In my early 20s I had a short-lived fascination with General Hospital, but I have never really been much of a soap opera fan. I admit though to being intrigued with the career of Susan Lucci, especially in the long-lived role of Erica Kane, the “woman you love to hate.”

What makes her so special to me is the fact that she is the single original cast member on All My Children, that began in 1970, and also that she kept her cool after 18 failed Emmy nominations, for that role. The fact of the matter is that those losses actually made her more well known, as year after year the press would publish that the “Queen of Daytime Television” had no crown. Most of us root for the underdog, and Lucci was no exception.

Lucci rose above the Emmy slights and finally won in 1999, making her friends and fans weep with joy.

Lucci is native to New York, and was born on December 23, 1946, to Jeanette and Victor Lucci.  After graduating from Marymount College, she married Helmut Huber and they became the parents of Andreas and Liza Huber (soaps fans may remember Liza as Gwen Hotchkiss from the soap opera Passions).

Lucci is not only a gorgeous actress, but can carry a tune. On top of her talents, she also has brains, and has used them to create a successful line of hair care products (Susan Lucci Collection) and a fragrance line that includes Susan Lucci Invitation and the light and airy LaLucci. As an entrepreneur, she continues to market jewelry, shoes, lingerie and accessories, yet she still has time to support Feed the Children, Little Flower Children & Family Services of New York, March of Dimes and The New York Cancer Project, to name just a few.

Lucci is intriguing for a number of reasons. First, her career as a nasty woman never overtook her true personality, and after forty years, that is an incredible feat. Second, her talent and perseverance are admirable, in spite of the past slights, even leading to her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Last of all, she has compassion for those who have less than she has, which allows us a glimpse into the heart of an icon.