Famously winning the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series after 19 nominations in 1999, Susan Lucci was honored Friday night by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with the Lifetime Achievement Award during “The 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.” Shemar Moore presented the award to Lucci nearly 25 years after stating the much-quoted words, “The streak is over, Susan Lucci!”
At the beginning of her acceptance speech, Lucci reflected on her landing the role of Erica Kane on “All My Children,” saying, “How lucky was I to be put in the hands of [the late] Agnes Nixon. Agnes was the trailblazer. She was the visionary storyteller who gave me the part of a lifetime. The fabulously flawed Erica Kane.”
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With her decades-long career in daytime, Lucci shared, “I am so proud to be part of this community. This community of storytellers, in such a collaborative genre of writers, directors, producers, actors, design teams and crew. We get to do what we love to do. We get to entertain, and we tell stories. And in that, we illuminate our human condition. And sometimes on our best days. Even make a little magic.”
Taking time to thank her family, including her son Andreas Huber and her late husband Helmut Huber, who passed away in 2022, Lucci said, “The icing on the cake for me tonight is that my son Andreas is with me. It means so much to me to have you here with me. Thank you so much for being with me tonight. And you know what else? I feel your dad’s presence here tonight with us, too. I thank my husband, Helmut Huber, because he has everything to do with my standing up here tonight. And receiving this incredible award.”
Watch Lucci’s acceptance speech below.