All My Life: A Memoir

by Susan Lucci

"See that moon up there?
You can reach that high.
Never be afraid because you can be anything you want to be."

Susan Lucci was only five years old when her father shared these encouraging words with her. They inspired the highly imaginative child who loved make-believe to craft one of the most enduring characters in television history, an achievement that would earn her a record twenty-one Emmy nominations—the most for an actor in the award's history—and the crown as "Leading Lady of Daytime."

When Lucci and All My Children were introduced to the world in 1971, American television changed forever. Susan's character, the beautiful, spirited, and mercurial Erica Kane, was an original—the first vixen viewers loved to hate. But while millions have enjoyed getting to know Erica's many sides—and have been awed at how this character has continually remade herself—the woman who plays her has remained a mystery.

In her long-awaited memoir, this very private actress, wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, friend, and entrepreneur pulls back the curtain to reveal her story.

Susan, like Erica Kane, has undergone a metamorphosis many times. All My Life shares the stories of those transformations: starring in roles on television and stage, where she took Broadway not just by storm but "by tsunami" as one critic raved about her performance in Annie Get Your Gun; mounting successful cabaret acts (solo and with Regis Philbin); bringing art and joy back to New York in the wake of 9/11; conquering the tango with Tony Dovolani on ABC's hit show Dancing with the Stars; and building a successful career as an entrepreneur with a signature line of products.

Susan goes beyond her success to talk about the darker moments, too, including the childhood guilt she harbored over the death of her dear grandmother, the car accident that nearly took away her career and her eyesight, her newborn son's life-threatening illness, coping with her husband's cancer, and the pain of miscarriage—one of the many parallels between her Erica Kane.

As charming, down-to-earth, and compelling as the woman whose story it tells, All My Life shines a spotlight on one of our most popular stars and reminds us of the power of dreams and how we can find the courage and tenacity to make them come true.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Audiobook, Tv

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2011

About the author

All My Children Star and this is my new memoir, All My Life "

Reviews

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this bio on audio read by Susan Lucci herself. I thought this added an element of sincerity, which kept me interested.

I liked this bio. To be honest, besides the 19 emmy nominations, I didn’t know much about her.
But I think the 21 Emmy nominations in total show that she has done something many actors haven’t. She’s played the same character on the same show for 40+ years on the same network while instead of receiving criticism she receives praise by the peers in her field.

And while her story isn’t that remarkable in retrospect, it was a nice one.
It was well edited, switching back & forth in time w/out my getting lost separating events into various chapters of her life.
I found her to be a truly genuine person who is grateful for all the good that has happened in her life.
I thought she was fairly honest & humble.

I found it humorous during the parts where she told the bio of Erica Kane (the character she played on the soap)as if she were a real person.
And while she didn’t go into an in-depth description of her marriage w/her husband, I thought it came across as a real life love story.
Especially since they’ve been married for more than 40 years in a business where many marriages don’t last more than 5.

It was a charming read.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty standard memoir. Susan Lucci seems like a genuinely nice person, she didn't have a single negative thing to say about anyone. There was one story about a director who upset her so much on the set of All My Children that she threw a yogurt container at a monitor, but that story is really more about how she ended up with yogurt all over her hair and clothes than about the director being rude. I didn't realize before I read it that this book was written before All My Children was cancelled. I would have liked to read about Susan's experiences at the end of the series she starred on for over 40 years. I grew up watching AMC with my mom, and now that I have the time to watch soaps again I'm sad that AMC is no longer on the air. I would like to read an updated version of this memoir with a new epilogue, or maybe a 2nd memoir about her life after AMC.

[Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book. Susan Lucci is a treasure, she has a kind spirit and a positive outlook on life. She tells her story in an authentic way giving you a full picture of her heart, her compassion, and her beliefs.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big All My Children fan, so I enjoyed the book. It's not one of the best books I've read but I gave it 4 stars because it was easy to read and entertaining to me. You have to like Susan Lucci probably, to like the book.

[Gerald Kinro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never viewed a single episode of All My Children. I am an admirer of Susan Lucci, however, mainly for her good looks. How can a Medicare-elgible senior citizen look so good? I know many one third of her age who wished to look as good right now. When the show was cancelled late last year, it made headlines, sparking my interest and when I saw her book on the shelves of the local library, I had to read it.

I enjoyed reading about her childhood, about her being the apple of her parents’ eyes, her early desire and aptitude to perform. This took her to Marymount College where she earned her degree in drama and ultimately All My Children, her claim to fame, where she starred as Erica from 1970 to 2011. Arousing my interest, she tells of the show’s authors willingness to take chances by casting teens in important roles and being bold with controversial issues such as abortion when those subjects were virtually prohibited on television.

I sort of lost interest during her encounters with celebrities. Instead, what I found most interesting are her encounters with her husband Helmut (her only husband and one she has had since 1968), and her two children. And she does Pilates to keep her figure.

All in all, I say it is a fair read that made me admire Ms. Lucci even more. Her most shining accomplishment, I feel, is her stable personal life, not the one Emmy she finally got.

[Angie Barrile · Rating 4 out of 5]

After knowing "Erica Kane" for over 40 years, it was really a pleasure and so interesting to see who Susan Lucci really is. A great book to read for anyone who misses Pine Valley like I do!

[Mediaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perky, pleasant walk down memory lane with a soap star who goes overboard to protect her image. The problem is that the book lacks any drama or significant stories beyond simplistic things like childbirth, surprises at being honored with awards, and the humility that comes with being lavished with great food and gifts. It's probably the most positive, problem-free memoir I've ever read. No addictions, no cheating, no family issues. It's super sweet, filled with things that sound like the author is a paid spokesperson promoting products, and not a negative word for anyone she encounters. Think Annette Funicello without the MS or Mary Tyler Moore without the family drama.

Some chapters seem like product placement. She also seems unaware that some of the things she includes don't make her look as good as she thinks. In one section she joins "Feed the Children," a controversial non-profit religious organization where the founder she praises ended up getting kicked out by the board for all sorts of improper allegations of misusing funds.

There's so little to the book that there's not much to say in a critique of it. Lucci is so protective of her perfectionistic image that she never lets her guard down beyond what seems like a performance of a humble family-loving actress. The only story I thought had any meat to it was her breakdown on Dancing with the Stars in a chapter where she repeatedly tells us that she hated the reality show cameras following her around in rehearsals. It's the only time we ever got to feel the woman was real. She admits she never allowed insights into her private life until she wrote this book, and instead of giving us rawness she overcooks an image of the perfect husband, perfect kids, perfect parents, and perfect career.

Whether that's all true or just PR spin is beside the point--this memoir is dull and the cowriter should have found a better way to present the actress as a real human being, not just another plastic soap opera character.

[Tetyana Skrypkina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good memoir, but I can't say that it's splendid. Maybe if you are a true fan of Susan Lucci, you would enjoy it more than I did.

Susan talks a lot about "All My Children" (I've never seen an episode), and I found it informative and fascinating that they covered important topics in the 70s.

I chose to listen to the audiobook because it is narrated by the author.

The book made me smile now and then, which is why I gave it four stars.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-3 listened to this audiobook

[Brenda Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great insight into the private life of one of my favorite daytime actresses.

[BJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I haven't watched soaps on a regular basis for years, I do admit to a guilty pleasure of checking out Soap Opera Digest occasionally to see what my favorite characters of years gone by are up to. In light of the recent decision by ABC to cancel 2 of its long running soap operas, All My Children and One Life to Live, which have each been on the air for over 40 years, I decided to take a look at Susan Lucci's memoir, "All My Life." This book has a lovely flow, almost like having a conversation with La Lucci herself. She gives some wonderful anecdotes from her 40+ years on the soap about her story lines and her co-stars and many other people she has met. For the first time, she opens up about her private life, her parents, her husband and her 2 children and even her grandchildren. She talks about the conflict of having the career she had always dreamed about and being the best wife and mother that she could be. Although the character she has played for 40+ years is a bit of a Diva, she comes across as someone who is truly grateful for the opportunities provided by her career. I found her to be very likeable and the book a very enjoyable read.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Upon getting this book at the library, my husband asked what else Susan Lucci has done besides All My Children. I answered him that I would find out. Well the answer is not much. There is nothing wrong with this book, I just am not the target audience. I am not a huge soap fan, but did see this one a little growing up(Haley & Mateo era) so I knew some of the plot lines she referred to but not all. I think the thing that stood out is how NICE of a person she is. She didn't have a bad word to say about anyone. I would recommend this book if you were a fan of the show; otherwise not much going on. I also thought it was sad that the book was written prior to the show being canceled. I feel like a new addition should be put out with an afterword of the last days of the show and her plans for the future.

[Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you describe this amazing story that teaches you so much about life? Susan's main lesson through her memoir is to don't give up on your dreams. You can accomplish anything, and this reminds me of her character, Erica Kane, in the scenes where she is with her daughter or grandchildren.

I learned so many things about both the actress and the character. The one thing that I wish that I could have is Susan's strength and ability to balance everything in her life. She juggles many hats daily, something I could never imagine doing. Yet she did, and you never knew.

When I watched the show with my mother and my Nana, Erica was one of my all-time favourite characters. I am so glad that I took a chance and learned so much more about her and her amazing life.

[Marca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan reads her biography herself (which I appreciate) on the audio version of the book. A lovely bio of a lovely person. She seems to have led a charmed life that many would envy, but she also worked hard. I guess playing the character of Erica Kane all those years let her work out her dark side, because she comes off as such a nice person. Come to think of it, I've never read anything bad about Ms. Lucci, but she sure does play wicked temptresses very well. I recently saw her playing an Erica Kane version of herself on "Hot in Cleveland" and I really admired her for not taking herself too seriously.

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good light read and definitely recommended for fans of All My Children and Susan Lucci. Her ghostwriter did a great job of writing this book as if Ms. Lucci was talking directly to her fans. Susan comes through the book as being the classy caring professional who tells the truth without sugarcoating her criticism of the recent downfall of the 41 year old soap. I wish I could have heard this as an audiobook with Ms. Lucci as the narrator. That would be a treat.

[Herb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty interesting autobiography. If you're looking for scandal and gossip, then this is not the book for you. Miss Lucci doesn't trash anyone and had a nice, normal upbringing (well, naturally..she is part Swedish after all..I'm biased, naturally.) She has had a long and successful marriage and her kids seem to like her. (No, she's not a member of The Brady Bunch!) A nice read.

[Renee' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Lucci (a.k.a Erica Kane) of "All My Children" has been a private person most of her life, until now. Though she doesn't really dish any dirt, I learned a few things about the Queen of Daytime that were surprising. My only wish is that she would've known while writing this book that All My Children was being canceled.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous read! I learned a lot about the diva of daytime and her alter ego down-to-earth Susan Lucci straight from the horse's mouth sorta speak.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Lucci is an actress that portrayed soap opera character Erica Kane for over 40 years on the daytime show, “All My Children.” I remember watching this show when I was in my late teens and early 20s, in the late 1970s, when I was a senior in High School and then a student in college. “All My Children” and “Ryan’s Hope” were soap operas I really enjoyed. Erica Kane was a woman who would cause all sorts of mischief and misery for others for people. She was beautiful, but very insecure. She wanted power and control; she wanted love – especially from men; she had a complex relationship with her mother, she was self-centered, a gossiper and interesting, because she always caused conflict.

The actress is the opposite. Despite Erica Kane’s many marriages, Susan Lucci has been married to the same man since 1969. She has a grown son and daughter, and is now a grandmother. She had a very good relationship with her parents and loves her family. She was very lucky to have had a steady job as an actress for in a soap opera just a little longer than four decades until the show went off the air. Her character was fun to watch. Although nominated many times, it was years before Susan finally received an Emmy for her exceptional role in “All My Children.”

Since she had a steady stable career she was able to spend more time with her family and work her life around the show and also manage time for other things in her career. Ms. Lucci performed on Broadway for a short time as the lead in “Annie Get Your Gun,” and the show “Dancing with the Stars” and parts in some movies.

This book is very positive and happy, so I can imagine how much fun it must have been for this actress to play the part of a woman completely opposite of herself.

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans will mostly be satisfied as this touches on many aspects of her life.

I liked the conversational style to the writing, you do get a sense of Susan’s voice in telling her stories, however, I would have preferred full-on chronological order, rather than occasionally diverting from that.

Susan mostly addresses her personal life on a surface level here, she sings her family’s praises a great deal and the book definitely conveys her deep love for them, however, aside from medical issues, it rarely mentions any hardships or struggles, anything less than perfect, which might be unsatisfying for some readers, but when you consider how reserved Susan Lucci seems when she isn’t in character, it likely wasn’t all that easy for her to even reveal as little as she does here.

Where I was a bit disappointed was in the bits about All My Children. While it’s certainly present in the book, it’s not quite as present as someone who still misses the show so many years later would have hoped, Though I loved that she singled out the likes of David Canary and Fra Heflin, I would have loved even more of that, and more of her takes on Erica’s many storylines, which ones posed the greatest challenges acting wise, which she had the most fun with, etc.

When you see Susan Lucci in an interview, hosts compliment her appearance and ask her about the Emmys, but because she was on a soap opera, rarely is she asked about her work, so my favorite sections of this book were whenever she discussed that, I had no idea that she’d gone through so much training or that she’s method, it was interesting to read a little more about her artistry when so much of her career the focus has been on her glamour.

[Kimberley Myers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Susan Lucci has no doubt led a rather charmed life, from birth really. The all-American girl who grew up in an upper middle class family with 2 parents who loved and supported her & her sibling as well as each other. She couldn’t be more polar opposite to her alter ego Erica Cain, who she played for over 40 years. I mean who wouldn’t like to have an escape like Erica every now and again to just blow off some steam?? I listened to the audiobook which she narrated. It was bright & bubbly, though when listening to or reading an autobiography read by the author, I prefer to feel like the author is talking directly to me as if we’re girlfriends just hanging out. Though it was written in first person, I didn’t feel like I was sitting in her living room chatting. Though I wasn’t looking for scathing tales of co-stars or a clawing her way to the top story, this was also a little bit “Shirley Temple-ish”, so I had to put it down for a while and come back to it. She’s very genuine and grateful for all she has. There’s not a bad word spoken about anyone she worked with throughout her career. Her 40 +yr marriage to the same man. also a rarity, not only in Hollywood, but just in today’s society was just another example of her character. There’s no skeletons in her closet or spilled tea revealed. So, if that’s what you’re looking to find, this book may be a bit boring for you. The book is just further proof that Susan is as lovely as Erica is evil.

[Sue Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw the very first episode of All My Children and continued to watch from the beginning through 1974 when I got my first full time job. (By the time I got a VCR, the plot had moved on so far, I got left behind and never caught back up. I enjoyed Susan Lucci's portrayal of Erica Kane, the girl you loved to hate or hated to love. I didn't know much about her life. Though I learned some interesting things about her, I felt as if she were holding the reader at arm's length. It was almost as if she didn't really want to make her life public even though somebody had convinced her to write a memoir. I was hoping for more behind the scenes of All My Children, but she didn't really go into a lot of detail. The chapter that was supposed to be behind the scenes was more about her product endorsements than the show!

Even though I wish she could have opened up a little more, I still enjoyed the book and getting a glimpse into the live of Susan Lucci. She seems like a genuinely nice person.

I read the Kindle edition which included an "Epilogue" chapter about the cancellation of All My Children. Even though I didn't resume watching AMC after I retired, I felt sad when I learned it was being canceled. Reading that chapter made me nostalgic for all those soaps I grew up with. I would watch As The World Turns with my mom. In my tween and teen years, my favorites in addition to AMC were The Guiding Light, Dark Shadows and Ryan's Hope.

[Susette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up watching AMC. Erica Kane was the original JR Ewing (and a later version of Scarlett O’Hara). A character everybody loved to hate. On the flip side, everybody wanted to have her tenacity, charm, beauty, confidence, and grit. Susan Lucci as Erica Kane created the daytime diva (on the screen). She’s a pioneer.

I’ve always respected Susan Lucci. In real life, she was always quite private. Through the years, the small glimpses she would give inside her private world showed a woman who was proud of her marriage, her children, and her career. In this crazy world, she managed to balance all of that. This biography solidified the personal, albeit private, persona she has projected all her life. She never got caught up in the whirlwind life in the spotlight. She respected and honored the blessings she received in her career without sacrificing her family. She was criticized and made to feel less than for choosing to remain a soap opera actress for over 40 years, as if that is an inferior place to be. It’s lovely to have witnessed a woman in the spotlight who walked her talk and continues to do so on the daily.

[Beth Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This memoir of Susan Lucci was a great insight into her very private life of growing up in an Italian family in New York and about her dreams of loving tv in the late 1950's and loving it so much that when she attended Marymount College in the 1960's, she majored in theatre. She loved the theatre, but also loved television. Susan Lucci has always been one of my idols in the Soap Opera world, having spent more than 40 years on All My Children. What most people do not know is that she is nothing like Erica Kane, the character she portrayed on AMC. Susan is shy, reserved, quiet, fiercely loyal, having been married to her husband for 53 years until his death in 202, and has 2 beautiful children an several grandchildren. She also did a revue where she sang and danced many years ago with Regis Philbin. She has appeared in movies on television and on Broadway in several productions, including Annie Get Your Gun. She is an actress who has not bought into the hype of fortune and fame and raised her family outside of NYC in the same small community in which she was raised. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have to say i teared up at the end, which was unfortunate since I was at work!

I can honestly say I started watching AMC at the age of 3 when my dad would come home and watch it over his lunch! I continued to watch during summers and vacations when I was home from school and on my own lunches from work. For a little bit, I could watch at work if I turned it off if a customer came in! I used to put an extension cord on my little tv and drag it outside so I could tan and watch in my teens :D AMC was a big part of my life. Our ABC affiliate tower blew down in a storm in the early 80's and was not replaced for nearly two years! Fortunately, we lived in the country on a big hill, and we could pick up a "snowy" version from Indiana, (Lived in Illionois), and my dad listened to it on a radio that could get a station. All this to say, i have known "Erica" all my life. ;)

This was a lovely book, I appreciate Susan's spirit and honesty in telling her stories. I loved learning more about the show and am amazed by the people he worked with and met. Truly a great book for a fan, or someone wanting to be in the business

[Kate Burkholder · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's an enjoyable read! If you're a Susan Lucci fan, you'll love this book. She takes you through her life and her years at All My Children, and some would say it's boring or not as exciting as other memoirs. But Susan has always been a private person. Her words kept my interest. I was very invested in her early years, school life, husband, children, career, etc in her words. If you're an All My Children fan, you'll enjoy this book. Susan delves into a lot about the show, various actors, behind the scenes, and of course creator Agnes Nixon. Multiple times while reading this, I felt like watching AMC. I'm glad to have read this now, feeling more connected to Susan and AMC.

[Laura DeNardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Lucci has been a part of my life since I was a little kid. I did enjoy this book since she has usually keeps her life very private, despite her larger than life existence on TV. I was an avid fan of All My Children, so I enjoyed her in depth stories about her time on the show, and especially of past storylines and characters. This book was written while she was still working on the show, and I loved the epilogue where she details its cancellation (it still hurts like hell when I think about it!). It was especially bittersweet to read all about her husband, who passed away recently. Theirs was a love story for the ages.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched AMC since the first day. In college everyone would clear out of the pool deck at 1:00. When I taught school, I would come home and relax and watch it on my recorded 8 track. I enjoyed reading Susan’s back stage stories and mostly remember the stories on the show. In one part she said she was on the show The Rich and Famous. She said she wasn’t rich, but famous. Nah….she was very rich to be able to go to all those places and meet all those people. Made me, as a little person feel very deprived. But, because I loved the character Erica, I loved this book. And Susan.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched All My Children for years, so this was a really interesting autobiography about Susan Lucci (Erica Kane). I listened as an audiobook which was read by Susan Lucci (added benefit). I've always respected how she kept her personal life out of the media, so most of the information she shared about that in the book was new. There was also a lot of "behind the scene" from All My Children which was great to revisit. Good read for fans of the show 4.5/5 stars.

[Bonita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happen to love Susan Lucci and have seen her in many interviews. Her book confirms what I’ve always felt about her - that she is ambitious in the best way - wanting to be true to herself and without sacrificing what is truly important. It wasn’t spellbinding, but it was written in a way that made you feel like you were visiting with a friend. Lucci obviously knows she is beautiful and multi-talented, yet she seems to be genuine and humble - and that’s what makes her so endearing.