# Susan Lucci

Susan Victoria Lucci (born December 23, 1946) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Erica Kane on the ABC daytime drama All My Children during that show's entire network run from 1970 to 2011. The character is considered an icon, and she was called "Daytime's Leading Lady" by TV Guide, with The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times citing her as the highest-paid actor in daytime television. As early as 1991, her salary had been reported as over $1 million a year. During her run on All My Children, Lucci was nominated 21 times for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She won only once, in 1999, after the 19th nomination; her status as a perpetual nominee for the award had attracted significant media attention since the late 1980s.
Lucci has also acted in other TV series, as well as occasionally in film and on stage. She had multi-episode guest appearances on the series Dallas, Hot in Cleveland and Army Wives. Lucci hosted Saturday Night Live in 1990. After the cancellation of All My Children, she hosted the 2012-2014 true crime series Deadly Affairs and starred (as Genevieve Delatour) in the 2013–2016 Lifetime series Devious Maids.
In 1996, TV Guide ranked her number 37 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list. She was named one of VH1's 200 Top Icons of All Time and one of Barbara Walters's Ten Most Fascinating People.

## Early life

Susan Lucci was born in Scarsdale, New York, to parents Jeanette (1917–2021) and Victor Lucci (1919–2002). Her father was of Italian ancestry, and her mother was of Swedish descent. 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

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. They are the parents of two children: actress Liza Huber and a son, Andreas Huber. The couple were married 52 years until Helmut's death on March 28, 2022; he was 84 years old.
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.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1969 | Goodbye, Columbus | Wedding Guest | Uncredited |
| 1969 | Love Is a Many Splendored Thing | Bit role | Uncredited |
| 1969 | Me, Natalie | Cheerleader |
| 1969 | The Doctors | Outpatient Day Player | Uncredited |
| 1970–2011 | All My Children | Erica Kane Jane Campbell | Lead role |
| 1982 | The Love Boat | Paula Hastings | Episode: "The Groupies/The Audition/Doc's Nephew" |
| 1982 | Young Doctors in Love | Herself | |
| 1983 | Fantasy Island | Gina Edwards | Episode: "The Songwriter/Queen of the Soaps" |
| 1984 | Invitation to Hell | Jessica Jones | |
| 1984 | The Fall Guy | Veronica Remy | Episode: "Stranger Than Fiction" |
| 1986 | Mafia Princess | Antoinette Giancana | |
| 1986 | Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna | Darya Romanoff | |
| 1987 | Haunted by Her Past or Secret Passions | Karen Beckett | |
| 1988 | Lady Mobster | Laurel Castle | |
| 1990 | The Bride in Black | Rose D'Amore-Malloy | |
| 1990 | Saturday Night Live | Herself – Host/Various | Episode: "Susan Lucci/Hothouse Flowers" |
| 1990–1991 | Dallas | Hillary Taylor/Faux Sheila Foley | Special guest star, 6 episodes |
| 1991 | The Woman Who Sinned | Victoria Robeson | |
| 1992 | Double Edge | Maggie Dutton/Carmen Moore | |
| 1993 | Between Love and Hate | Vivian Conrad | |
| 1994 | French Silk | Claire Laurent | |
| 1995 | Ebbie | Elizabeth 'Ebbie' Scrooge | |
| 1995 | Seduced and Betrayed | Victoria Landers | |
| 1998 | Blood on Her Hands | Isabelle Collins | |
| 2002 | Between the Lions | Herself | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | Hope & Faith | Jacqueline Karr | Episodes: "Daytime Emmys: Part 1" and "Daytime Emmys: Part 2" |
| 2005 | That's So Raven | Miss Charlotte Romano | Episode: "The Big Buzz" |
| 2010–2014 | Hot in Cleveland | Susan Lucci | Special guest star, 5 episodes |
| 2012 | Army Wives | Audrey Whitaker | 3 episodes |
| 2012–2014 | Deadly Affairs | Herself – Host | Documentary series |
| 2013–2016 | Devious Maids | Genevieve Delatour | Series regular |
| 2015 | Joy | Danica | |
| 2017 | Difficult People | Shelley Waxman | Episode: "Cindarestylox" |
| 2018 | Ralph Breaks the Internet | (voice) | |
| 2023 | Generation Gap | Herself | Episode: "What Kid Doesn't Love Stew?" |
| 2025 | Hell's Kitchen | Herself | Guest diner / American Heart Association contributor; Episode: "A Soap Opera in Hell" |
| TBA | Outcome | TBA | Post-production |

## Awards and nominations

Daytime Emmy Awards :
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
| 1978 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1981 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1982 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1983 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1984 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1985 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1986 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1987 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1988 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1989 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1990 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1991 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1992 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1993 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1995 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1996 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1997 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1998 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1999 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Won |
| 2001 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
| 2002 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | All My Children | Nominated |
Soap Opera Digest Awards :
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
| 1986 | Outstanding Contribution by an Actor/Actress to the Form of Continuing Drama who is currently on a Daytime Serial | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1988 | Editor's Choice – Daytime | All My Children | Won |
| 1989 | Favorite Super Couple: Daytime (shared with Larkin Malloy) | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1992 | Best Love Story: Daytime or Prime Time (shared with Walt Willey) | All My Children | Nominated |
| 1993 | Outstanding Lead Actress | All My Children | Won |
| 2003 | Soapnet Diamond Award | All My Children | Won |
| 2005 | Favorite Couple (shared with Walt Willey) | All My Children | Nominated |
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