelining causal factors like individual responsibility in favor of external drama. Storylines involving also faced scrutiny for over-dependence on sensational crises, such as improbable resurrections and near-death visions, which prioritized viewer retention over narrative coherence. For example, the character's 1987 heavenly encounter—depicted as a spaceship reunion with deceased relatives—illustrated the show's shift toward fantastical elements that strained credibility, even as they facilitated ongoing family feuds. This approach, common in the genre, undermined the potential for grounded exploration of personal agency, instead using trauma-induced alters in Lord's as a convenient mechanism to resolve or instigate plot inconsistencies without deeper . The 2013 online revival by Prospect Park, which continued Lord's storyline, introduced edgier, more explicit content enabled by the web format, diverging from the broadcast era's restrained tone and prompting fan discontent over heightened . Writers like co-head Thom Racina highlighted the freedom to explore bolder themes previously constrained by network standards, yet this shift amplified criticisms that the series sacrificed character-driven subtlety for gratuitous , further detaching from the original's focus on interpersonal realism.

Legacy in soap operas

Victoria Lord's depiction as a resilient matriarch and publisher in One Life to Live helped anchor the series' narrative core, contributing to its run of over 4,000 episodes across 43 years on ABC from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012. As the Lord family patriarch's daughter who evolved into a powerful executive managing The Banner, her character balanced professional ambition with familial duties and personal adversities, establishing an early model for multifaceted female protagonists in that prioritized agency and adaptation over passive endurance. This archetype influenced portrayals of authoritative women in subsequent soaps, such as the enduring matriarchs in shows like , where characters navigated similar tensions between power, relationships, and self-reliance, reflecting Viki's template of internal resolution rather than reliance on external validation. Efforts to extend OLTL's legacy post-cancellation, including Prospect Park's 2013 online revival featuring Viki, collapsed amid legal battles with ABC over and production disruptions, underscoring the character's ties to the traditional broadcast model's audience draw, which waned in the streaming era. The revival's short lifespan of less than a year highlighted how Viki's appeal, rooted in serialized storytelling of personal accountability and growth, struggled to adapt without the era-specific cultural context of network television dominance.

References

  1. https://www.soapoperadigest.com/actors/erika-slezak/
  2. https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/entertainment/local/2012/01/15/one-life-to-live/49770404007/
  3. https://soaps.sheknows.com/one-life-to-live/characters/victoria-niki-jean-lord-banks/
  4. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-07-tv-63182-story.html
  5. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0805785/awards
  6. https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/remembering-agnes-nixon/
  7. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/agnes-nixon-writer-who-created-one-life-to-live-and-all-my-children-dies-at-93/2016/09/29/c4f83c22-8652-11e6-a3ef-f35afb41797f_story.html
  8. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062595/
  9. https://ew.com/one-life-to-live-legend-erika-slezak-joins-general-hospital-11753991
  10. https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2011/04/erika-slezak-finally-gets-bumped-by-one-life
  11. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/honoring-one-life-live-legendary-100554346.html
  12. https://people.com/soap-legend-erika-slezak-joining-general-hospital-11754347
  13. https://deadline.com/2025/06/erika-slezak-general-hospital-cast-one-life-to-live-1236432484/
  14. https://www.erikaslezak.com/1980s-1/1980-on-her-own
  15. https://smashinginterviews.com/interviews/actors/erika-slezak-interview-one-life-to-live-makes-a-triumphant-risque-return-online-and-its-mainstay-has-plenty-to-say-about-that
  16. https://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/topic/69418-article-erika-slezak-wraps-limited-run-on-%25E2%2580%2598general-hospital%25E2%2580%2599-same-day-she-debuts-in-port-charles/
  17. https://soaps.fandom.com/wiki/Victoria_Lord
  18. https://www.oocities.org/historypg/oltl6877.html
  19. https://onelifetolive.fandom.com/wiki/Victoria_Lord
  20. https://soaps.fandom.com/wiki/Joe_Riley
  21. https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/11554026
  22. https://soaps.sheknows.com/one-life-to-live/characters/kevin-buchanan/
  23. https://soaps.sheknows.com/one-life-to-live/characters/joey-buchanan/
  24. https://onelifetolive.fandom.com/wiki/Victor_Lord
  25. https://soapoperanews.net/couples-of-past-one-life-to-lives-viki/
  26. https://www.tvmegasite.net/day/oltl/characters/victoria.shtml
  27. https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/4219338
  28. https://michaelfairmantv.com/30-years-ago-today-oltls-megan-died-in-jakes-arms-in-heartbreaking-ending-to-unforgettable-love-story/2022/02/07/
  29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vSvSXjgTkY
  30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn6dA2zk1xE
  31. https://www.oocities.org/historypg/oltl1995.html
  32. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJWP0TmDDWE
  33. https://onelifetolive.fandom.com/wiki/Natalie_Buchanan
  34. https://soaps.sheknows.com/one-life-to-live/characters/charlie-banks/
  35. https://onelifetolive.fandom.com/wiki/Storylines:_2000-2012
  36. https://www.tvline.com/news/one-life-to-live-series-finale-recap-287832/
  37. https://ew.com/article/2012/01/13/one-life-to-live-finale/
  38. https://www.today.com/popculture/one-life-live-ends-its-43-year-run-1c9380065
  39. https://www.soaphub.com/general-soap-operas/multiple-madness-soaps-most-memorable-split-personalities/
  40. https://www.chicagotribune.com/1995/04/20/erika-slezak-now-has-6-lives-to-live/
  41. https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/its-splits-0/
  42. https://www.welovesoaps.tv/2017/12/today-in-soap-opera-history-december-12.html
  43. https://www.erikaslezak.com/2000s/2000-daytime-divas
  44. https://www.facebook.com/groups/205948209420088/posts/24660573813530854/
  45. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/arts/television/one-life-to-live-and-lessons-for-real-life.html
  46. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2719457/
  47. https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1543&context=senior_theses
  48. https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/speak-memory
  49. https://did-research.org/research/models
  50. https://www.discussingdissociation.com/2009/05/one-life-to-live-and-jessicas-integration/
  51. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0954349X23000942
  52. https://www.instagram.com/p/DCabwytRZ6w/?hl=en
  53. https://www.soapcentral.com/one-life-to-live/recaps/1999/990524.php
  54. https://www.soapcentral.com/character/starr-irene-manning
  55. https://www.soapcentral.com/one-life-to-live/recaps/1999/991220.php
  56. http://www.erikaslezak.com/vikijessica.htm
  57. https://www.soapcentral.com/one-life-to-live/recaps/2003/031201.php
  58. https://www.soapcentral.com/one-life-to-live/recaps/1998/980504.php
  59. https://www.soapcentral.com/one-life-to-live/recaps/2003/030303.php
  60. https://www.soapcentral.com/one-life-to-live/content/_old/twoscoops/2011/twoscoops_110117.inc
  61. https://onelifetolive.fandom.com/wiki/Cramer_family
  62. https://www.reddit.com/r/SoapNet/comments/1ah594a/on_this_day_on_one_life_to_live_in_1995_viki/
  63. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7D5BF2781BFAABA8
  64. http://www.elizabethkmahon.com/2012/01/scandalous-women-of-one-life-to-live.html
  65. https://soaps.sheknows.com/one-life-to-live/characters/victor-lord-jr/
  66. https://www.tvguide.com/news/erika-slezak-celebrates-1030110/
  67. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2enyE5zIpxs
  68. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1hAP5AlH4U
  69. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFBQ81PczbU
  70. https://www.vulture.com/2013/05/mad-men-megan-draper-soap-opera-one-life-to-life-erika-slezak.html
  71. https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/one-life-to-live-alum-erika-slezak-on-her-completely-different-general-hospital-role/
  72. https://www.erikaslezak.com/awards-media
  73. https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=6628
  74. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2316580/Back-dead-Canceled-soaps-One-Life-Live-All-My-Children-return-new-online-versions-sexier-edgier-ever.html
  75. https://michaelfairmantv.com/oltl-co-head-writer-thom-racina-video-message-we-get-to-do-things-that-soap-operas-have-never-done-before/2013/03/03/
  76. https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/593033/one-life-to-live-erika-slezak-debut-viki-anniversary-tribute/
  77. https://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/topic/54046-all-time-favorite-soap-characters/
  78. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/one-life-live-production-suspended-619686/
  79. https://tvline.com/news/all-my-children-one-life-to-live-reboot-lawsuit-prospect-park-abc-427088/
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.