For any young actress, it must truly be a daunting task to play opposite a woman who is arguably one of --- if not the --- most recognizable faces in daytime television. At the same time, it must also be an incredibly exciting experience.
A handful of actresses have had the chance to play a daughter to Erica Kane on All My Children. Among them are Lacey Chabert, who played Bianca Montgomery in 1993, and Emmy winner Sarah Michelle Gellar. Gellar, who portrayed Erica's other daughter, Kendall Hart, is one of the few performers to make a smooth transition from daytime television to primetime television and feature films.
On July 27th, another actress is added to the ranks. Eden Riegel will play a slightly age-progressed version of Bianca.
So what goes through a casting director's mind when he or she is working to cast a particular character? Obviously, acting talent is of foremost concern. However, one cannot deny that a performer joining the cast as the child of another character must share at least a partial resemblance to that other performer.
We decided to take a look back at some of the young actresses who have worked side-by-side with La Lucci. Do you think that they could pass as her daughters in real life?
Before you start casting your votes, don't forget that Susan Lucci does have a daughter in real life. Liza Huber, Lucci's daughter with long-time husband Helmut Huber, stars on the NBC soap opera, Passions. Huber also had an uncredited part in her mother's Christmas telemovie, Ebbie, a female version of the classic, A Christmas Carol.
The first two castings of Bianca Montgomery were infants. Jessica Leigh Falborn has the honor of having been the first Bianca. She was seen as the infant Bianca from 1988 through 1991. Caroline Wilde came next for a brief time in 1991. Neither of these two performers has done any other acting work.
Lacey Chabert was only with All My Children for a few months in 1993 as the third. After her stint in Pine Valley ended, the actress went on to primetime television. She landed the part of Claudia Salinger on the FOX drama, "Party of Five." Chabert was also seen in the motion picture remake of the television series "Lost In Space."
Gina Gallagher took over the part of Bianca from Chabert. She remained in the role for four years, longer than any other actress past or present. Gallagher opted to leave All My Children to focus full-time on her schooling. Gallagher took a break from her studies to film the 1999 movie, "Analyze This," appearing with Robert DeNiro and Billy Crystal.
Sarah Michelle Gellar starred in "Swan's Crossing," a moderately popular soap-like program in 1992. For her, All My Children was a launching pad to a host of other projects. Gellar left All My Children in 1995 to pursue ventures outside of daytime television. Somewhat ironically, after she announced her decision to leave, Gellar's work was awarded with a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress. Many fans scoffed at the actress' decision to star in the television version of the campy movie, "Buffy The Vampire Slayer." As it turns out, it was great decision. The movie was turned from cotton candy fluff to a science fiction-like drama for the small screen. Gellar subsequently was cast in the horror flicks "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Scream 2." Contrary to recent rumors, Gellar has no intention of deserting her WB series or film career for a return to All My Children.
The latest addition to the line of Kane children is Eden Riegel. She's relatively new to daytime television, but she has an impressive set of credentials for someone so young. She's never appeared on ABC Daytime, but Riegel did appear on CBS's As The World Turns and Guiding Light. Neither role was of comparable magnitude to her upcoming role on All My Children. Riegel will face a somewhat more difficult task of winning over the viewers --- and it has nothing to do with her acting ability. The problem is that Bianca is rumored to have aged a few more years than everyone else in Pine valley during her stay at the health clinic. Bianca was born in February 1988, making her 12 by the real world standards. Now, though, it's said that Bianca will be closer to the legal driving age.
There's no arguing that some very talented young women have been cast as Erica's daughters. But which do you think could most pass for Susan Lucci's real daughter?
