Erika was born in Hollywood, where she learned to speak German at home before she learned English. She attended high school at the Sacred Heart Schools in Greenwich, CT, and Philadelphia, PA.
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Erika was admitted to the prestigious school when she was only 17, one of the youngest students ever accepted. But honors in the world of the arts are a tradition in her family. Her late father Walter Slezak starred in many films and Broadway hits, among them Fanny, for which he won the Tony Award. Erika's grandfather
… More was the world-famous operatic tenor, Leo Slezak, who sang in Vienna, New York and Berlin.
On March 17th, 1971, Erika made her television debut on One Life To Live playing the part of Vikki Lord. In 1996, she made daytime Emmy history when she won her fifth Outstanding Lead Actress award. She also won the award in 1984, 1986, 1992 and 1995. In 2002 Erika was inducted into the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' esteemed Silver Circle.
Erika is married to actor Brian Davies and they have two children, Michael and Amanda. The family lives in a suburb of New York. Erika has a sister who is an an attorney and a brother who is a pilot.
