Susan Lucci

Early life

Susan Lucci was born in Scarsdale, New York, to parents Jeanette (1917–2021) and Victor Lucci (1919–2002). She lived in Yonkers, New York, before moving with her family at age 2 to Elmont, New York, and then at age 5 to another Long Island town, Garden City, New York. Lucci graduated from Garden City High School in 1964 and from Marymount College, Tarrytown in 1968, with a BA degree in drama.

Career

Susan Lucci began her television career with bit parts on the daytime soap operas Love Is a Many Splendored Thing and The Doctors. She also appeared in an uncredited role in the 1969 film Goodbye, Columbus and had a minor role in the 1969 comedy-drama Me, Natalie.

''All My Children''

Main article: All My Children

Lucci is best known for appearing as Erica Kane on the ABC soap opera All My Children, from January 16, 1970, to September 23, 2011. Erica is considered to be the most popular character in American soap opera history. TV Guide calls her "unequivocally the most famous soap opera character in the history of daytime TV," and included her in their 2013 list of The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time.

Lucci was nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emmy for her work on All My Children almost every year beginning in 1978. When Lucci did not win the award after several consecutive nominations, her image in the media began to be lampooned, as she became notoriously synonymous with never winning an Emmy. NBC's Saturday Night Live exploited this by asking her to host an episode; during her monologue, the show's cast, crew, and even stagehands nonchalantly carried (and utilized; for example, as hammers and doorjambs) Emmys of their own in her presence. In addition, she appeared in a 1989 television commercial for the sugar substitute Sweet One, intended to portray her as the opposite of her villainess character, yet throwing one of Erica Kane's characteristic tantrums, shouting, "Eleven years without an Emmy! What does a person have to do around here to get an Emmy?" Her name eventually became part of the language, used as an avatar for artists who receive numerous award nominations without a win (e.g., "Peter O'Toole was the Susan Lucci of the Oscars.").

After 18 nominations, she finally won in 1999; Lucci received a standing ovation upon receiving the award, which was presented by Shemar Moore.

When ABC cancelled All My Children on April 14, 2011, after 41 years on the air, Lucci said in an interview: "It's been a fantastic journey. I've loved playing Erica Kane and working with Agnes Nixon and all the incredible people involved with All My Children. I'm looking forward to all kinds of new and exciting opportunities." Lucci publicly criticized ABC Daytime president Brian Frons over the cancellation of All My Children in the epilogue of her autobiography All My Life.

Primetime television, stage, hosting and film

Lucci has appeared in a number of television series and television movies. In 1982, she appeared in a cameo appearance in the comedy film Young Doctors in Love. During the 1980s, she made guest-starring appearances in prime time series, such as The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and The Fall Guy. In 1984 she played her first leading role in the supernatural horror film Invitation to Hell directed by Wes Craven.

In 1986, Lucci played the role of Darya Romanoff in the Golden Globe– and Emmy Award–winning made-for-television movie Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna. The same year she played the lead role as Antoinette Giancana, Salavatore 'Sam' Giancana's daughter's in the crime made-for-television movie, Mafia Princess. The following year she starred in another horror film, Haunted by Her Past. She later starred in the crime dramas Lady Mobster (1988) and The Bride in Black (1990). In 1990–1991, she began a series of guest spots on the nighttime soap opera Dallas. She hosted NBC's Saturday Night Live in October of that year; in one skit, she appeared as Erica Kane competing on a game show. In 1991 she starred in the thriller The Woman Who Sinned. She later starred in Double Edge (1992), Between Love and Hate (1993), French Silk (1994) and Seduced and Betrayed (1995).

In 1995, Lucci played Elizabeth 'Ebbie' Scrooge in the Lifetime Fantasy television film, Ebbie. This film was an updated version of A Christmas Carol. Lucci played a Scrooge-like department store owner visited by Marley and the three ghosts on Christmas.Television critic Lynne Heffley from Los Angeles Times gave it a positive review writing: "Soap queen Susan Lucci of “All My Children” is fun to watch as a severely tailored, unsmiling boss, spreading misery wherever she goes on Christmas Eve, whether firing a security guard or deciding the store's traditional window display has got to go." In 1998 she returned to thrillers with Blood on Her Hands.

In 1999, she played the title role of Annie Oakley in the revival of Irving Berlin's musical Annie Get Your Gun. Michael Logan of TV Guide said, "Susan Lucci didn't just take Great White Way by storm: she took it by tornado, hurricane and tsunami, too." In 2004, she guest starred in two episodes of the ABC comedy series Hope & Faith opposite Kelly Ripa. In 2005 she guest-starred on That's So Raven.

Lucci competed in season 7 of Dancing with the Stars with dance partner Tony Dovolani. She said that Dancing had asked her to appear before, but she had turned it down, in part, because of the travel it would have required of her (at the time Dancing taped in Los Angeles while All My Children taped in New York). Lucci later changed her mind, in part, because of the experience of fellow All My Children star Cameron Mathison, who finished fifth in season 5. She was voted off the show on November 5, 2008, rather than November 4 due to election night, finishing sixth in the competition.

2012—present

From 2010 to 2014, Lucci made several appearances as herself, the arch rival of Wendie Malick's character, Victoria Chase, on the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland , including the February 1, 2012 episode entitled "Life with Lucci". She appeared in Gloria Estefan's music video "Hotel Nacional" in February 2012. She guest starred in multi-episodes of the sixth season of Lifetime drama series, Army Wives in 2012. Lucci also hosted and narrated Deadly Affairs, a prime-time series airing on Investigation Discovery from 2012 to 2014. On November 15, 2012, Lucci appeared on The Colbert Report in a segment reflecting the soap-opera-like nature of the Petraeus scandal.

In 2013, Lucci began starring as Geneviève Delatour in the Lifetime comedy-drama series, Devious Maids created by Marc Cherry. Her comedic performance was well received by television critics. The series ended in 2016 after four seasons. In 2015 she appeared in the comedy-drama film, Joy directed by David O. Russell.

In 2017, Lucci played one of Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's grandparents (with Henry Winkler) in Sia's music video, "Santa's Coming for Us". Also in 2017 she guest-starred in an episode of Hulu comedy series, Difficult People. She also appeared in television ads for Progressive Insurance that were styled as a soap opera.

In 2023, Lucci received Lifetime Achievement Award at the 50th Daytime Emmy Awards. In 2024, after seven years acting hiatus, Lucci returned to screen in the black comedy film, Outcome starring opposite Keanu Reeves, Jonah Hill and Cameron Diaz.

Personal life

Lucci married Austrian-born chef and food-service manager Helmut Huber on September 13, 1969.{{cite news|url=https://people.com/archive/cover-story-they-love-lucci-vol-51-no-21/|title=They Love Lucci|first=Michael A.|last=Upton|date=June 7, 1999|access-date=February 6, 2019|work=People|volume=51|issue=21| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822131148/https://people.com/archive/cover-story-they-love-lucci-vol-51-no-21/|archive-date=August 22, 2017|url-status=live}} They are the parents of two children: actress Liza Huber and a son, Andreas Huber.

Lucci's autobiography, All My Life: A Memoir, was published in 2011. She is a registered Republican and has hosted fundraising events for Rudy Giuliani. She is a supporter of LGBT rights and equality, her support spurred by an All My Children storyline in 2000 in which her character Erica's daughter, Bianca Montgomery, came out as a lesbian.

In late 2018, Lucci had an emergency procedure to place two arterial stents in her heart after blocked arteries were discovered due to chest pain. Lucci postponed making her experience public until shortly before the American Heart Association's annual Go Red for Women fashion event in February 2019.

Business ventures

Lucci also has her own line of hair care products, perfumes, lingerie, and skin care, called The Susan Lucci Collection.{{cite web|accessdate=April 15, 2025

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Other awards and honors include:

• Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member Henry Kravis, 1991
• Favorite Female Performer in a Daytime Serial, People's Choice Awards, 1992
• Women in Film Lucy Award, 1994
• New York Women in Film & Television Muse Award, 2004
• Outstanding Female Lead in a Daytime Drama, Gracie Allen Awards, 2005
• Hollywood Walk of Fame, 2005
• NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame, 2006
• Ride of Fame inductee, 2013
• Disney Legend, 2015
• in 2002 Susan Lucci appears Atlantic City October 25 with Regis philbin

References

References

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