Susan Lucci Turns 75: See Her Life in Photos (2024)

Susan Lucci, born Dec. 23, 1946, got her big break in 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.

The actress had many memorable moments on the show, and that includes 11 weddings (if you count her re-marriages to the same men, and one vow renewal). Here's one from 1978, to Richard Shoberg's Tom Cudahy ...

... a 1984 wedding to Adam Chandler (played by David Canary) ...

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

... and a 1993 wedding (her first of two) to Dimitri Marick (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."

Life doesn't imitate art for Lucci, though: She has been married to Helmut 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.

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.

The star (pictured here in the mid-'70s) is also a proud mom to son Andreas Huber and daughter Liza Huber.

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

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

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

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

Lucci attended the 1997 Emmy awards, two years before she'd finally take home the trophy.

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.)

Getting cheeky with her husband and son at the 2002 Daytime Emmy Awards.

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 Annie Get Your Gun in 1998!

She has taken on several new roles in recent years, including mother of the groom (seen here at son Andreas' wedding in 2016).

She's also a grandmother to five, including her first grandchild, Royce, who shares a birthday with her. The actress posted a sweet photo of Royce as a newborn with mom Liza and Lucci's mother, Jeanette, who died in 2021 at 104.

Now wed for more than 50 years, Lucci says the secret to her happy marriage to Huber is very simple: "He still makes me laugh, lucky me," she told PEOPLE.

In 2008, Lucci competed on season 7 of Dancing with the Starswith 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."

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.

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

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, she ended up posing in this swimsuit for Harper's Bazaar that year. And though she works hard to stay in shape (she swears by this Pilates chair!), 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."

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."

The actress continues to stay busy (did we mention her QVC line?) and shares many of her fun adventures on Instagram. Will she ever retire? "Retirement is not even in my vocabulary," she told Closer Weekly.