Lifetime's Intimate Portrait — Erika Slezak (2002)
Premiering July 8, 2002, on the Lifetime Television Network, Intimate Portrait offered viewers a personal look at Erika's life and career. The program explored her childhood as the daughter of celebrated actor Walter Slezak, her early theatrical training, her marriage and family life, and her remarkable career portraying Victoria Lord on One Life to Live.
Through personal recollections, family photographs, and interviews, the documentary presented a portrait of Erika both on and off the screen.
At Erika's suggestion, the producers of Intimate Portrait contacted Walter Miller, president of the Erika Slezak Fan Club, who contributed photographs and video footage for the program. His assistance was acknowledged in the closing credits.
The photographs that follow are images featured during the original 2002 broadcast of Intimate Portrait, preserved here as a visual record of the program.
Watch Lifetime's Intimate Portrait (2002): Part 1 | Part 2
In Her Own Words:
"I was dopey…I was very, very, very socially uncomfortable." — Erika Slezak
"My father pulled me aside one day...and told me everything bad he could think of about the business. I was sort of shell-shocked — but undeterred." — Erika Slezak
"My life has been big magic. I'm not really waiting for the shoe to drop. I keep thinking [that] one day I'll have to pay for all this. I hope I don't." — Erika Slezak
Five Things About Erika
1. Erika Slezak's sister, Ingrid, is an attorney and her brother, Leo, is a pilot.
2. Sometimes she has to memorize 30 pages of dialogue in one night.
3. Slezak speaks fluent German.
4. She raises money for cancer awareness.
5. Slezak loves the fact that being an actress has allowed her to spend a lot of time being a mother.
Behind the Scenes — A Personal Thank-You
In this handwritten note, Liz Kineke thanks Walter Miller for sharing materials from his extensive Erika Slezak memorabilia collection for Lifetime's Intimate Portrait (2002).
