Susan Lucci is not only an actress but an author, television host, entrepreneur and singer. She is widely known for portraying the character of Erica Kane in 'All My Children' which was an ABC daytime drama that ran from 1970 to 2011.

Education

Susan attended Garden City High School and graduated in 1964. Because of her love for soap operas, Susan Lucci attended the Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York. Susan Lucci majored in drama and earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in drama in 1968.

Career

Lucci is widely known for her appearance on the ABC television soap opera as Erica Kane in “All My Children”. She appeared on the soap opera from January 16th, 1970 to September 23rd, 2011. Since 1979, and she was nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emmy almost every year she portrayed the character. She failed to win this award for several years in spite of the consecutive times she was nominated and her image in the media began to be portrayed as   comedic. NBC's Saturday Night Live took advantage of the situation and requested she host an episode lamenting the fact that she had never won an Emmy. During the episode, all the show’s cast, and even some of the stagehands, carried around their own Emmy statues nonchalantly, some of the actors even used them as doorstops or hammers.

In 1989, while filming a television commercial for substitute sugar Susan Lucci performed one of the famous Erica Kane tantrums for which she was known and shouted “11 years without an Emmy! What does a person have to do around here to get an Emmy?"   In 1999, Susan Lucci finally won the award after having been denied it in her eighteen previous nominations. She received a standing ovation for several minutes, when the presenter Shemar Moore called her name declaring that the "streak is over."  It was an electrifying moment not only for Lucci, but for all those who had starred with her. While she was on the stage, the camera captured her All My Children co-stars, Marcy Walker and Kelly Ripa crying openly. Rosie O’Donnell, a television host and her long-time fan was also seen crying. What a moment it was, filled with drama. While these three poured out their joy in tears, Ingo Rademacher bowed in the aisles, and Oprah Winfrey rushed to the stage and was seen cheering from the wings.

Everything with a beginning also has an end and on the 14th of April, 2011, “All My Children” was cancelled by ABC after nearly forty one years on the air. According to Lucci: “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." She did, however, later criticize Brian Frons, then President of ABC Daytime, for terminating the show.