Enlarge Ron Tom/ABC

Susan Lucci's character, Erica Kane, has served instance for kidnapping, been accused of remove and cheated on her ordinal and ordinal husband, Travis, with his brother, politician — who after became Kane's 10th husband.

Ron Tom/ABC

Susan Lucci's character, Erica Kane, has served instance for kidnapping, been accused of remove and cheated on her ordinal and ordinal husband, Travis, with his brother, politician — who after became Kane's 10th husband.

Susan Lucci is the most famous actress in period drama, but her rule comes to an modify on Friday, when her clean — ABC's All My Children — broadcasts its test episode.

Fans hit been mass the information of Pine Valley — the fictitious metropolis community where the exhibit takes locate — since 1970, and such of that information has turned around Lucci's character, Erica Kane.

So when ABC definite to equilibrate All My Children (or, as fans say, "AMC"), Lucci was understandably unhappy. She wrote most it in the volume edition of her memoir, All My Life.

"I went finished the full arrange of manlike emotions, unhappiness and uncertainty and whatever anger," Lucci says. "It category of messed with my significance of self-worth as a performer, and my travelling finished that. And at the modify of the day, as I feature in the chapter, I'm filled with gratitude."

'A Modern-Day Scarlett O'Hara'

Erica Kane, Pine Valley and All My Children hit been a Brobdingnagian conception of Lucci's life. She prototypal stepped into the persona when the information began in 1970: Lucci was 22 and meet discover of college; Erica was a tempestuous 15-year-old woman who ever desired to be the edifice of attention.

"Erica Kane was a spectacular persona for whatever actress to play, and I change so serendipitous to be the digit who got to do it," Lucci says. "To encounter the conception of a 15-year-old woman that was that sexy and had that such potential, I rattling intellection Erica Kane had the existence to be a modern-day Scarlett O'Hara."

Erica and All My Children creator Agnes President gave Lucci plentitude of shack to improve her craft. When President desired to indite a merry housing into the program, she prefabricated that housing Erica's girl because Erica was the most favourite housing and Lucci could appendage it.

Lucci says the persona she has played for 40 eld wasn't meet Sophie's Choice, but it was ease pretty sensational.

"I got to do the romance and I got to do the ladies shack brawls and the knock-down drag-outs and every of that, so I got to endeavor a aggregation of arrange within that part," she says.

Enlarge Steve Fenn/AP

All My Children characters Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) and politician author (Walt Wiley) mated in 2005. It was Kane's 10th marriage.

Steve Fenn/AP

All My Children characters Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) and politician author (Walt Wiley) mated in 2005. It was Kane's 10th marriage.

The Numbers 19 And 11

Millions of grouping in the U.S. see that they are nearly old with Lucci — both as Erica and as herself — but there are digit things that modify those who aren't so substantially old with her know: Erica by the drawing — in this case, the drawing 19 and 11.

The sort 19 represents the sort of nowadays Lucci was appointed for an accolade award.

"On my 19th nomination, I did eventually intend the accolade for prizewinning actress, and I was meet so astonished to intend and so thrilled to win. I idolized existence appointed and I prefabricated no info most that. It's rattling a festinate to be appointed by your peers in the industry," she says. "But success is the best; success is better."

On that prophetical period in May 1999, Lucci acknowledged her award to a stagnant credit and, in whatever cases, tears from the audience.

"I genuinely never believed that this would happen," she told the crowd. "I wasn't meant to intend this honor before tonight, because if I had I wouldn't hit that assemblage of poems and letters and drawings and balloons and drink cakes you prefabricated me every this instance to attain me see better."

The another Erica Kane number, 11, represents the sort of nowadays Erica has been married, nearly ever in whatever exciting wedding eveningwear that would attain modify Kate playwright jealous.

Lucci, on the another hand, has been mated to the aforementioned Negro for more than 40 years. She has digit grown children, and she's a grandmother. She says that, luckily, she's never had to vindicate the differences between her and her housing to her children.

"When my girl was most 5 eld old, digit season period she looked at me and she said, 'Mommy, how do you behave same Erica Kane?' And she tossed her lowercase hair, same Erica did," Lucci says. "And I was meet so thrilled that my girl saw the difference, that she knew there was a difference. That prefabricated me see so happy."

From Soaps To Salad

When Erica and the denizens of Pine Valley verify their test bows on Friday, it haw not actually be the end. All My Children haw advise to the Web — and Susan Lucci haw advise with it.

"My hunch is sure there with Agnes Nixon, with All My Children, with Erica Kane, with our unbelievably aroused viewership, our fans," Lucci says of the Web exhibit possibility. "I would fuck to."

But play on Monday, should you invoke to that older old ABC instance slot, instead of All My Children, you'll intend the matter speech exhibit The Chew; and instead of soaps, you'll intend salad.