Susan Victoria Lucci was born in Long Island, New York. Her father imparted to her a strong work ethic, while her mother nurtured the young girl's imaginative side. In school, Lucci was an honors student, a cheerleader and a member of the drama club. The teen blossomed into a confident beauty, and after graduation, she headed for Marymount College to study musical theater. One summer, while working at a hotel, the co-ed met Austrian chef Helmut Huber. Lucci then headed to New York City to pursue her dream of becoming an actress, and in 1969, she married Huber. When the newlyweds returned from their honeymoon, Lucci had a message waiting for her: The producers of a new soap opera called "All My Children" wanted her to audition for them.

On January 5, 1970, Lucci made her debut on "All My Children" as Erica Kane, a rebellious teen looking for love in all the wrong places. Over more than three decades, this character's multiple trips down the aisle, evil schemes and other outrageous antics have lit up the TV screen. Meanwhile, Lucci's real life has been much more serene. In 1975, she gave birth to daughter Liza, and son Andreas arrived in 1978. For a while, the only thing missing in Lucci's life was an Emmy Award. The actress waited 18 years before finally taking home the little gold statue for Best Actress in 1999, after her 19th nomination. That same year, Lucci realized another lifelong dream: strutting her stuff on a Broadway stage, in the starring role in "Annie Get Your Gun." Lucci also launched her own line of beauty products.

Life seemed perfect until 2002, when her husband was diagnosed with prostrate cancer. Three weeks later, doctors found lung cancer in her father, who eventually succumbed to the disease. Lucci dealt with her grief by throwing herself into her work and her charitable efforts on behalf of Little Flower Children's Services, an organization that helps find safe homes for abused children. Thankfully, her husband underwent successful surgery and is now cancer-free. As for the future, Lucci has no plans to retire her Erica Kane alter ego anytime soon.

Credit: lifetimetv.com