From Young ‘All My Children’ Actress to Soap Opera Legend

Susan Lucci’s Early Career

Lucci, born Dec. 23, 1946, got her big break with the role of Erica Kane on All My Children in 1970 (for which this portrait was taken). She would go on to play the role for 41 years until the show ended in 2011.

Tom Cudahy and Erica Kane Say “I Do”

The actress had many memorable moments on All My Children, including 11 weddings (if you count her remarriages to the same men and one vow renewal). Here’s one from 1978, to Richard Shoberg’s Tom Cudahy …

Erica Kane Marries Adam Chandler

… a 1984 wedding to Adam Chandler (David Canary) …

Erica Kane’s Wedding to Travis Montgomery

… a 1988 wedding to Travis Montgomery (Larkin Malloy) …

Erica Kane and Dimitri Marick Tie the Knot

… and a 1993 wedding (her first of two) to Dimitri Marick (played by the late Michael Nader), which Lucci counts as one of her favorites.

“We did a traditional ceremony with lots and lots of candles,” she told PEOPLE of the lavish Russian Orthodox nuptials. “It was very beautiful.”

Susan Lucci’s Marriage to Helmet Huber

Life doesn’t imitate art for Lucci, though: She had been married to Huber since 1969. “Throwback to mid 70’s/before babies—Dancing with my handsome husband at Club A!!! SO much fun!!!” she captioned this pic on Instagram in January 2019.

Three years later, in March 2022, Huber died peacefully on Long Island, N.Y., at 84.

“My husband, Helmet Huber, was a larger-than-life force of nature,” Lucci said in a heartfelt speech honoring Huber at the Daytime Emmy Awards that June. “He was a confident caregiver who knew exactly how to make things happen and to keep us all laughing at the same time. Helmut loved and was so proud of our magnificent children and our grandchildren.”

“They say that grief is the price we pay for love. Well, grief is an excruciating price, but I would not give up even one second of the love,” she concluded.

A Vision of Elegance

In 1978, Lucci (pictured here presenting) received her first Daytime Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actress in a drama series. She would legendarily go on to be nominated 21 times, with one win in 1999.

Long Island Days

She has shared sweet throwback photos of herself with her children, whom she raised in Garden City on Long Island, N.Y., near her childhood home. (According to The New York Times, she also met her husband when he was a chef and she was a waitress at the Garden City Hotel!)

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Daughter Liza would go on to become an actress as well, starring in the daytime soap Passions.

Lights, Camera, Comedy!

The actress got a chance to host Saturday Night Live in 1990.

Red Carpet Icons Meet

Legends only! Joan Rivers, Marla Maples and Lucci posed with a romance cover model at a party in 1995.

Shining Bright at the Emmys

As a nominee for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Lucci attended the 1997 Emmy Awards, two years before she’d finally take home the trophy in that same category.

Patience Pays Off

Her streak-busting win in 1999 not only landed her that coveted Emmy — she also nabbed the cover of PEOPLE! (And the gown she wore for the cover is now in the Smithsonian.)

A Family Affair

Above, Lucci gets cheeky with her husband and son at the 2002 Daytime Emmy Awards.

Singing for Hope

The star combined her love of performing and philanthropy at a Broadway benefit for hurricane relief in 2005. It wasn’t her first time on the Broadway stage: She also starred in the revival of Annie Get Your Gun in December 1999/January 2000!

Waltzing Into Our Hearts

In 2008, Lucci competed on season 7 of Dancing with the Stars with partner Tony Dovolani, finishing sixth. In her exit speech, she said, “I feel so much gratitude for the opportunity to have this particular experience in my lifetime.”

10,000 Episodes of Pine Valley Magic

Also in 2008, Lucci helped the cast of All My Children ring in their 10,000th episode — and it marked a milestone for her as well when she joined the rarefied club of soap opera stars who played their character for more than 40 years.

A New Role, A New Spotlight

All My Children’s cancellation didn’t slow Lucci down one bit. In 2013, she landed recurring roles on shows including Hot in Cleveland and Devious Maids (pictured).

Celebrating Love

Since the end of All My Children, Lucci has taken on several new roles off-screen, including mother of the groom (seen here at her son Andreas’ wedding in 2016).

Five Decades of Devotion

In 2017, after more than 50 years of marriage, Lucci revealed the simple secret to her happy marriage to Huber, telling PEOPLE, “He still makes me laugh, lucky me.”

Four Generations of Family

Lucci is also a grandmother to five, including her first grandchild, Royce, with whom she shares a birthday. In 2018, the actress posted a sweet photo on Instagram of Royce as a newborn with mom Liza and Lucci’s mother, Jeanette, who died in 2021 at 104.

Beautiful at Every Age

In 2018, the star, then 72, made a serious splash when she was photographed in a strapless red one-piece in Barbados. The internet buzz was so big that she ended up posing in the above black swimsuit for Harper’s Bazaar that year. And though she works hard to stay in shape, she says a lot of her ageless appearance is due to her mindset.

“People look at me and say, ‘Wow, she doesn’t seem old, but she is old,’ ” she told PEOPLE. “Meanwhile, the reality is if you’re strong, you’re beautiful, no matter what age you are.”

Championing Heart Health with Style

The star (pictured here at the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection fashion show in 2020) is also a big advocate for heart disease education, after discovering a 90 percent blockage in one of her arteries in 2018 despite her daily exercise regimen and healthy diet.

“I want to do some good with what I’ve been through,” Lucci told PEOPLE. “If I can help in any real way, I want to. Everyone’s symptoms are different, but I felt compelled to share mine. Even if it’s one person I help, that’s someone’s life.”

Sharing Life’s Best Moments

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the actress found time to dress up, sharing many of her fun, at-home ensembles on Instagram — including this dazzling silver sequin number from 2020.

Stunning at 75

Lucci celebrated her 75th birthday by the ocean back in December 2021, donning a favorite strapless white swimsuit paired with a patterned sarong. “Mm-mmm ocean view/sea breezes,” she captioned a January 2022 Instagram video.

Heartfelt Resilience

In March 2023, Lucci, then 76, shared that she was “doing really well” following her second heart surgery in four years. “I always keep an eye on myself, what’s going on,” she told PEOPLE exclusively on the carpet of New York City’s Edison Ballroom at the 75th Writers Guild Awards.

A Legendary Honor

On Dec. 15, 2023, at the 50th Daytime Emmy Awards, the actress received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. She also used her emotional acceptance speech to honor her late husband, crediting him as a guiding force in her career.

“The icing on the cake tonight is that my son, Andreas, is with me. It means so much to me to have you here with me,” Lucci said. “I feel your dad’s presence here with us tonight too. I thank my husband, Helmet Huber, because he has everything to do with me standing up here tonight and receiving this incredible award.”

Radiates in Red

In January 2024, the soap icon graced the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection event in New York City. For the special evening, she wore a sparkling strapless red mermaid-style gown adorned with red feathers and silver jewelry.

Runway Chic

Lucci hit the runway at the New York Fashion Week in September 2024, closing Dennis Basso’s Spring/Summer 2025 show in a pastel green gown with a strapless pleated bodice and translucent cape-like shawl. The moment was even more special as the actress was there to celebrate her 30-year friendship with the fashion designer.

Susan Lucci’s Memoir ‘La Lucci’

On Feb. 3, 2026, the soap opera actress released her new memoir La Lucci, a follow-up to her 2011 book All My Life. The book features never-before-heard stories from her nearly six decades in the industry, as well as reflections on love and grief following the death of her husband.

“I keep a pen and paper next to my side of the bed in case I get an idea or in case I have to write something down so I don’t keep rolling it around and memorizing it, so I could sleep,” she told PEOPLE in a February 2026 cover story. “And in this case, I started waking up and things just started pouring out of me.”