Already one of daytime's most recognizable talents, Susan Lucci is about to get another honor: the Daytime Emmys' Lifetime Achievement Award.
Known best as All My Children's inimitable Erica Kane, a role she played for more than 40 years, Lucci is arguably one of the most famous actresses every to grace daytime. In May 1999, on her 19th nomination, she finally won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
"I am truly humbled to receive this esteemed award from the Academy. Throughout my career, I have been incredibly fortunate to work alongside exceptional talents and embraced by my fans that have been with me every step of the way," Lucci said in a statement. "This honor is not just a reflection of my journey, but a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the profound connection we are so lucky to forge with audiences all over the world through television."
While best known as Erica Kane, Lucci's career extends far beyond Pine Valley's city limits. She starred in Lifetime's primetime soap Devious Maids, hosted and narrated ID's Deadly Affairs, and has made numerous guest appearances on shows like Hot in Cleveland, Army Wives, and Saturday Night Live. She made her Broadway debut as Annie Oakley in the 1999 revival of Annie Get Your Gun. In 2011, she released her New York Times bestselling autobiography, All My Life.
In 2005, Lucci received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Lucci has dedicated her time to many causes close to her heart and is actively involved with United Cerebral Palsy of NYC, Little Flower Children Family Services of New York, the National AFib Campaign, March of Dimes, AMDeC (Academic Medicine Development Company), the New York Cancer Project, the American Stroke Association, and the American Heart Association, of which she currently serves as the National Ambassador for the Go Red for Women Movement.
We're not sure what Susan Lucci will say when she takes to the podium to receive her award, but we're pretty sure it will be nothing like when Erica Kane was named Pine Valley Woman of the Year. You can watch that memorable All My Children episode below.
Also receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award this year is someone who has had more who's the daddy storylines than any soap -- and perhaps more than all the soaps put together: Maury Povich.
"I'm just blown away by this honor from the Academy. I have always had great respect for its work as I served on the National Board and was President of the New York Chapter. I guess if you hang around long enough, some good things happen. It's been a 60+ year ride for me in this business, so I feel extremely blessed with this acknowledgment," Povich said of the honor.
Povich hosted his syndicated talk show Maury from 1998 to 2022.
"We are thrilled to be recognizing two icons with Lifetime Achievement honors, Susan Lucci and Maury Povich. Both of them have had astonishing success and deep impact in the world of daytime television, Susan in drama series and Maury in talk, and have left their indelible marks on the industry," Adam Sharp, President and CEO, NATAS, said.
The 50th Annual Daytime Emmys were originally scheduled to take place today, but they have been postponed until an agreement can be reached between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and striking members of the Writers Guild of America.
What do you think of the decision to award Susan Lucci with a Lifetime Achievement Award? What are some of Lucci's most memorable daytime moments? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
