General Hospital Performer of the Week: Erika Slezak as Veronica 'Ronnie' Bard

What can we say here about our General Hospital performer of the week? That if One Life to Live wasn't so egregiously canceled, she would have been receiving these honors for the last dozen years or so? Probably. She's Erika Slezak, a soap opera legend and six-time Emmy winner — and she created a brand-new character in Port Charles to go head-to-head with another absolute legend, Jane Elliot.

Veronica Bard can hold her own

Ronnie learned all about her sister's family on General Hospital | Image: ABC

We know that Slezak can play just about anyone, considering the myriad of separate personalities she played on OLTL. From Viki and Nikki to Jean and Tommy, Slezak has been bringing unique characters to life on soaps for more than half a century.

This past week, she showed us who Veronica Bard really is. She is as tough as her sister, can hold her own with Tracy like a pro, and was stunned when she learned she now owns Monica's house (but does she?). In behind-the-scenes photos, Slezak appeared to be having the time of her life on the General Hospital set, reuniting with old friends and making new pals.

However, when the cameras started rolling, she knew her job. She was able to slip right into this new character and charm us with her smile and humor. Slezak didn't miss a beat as she mucked it up with the Quartermaine clan, learning about their many secrets — and how to get along (or maybe just get by) with the formidable Tracy. Monica's sister-in-law does not like Monica's sister one bit, but Ronnie didn't much like Tracy either.

General Hospital's Ronnie gets serious

Ronnie stopped Anna in her tracks | Image: ABC

Ronnie won the Quartermaines over when she showed them she could be just as clever as her late older sister. Without missing a beat, Slezak showed us how no-nonsense Ronnie was when she spotted a simple error on a search warrant and kicked the cops right out of the house.

By Friday, we saw her tender side with her great-nephew, Michael, who everyone thought would inherit the house. After sparring with Tracy once again while uttering the line, "It's my house. Monica gave it to me," Ronnie sat down with Michael and heard his tale of woe. Slezak exuded a warmth as a woman who has lived quite a life, and she made us want to know more about her.

Alas, we know this is just a brief General Hospital visit from an actress who has been wow'ing us for half a century, but maybe she can come back to play one day, and bring Victoria Lord with her.

Catch all-new episodes of General Hospital weekdays on ABC and Hulu.