Susan Lucci played the character Erica Kane for more than four decades.
Image: X/@ReesedeFenrir
There was a time when television in Mzansi was simple. You had SABC 1, 2, 3 and e.tv, and whatever was playing often became part of your routine.
That’s how American soaps like "All My Children", "The Bold and the Beautiful", "Santa Barbara" and "Loving" found a loyal audience locally. It aired during an era when viewers committed fully, following storylines day after day without catch-up, streaming, or spoilers doing the rounds on social media.
Recently, Lucci, now 78, reflected on her time on"All My Children" while appearing on CBS’s "Soapy" podcast. She admitted that the connection hasn’t faded, even years after it ended in 2013.
“Still to this day, people will ask me, ‘Do you miss it?’ Yeah, I miss the character, of course. And I miss being part of that fantastic team,” she said. “It was a fantastic team. I miss that very much.”
Lucci played Erica Kane for more than four decades. Erica wasn’t written to be liked; she was written to be unforgettable.
Over the years, she married multiple times, caused endless chaos in Pine Valley, built a career in publishing, and unapologetically took up space in a genre that often boxed women into predictable roles. Erica became a blueprint for the powerful, flawed soap heroine.
Lucci also acknowledges that when the soap was cancelled, there was a genuine grieving period not just for the job, but for the end of Erica Kane’s long, layered journey. For Lucci, the role never became routine, despite the decades she spent in it.
“We had such a great… yes, it was a long time, but it was a new play every day,” she explained. “A new script for a character that was spectacular. I remember walking into the building. I was always happy walking into the building.”
That sense of joy came from the environment behind the scenes. Lucci described the cast, crew, writers and production team as a family, united by long hours and shared pressure to get it right.
She also credited the show’s leadership for supporting her as a working mother, making sure she could be home for dinner while raising her children, a level of respect she says extended across the production.
It’s for that reason that Lucci remains hopeful about a revival. A reboot of "All My Children" has been whispered about for years, with former co-stars Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos openly expressing interest.
“It’s been bubbling for several years,” Lucci said. “And just when I think that it probably isn’t bubbling anymore, it’s bubbling. It’s bubbling as we speak.”
"All My Children" may have signed off in 2013, but Pine Valley didn’t exactly go quietly. Erica’s story ended, as usual, with drama, heartbreak, and a little chaos - exactly what kept viewers hooked for decades.
Now, with streaming, social media spoilers, and a younger generation of soap fans, a revival wouldn’t just be nostalgia for the old guard.
It could introduce Erica, her rivalries, and the town’s endless drama to a whole new audience who live for bingeable twists and digital gossip.
Lucci and her co-stars clearly see the potential, and with the right mix of old-school flair and modern storytelling, "All My Children" might just slot into today’s entertainment world without losing its iconic edge.