Amanda Davies, Daughter of Soap Icon Erika Slezak, Dies at 42

Amanda Davies, the daughter of One Life to Live star Erika Slezak who famously portrayed a younger version of her mom’s iconic character on the long-running soap, died suddenly this week. She was 42.

“It is with great sadness that I share the news of the passing of Erika’s daughter, Amanda Elizabeth Davies, who died very suddenly,” reads a statement on Slezak’s official fan site. “The family is heartbroken and would appreciate privacy at this time.”

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The date and cause of Davies’ death is unknown at this time. Slezak’s talent agent confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday morning.

Davies is best known to fans of ABC’s One Life to Live, which premiered in 1968 and wrapped in 2012, as the younger version of matriarch Victoria “Viki” Lord. She appeared on the daytime staple in 2002 during flashback scenes, credited as “Young Viki.” This was Davies’ main foray into acting, though she did appear in a short titled The Gift in 2011.

The daughter of Slezak and actor Brian Davies, known for supporting roles in modern classics American Gigolo and The Age of Innocence, Davies was born in 1981 into something of a performing dynasty. Her grandfather was Tony-winning Viennese character actor Walter Slezak — who also made appearances in One Life to Live — and her great-grandfather was Austrian opera star Leo Slezak.

Slezak carved a name for herself on daytime TV after taking on the role of Viki Lord, the soap’s central protagonist, in 1971. Over four decades she took home a record six Daytime Emmys for her portrayal of the heiress to a media empire and matriarch to the show’s central family.

Love and support for Slezak came online as news of Davies’ sudden death broke.

“This just broke my heart. My thoughts are with dear Erika at this time. I know how much she loved her children,” television journalist Michael Fairman wrote on X.

Davies is survived by her mother, father and brother, 44-year-old Michael Davies.

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