1 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: Thing from iHeart Radio. So many actors who went on 3 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: to have amazing careers in primetime television and film started 4 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: in soap operas. Meg Ryan, Tom Selleck, Julianne Moore, to 5 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: name just a few. And then there are those who 6 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: stayed in daytime television to become huge stars in that genre. 7 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 1: My guest today is, without a doubt, the biggest star 8 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: in the history of daytime TV. Susan Lucci, the actress, 9 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 1: played the iconic villain Erica Kaine on ABC's All My 10 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: Children for four decades, from the show's inception in nineteen 11 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: seventy until it wrapped in twenty eleven. Following nineteen nominations. 12 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: She finally took home the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding 13 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: Lead Actress in nineteen ninety nine, and sare the Emmy's 14 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 1: Lifetime Achievement Award this past December. But Lovable bad Girl 15 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 1: is not the only role in Lucci's wheelhouse. She has 16 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 1: acted in numerous roles in film and TV, from Devious 17 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: Maids to Hot in Cleveland, and starred on Broadway in 18 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: Annie Get Your Gun. Susan Lucci has yet another achievement 19 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: to boast of a long and healthy partnership with husband 20 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: Helmet Huber. Hubert passed away in twenty twenty two after 21 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: fifty two years of marriage. I wanted to know what 22 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 1: was the secret of their successful union. 23 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 2: Incredibly good luck for my part to meet him, because 24 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 2: I was young and I didn't I don't think I 25 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 2: really knew exactly how fabulous he was and just got 26 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 2: really lucky. Fortunately he had a very good sense of 27 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 2: humor and he was very confident. This was really helpful 28 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 2: in this business we're talking about. You know, he took 29 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 2: a lot of ribbing all those guys I was kissing 30 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 2: on all my children. But you know, he got it. 31 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 2: You know he knew I came home to him and 32 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 2: I wanted to. 33 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,359 Speaker 1: So yeah, yeah, I remember when I was younger. I mean, 34 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: now I don't really do any of that, but when 35 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 1: I was younger, and I had a girlfriend at one 36 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:22,359 Speaker 1: time who really was very very agitated by that. I 37 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: was just starting to make films or just was starting 38 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: to go from TV to films, and I had to 39 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: kiss somebody who was very well known, and this movie 40 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: was going to be all over TV and everything. Me 41 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: kissing this person was going to be featured. Who knows, 42 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: and she really just couldn't take it. She was really 43 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: very angry all the time. 44 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 2: It's not for everybody. Yeah, I used to say, if 45 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 2: that she were on the other foot, I would have 46 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 2: been throwing my stilettos. I mean I would not have 47 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 2: taken it as well. 48 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: When I was young, well, when I had it the 49 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: other way, when a woman in my life was in 50 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:54,079 Speaker 1: the business and she was kissing other people, I just 51 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 1: would look at her and say, if you left me 52 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: for him, you got to be an idiot. 53 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:00,959 Speaker 2: I would sound like helmet, like your good luck. 54 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: I mean, please go right ahead. Don't teach me everything 55 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,359 Speaker 1: about you. I need to know, but you. I don't 56 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: want to talk just about the TV show at length. 57 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: I want to talk about the other things you did 58 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: and the other things you wanted to do. I mean, 59 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:18,519 Speaker 1: your commitment to that show is singular. You are right 60 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: to the end, you surf that wave right to the shore. 61 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: But other than that, what were there other things you 62 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 1: wanted you did do, other things, you made films, You 63 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 1: stepped in for Bernadette and Nanny gets. 64 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:30,800 Speaker 2: Your want to go in for Bernadette. 65 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: I was so through all the I loved. 66 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 2: The whole original company. 67 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, I love But how did that happen? Like you 68 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: go to this the TV show and you say I 69 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: want out, or you went did the TV show and 70 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 1: went to night work at night. 71 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 2: I did both. I did both. I had a short 72 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 2: time off but all the rehearsals. I just was able 73 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 2: to have time off just before the opening, but I 74 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 2: wound up getting pneumonia. Because I would work at all 75 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 2: my children. They accommodated my schedule so that we started 76 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 2: a little earlier in the morning, did all my stuff first, 77 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 2: and then I would on my lunch hour, get in 78 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 2: a car, go to the theater, grab a chicken soup 79 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 2: on the way, and go and rehearse, go to voice 80 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 2: lessons five nights a week because I had never sung professionally. 81 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: Did you study theater and acting in college? Where'd you go? 82 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 2: I went to Marymount College. It is a Catholic women's college, 83 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 2: but it's in Tarrytown, and all the drama faculty was 84 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,840 Speaker 2: from Yale and Royal Shakespeare Company in London, Mary Marytha Grand. 85 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 2: It was a wonderful school. Wonderful for me. Jesuit school 86 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 2: which is the smarty pants guy, so that was good. 87 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 2: The faculty was phenomenal and they were all working in 88 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 2: the business. So the head of the drama department, who 89 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 2: was from Yale, was also a member of Cafe La 90 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 2: Mama and Lincoln Center Rep. So I got the classics 91 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 2: as well as the news stuff. 92 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: So you do that show. You did small roles and 93 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: things back in the sixties, but then you're doing films 94 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: throughout the eighties, nineties, two thousands, you're doing Army Wives 95 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 1: a couple through episodes of that. You're working outside the show. 96 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,479 Speaker 1: Why did you feel you wanted to? You're just a 97 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:13,160 Speaker 1: kind of I don't want to say workaholic, but you 98 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: like to work. 99 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:15,840 Speaker 2: I do like to work, and I like to work 100 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 2: as an actress, and you know, probably a couple of things. 101 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 2: First of all, I'd never thought that I could call 102 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 2: myself an actress if I only played one part. And 103 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,479 Speaker 2: even though the part was the part that kept me 104 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:30,799 Speaker 2: on that show for so long, because I loved doing 105 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:32,599 Speaker 2: that part. That part was one of the best parts, 106 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 2: with the most range and the most possibilities. And I 107 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 2: worked with a company of actors who I loved and trusted, 108 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:42,599 Speaker 2: and it was wonderful, and the writing was fantastic. It 109 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 2: was Agnes Nixon and a lot of reasons that kept 110 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 2: me there. However, having said that, I just never thought 111 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:50,600 Speaker 2: that playing one part would make me an actress. I 112 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 2: had to do more, and so I did. And the 113 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 2: other thing I started to say is that I think 114 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 2: a lot of actors, you know, you feel like you 115 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:00,839 Speaker 2: should say yes as much as you can say yes, 116 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 2: because someday it won't all be there, So you just 117 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 2: say yes, why you can. 118 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 1: I did a soap. The doctors and everybody in that cast, 119 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: not everybody, but a thick band of them were all 120 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: like they did the soap for the pension and welfare 121 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: and the paycheck and the medical and then they ran 122 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: off to the theater. It was their passion. We were 123 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:24,359 Speaker 1: a half hour which was starting to fade and go down. 124 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: The older cast was primary. I always tell people that 125 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 1: the cast photo were the adults in front and the 126 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: kids in the back, because the kids were the supporting players. 127 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 1: And that changed with Bold and the Beautiful, with all 128 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: my children, well, my children were Ryan's Hope, Young and 129 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:44,279 Speaker 1: the restless. However, on your show, the youth revolution comes 130 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 1: and you're still young at this point, but you're one 131 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 1: of the older cast members of the younger cast mean no, no, no. 132 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:52,280 Speaker 2: I started playing Eric as a fifteen year old high 133 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 2: school girl, something that drew me to that drew me 134 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:58,599 Speaker 2: to the show because the man who was the head 135 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 2: of the department at Marymount, who came from Yale, only 136 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,839 Speaker 2: wanted me to do theater and maybe film. Those two things. 137 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 2: Television and daytime television never even came into the equation. 138 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 2: But when I read the script and I saw that 139 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 2: the four kids and we were in high school were 140 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 2: now featured with storylines, and I loved the part. I thought, well, 141 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 2: I'm going to change his mind. I'm going to do 142 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 2: this and it's so well written and I have this 143 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 2: incredible part, so I took the part. He was not 144 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 2: happy at first, but then he actually was interviewed by 145 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 2: TV Guide and said, at the time, I know why 146 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 2: she did this. 147 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 1: You know, but even as you're in that generation, when 148 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: you're younger and you stayed with the show and you're 149 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 1: getting older, yes, and other young stars are coming into 150 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: for the show, you remain one of the stars of 151 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: the show. Why how did you pull that off? 152 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 2: I think it was the writing that pulled it off, 153 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 2: you know, thank you for saying that. No, thank you. 154 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 2: I was very lucky, as I said, she You know, 155 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 2: so I started her playing as a fifteen year old girl. 156 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 2: But she was never the girl next door, and she 157 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 2: was not the girl that you know, everybody was going 158 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 2: to embrace. She was the naughty girl in town, and 159 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 2: she was major bad girl in town and on a 160 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 2: world stage. And I never thought the audience was going 161 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 2: to like her. I loved to play her, the bad girl, 162 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 2: the bad girl. 163 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, and you never thought they would embrace the bad girl. 164 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 2: Never thought the boy. 165 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: Were you wrong? 166 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 3: Yeah? 167 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 2: Turned out that we loved bad girls. They loved bad girls. 168 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 2: They do love that. And what they saw, and again 169 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:38,199 Speaker 2: the writing was there to support it was they saw 170 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 2: that she was a girl who had dreams for herself 171 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 2: and she was going to go out there and get them. 172 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:46,680 Speaker 2: She had spirit, she had spunk. She'd always do it 173 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 2: the right or the nice way. But they really loved 174 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 2: her spunk, her spirit. 175 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 1: They would watch these shows. I remember because the generation 176 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: comes in now where the audience is in sixties housewives, 177 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: it's young people, college kids, and they stop in the 178 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,199 Speaker 1: middle of the day to watch their stories, my stories 179 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 1: and then they would watch the show and then you're 180 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 1: on there doing whatever, and they sit there and be like, 181 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 1: you know, Corey, Corey, it's us. We did that. You know, 182 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 1: anything bad you did was very familiar to them. Well. 183 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 2: And also Erica I think represented my generation that we 184 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 2: were working. You know, my generation was working. They were 185 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 2: not getting out of college and just getting married. They 186 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 2: had their own dreams and aspirations to have. Wasn't enough, 187 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 2: wasn't the only thing on their mind. They had additional 188 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 2: things on their minds and going to Merrymount, which was 189 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 2: a women's college. I remember when we would talk about 190 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 2: our dreams. We had aspirations for ourselves in terms of career, 191 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 2: and it wasn't a question of if we were going 192 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:53,439 Speaker 2: to do that, It was when we're going to do? 193 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:54,959 Speaker 2: This is what we were going to do, and how 194 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 2: could we. 195 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: Do it now. Obviously, Agnes Nixon wasn't your head writer 196 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,320 Speaker 1: throughout the entire one. She was the creator, the creator, 197 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: and then the writers would come and go. 198 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:06,560 Speaker 2: The writers would, yes, a lot of them would stay 199 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 2: for years, but Lorraine Broderick became the head writer because 200 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 2: Agnes would come and go occasionally. 201 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: Did everybody who came on to run the show. They 202 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:18,079 Speaker 1: all basically treated you the same way. But then another 203 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: great advantage you had was Eric is not going anywhere. 204 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 2: It seemed to be that way. It seemed to be 205 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:27,559 Speaker 2: the way. It's hard only again, you, I think because 206 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 2: Agnes was involved and it was her creation, and she 207 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 2: was in the room, you know. And also I remember 208 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 2: our last producer, Julie Cruthers, who lucky to have wonderful 209 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 2: producers too, and Julie would say the last man who 210 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:47,559 Speaker 2: was the head of ABC Daytime, I believe, was not 211 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 2: so enamored of Agnes being involved. And I remember Julie 212 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 2: saying that Agnes is the youngest voice in the room, 213 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:57,840 Speaker 2: so she had good stories to tell and she remained 214 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 2: relevant and groundbreaking always. So I think because of Agnes 215 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 2: and Agnes's beautiful writing for my character Erica, I think 216 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 2: that's why I got to stay. 217 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: These people work really hard. You come up with a 218 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:14,719 Speaker 1: fresh idea every day. The only bad part was we 219 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 1: do with double tape very rarely because we had to 220 00:11:17,559 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 1: accommodate people who were working on Broadway. We had cast 221 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:22,600 Speaker 1: members who were on a Wednesday, they did the matinee, 222 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: so they would have to leave by one. We'd pretape 223 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 1: their scenes and they had a scene on a Christmas 224 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 1: show where they're floating between everybody. So they're in a 225 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: party and all the family of the show was there 226 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:34,679 Speaker 1: and they're floating with the camera and they go, I'll 227 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 1: land on this one and this one, and they're like, 228 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 1: my god, I can't wait for us to head down 229 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: to Palm Beach and have a nice vacation. Something light. 230 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: Pan to the next one and the wife or the 231 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 1: girlfriend saying to the boyfriend, I knew you had drinks 232 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:48,839 Speaker 1: with her chat I knew you had drinks with I 233 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 1: saw you and something from being turgid there. Then they'd 234 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: land on me last, and I was like a little 235 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 1: bit drunk because I went to lunch at Hurley's down 236 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,079 Speaker 1: on the bottom of the building. That's where we always 237 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: went because we usually left it and come back we 238 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 1: had launch and film. Now we had to come back 239 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 1: to finish the rest of the taping as we did 240 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:07,200 Speaker 1: a double taping, and I came back when they finally 241 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:10,160 Speaker 1: land on me in their floating shot. They landed me 242 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: and I go, you know, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry everybody. 243 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: I blow the whole take for and they looked at me, like, 244 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:21,079 Speaker 1: you better straight out. 245 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 2: This was at the beginning. 246 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 1: This was in the beginning, and I thought it was 247 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 1: I didn't take it as seriously as I should have, 248 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:31,440 Speaker 1: But I learned a lot. I learned a lot of 249 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: the things that were significant to me about the professionalism 250 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: of your acting career on that TV show, on that 251 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:38,079 Speaker 1: daytime TV. 252 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 2: Interesting, it's wonderful. 253 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 1: The show ends twenty eleven, correct, and all of the daytime. 254 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: That was an empire. Where did you shoot a West 255 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:49,079 Speaker 1: End Avenue over in the big at the Kremlin? 256 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 2: I call it the Kremlin sixty sixth and Columbus. Yeah, 257 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 2: And we moved to sixty seventh and West End, And 258 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 2: the last two years we shot in La. 259 00:12:57,760 --> 00:12:59,440 Speaker 1: You did, I didn't know that. 260 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 2: I hadn't lant well. We were told that it would 261 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 2: be more cost effective at that time, and also because 262 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 2: of the climate, it would be really great. We could 263 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 2: shoot outside as well, with the location actually nearby. 264 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 1: Did you enjoy it? 265 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:14,319 Speaker 2: I did? 266 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 1: I did. 267 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 2: I didn't expect to, because so many actors from New 268 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:21,400 Speaker 2: York would say how much they didn't love working in 269 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 2: LA I did, maybe because I grew up in the 270 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 2: suburbs and I was used to being in a car 271 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 2: and even like it, so I was fine with that. 272 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:30,280 Speaker 1: And where did you live when you were out there? 273 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 1: Where did you shoot? 274 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 2: We shot in Glendale. We shot in Glendale, and we 275 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 2: had an apartment in Glendale. The studio was six minutes 276 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 2: from our apartment. If I hit the red lights in 277 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 2: Garden City, it was an hour and a half commute. 278 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:46,440 Speaker 2: But I really it was fine for me because I 279 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:48,959 Speaker 2: studied my lines on the way in and I could 280 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 2: just return phone calls and be a vegetable way. 281 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:52,680 Speaker 1: How did you get in every day? Somebody drove you? 282 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:57,680 Speaker 2: Yes, it began with helmet driving me. That's love, Yes, 283 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:01,840 Speaker 2: it really, Yes, he was fantastic. But then when I 284 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 2: was twenty seven, one of the vice presidents of the 285 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 2: network offered me a limo, you know, to pick me 286 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 2: up and take me in, And I remember saying, I 287 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,440 Speaker 2: thank them very much, But I said, you know, people 288 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 2: are coming here on this subway, and if I show 289 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 2: up in a limo, this is an ensemble, I'm going 290 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:24,240 Speaker 2: to be playing scenes with them. This is probably not 291 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 2: going to be a good way to have a company 292 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 2: of actors. 293 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: You didn't want to be viewed that way, No. 294 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 2: I wanted to be. I was part of the company. 295 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 2: I recognized that the part that was being written, and 296 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 2: I was lucky enough to have it was written for me, 297 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 2: but there was a collaboration for sure. I saw it 298 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 2: was on the page, and frankly, I mean, you know, 299 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 2: my experience with the writing there was incredible, and I 300 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 2: had good training, so I knew how I mean. My 301 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 2: judgment I thought was a good judgment and it was 302 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 2: really so well written. Also, I was one of those 303 00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 2: characters you're talking about that the writer wanted to tell 304 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 2: the story through, and I realized that it was very, 305 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 2: very lucky. But one thing with Agnes is that she 306 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 2: would tell very complicated, relevant stories, current stories through everybody's eyes. 307 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:17,080 Speaker 2: I think Erica was Agnes's voice, but I really admired 308 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 2: the fact that these complicated issues anybody watching out there 309 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:23,160 Speaker 2: could could have see themselves represented. 310 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:27,040 Speaker 1: What was the challenge for you to keep that role fresh? 311 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 1: Do you suggest things to them? I always believe that 312 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: someone who's as talented as you are, and who owns 313 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,040 Speaker 1: that role in the way that you did, you have 314 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 1: every right to turn to them and say, I'd like 315 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:40,280 Speaker 1: you to mayven think about this? You suggest how much 316 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 1: were you able to suggest very little? 317 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 2: Really, yeah, very little. 318 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: You just referred to Agnes. 319 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:48,920 Speaker 2: It was there, you know. I was really lucky most 320 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 2: mostly I would read this. First of all, it was 321 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 2: a newscript every day, and you know very well from 322 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 2: having been on daytime. It was the length of a 323 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 2: play a day. It was a play a day, and 324 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 2: so there's a lot of material not only to commit 325 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 2: to memory, but to fill to make work, you know. 326 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 2: And so the day to day was very occupying of 327 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 2: my mind. And I was in such good hands in 328 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 2: the final times, you know, when we moved to la 329 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 2: and when the person who was in the charge of 330 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:20,920 Speaker 2: daytime brought in a new writer altogether, and he met 331 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 2: with our company of actors during a lunch period in 332 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 2: our rehearsal hall. And the first thing that that writer, 333 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 2: who might have been a wonderful writer in a different genre, 334 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 2: but what he said was I'm going to shake things up. 335 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 2: That's fine, but he said, so some of you may 336 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 2: not recognize your characters or your relationships and so on. 337 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 2: And so what happened was that during rehearsal in the morning, 338 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:52,440 Speaker 2: what he said was true, and so many actors were concerned. 339 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 2: I was one of them too. Of course, you know, 340 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 2: people would come to me and say, what are you 341 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:57,240 Speaker 2: doing about this? So you just try to hold on 342 00:16:57,560 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 2: tooth and nail, you know. 343 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:02,520 Speaker 1: You tell when people were coming on the younger people 344 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 1: knew were people, whether they had it or not, the 345 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 1: discipline to do the show. 346 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 2: I could see that some people were, you know, no, 347 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 2: we're wonderful. Wonderful yeah, Josh, Kim Darnell, they stood out 348 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 2: right away. Kim Delaney, Kim just mel be my god, yeah, 349 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,359 Speaker 2: Kim Delaney, yes. And actually Michael B. 350 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: Jordan. 351 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:29,640 Speaker 2: Michael played my steps on by marriage, to Jack Montgomery, 352 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:32,399 Speaker 2: to Walt Willie, who was spectacular too, but he was 353 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:38,200 Speaker 2: one who was sixteen and always very what you're saying, discipline, 354 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:41,760 Speaker 2: showed up on time, showed up prepared, very respectful, very 355 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:43,400 Speaker 2: nice person, good guy. 356 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,919 Speaker 1: When you did the show. Were their actors you just 357 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:48,439 Speaker 1: fere like you enjoyed working with them? 358 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:51,639 Speaker 2: They were, Oh absolutely, what Willie, who I worked with 359 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:55,960 Speaker 2: most often, who was my love interest throughout lots of times, 360 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:59,119 Speaker 2: in and out. He's so funny and very quick and 361 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 2: loved working with him. And on the other side of 362 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:07,639 Speaker 2: the coind David Canary, who was spectacular actor I worked 363 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:10,120 Speaker 2: with him, probably next to Walt. I worked with David 364 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:12,719 Speaker 2: Canary most, but we hate I mean I hated him, 365 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:17,199 Speaker 2: Erica hated him. But those scenes were wonderful. And you 366 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:20,199 Speaker 2: know you were saying earlier about you know, the senior 367 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 2: actors leaving because they were on Broadway and they had 368 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 2: places to go. I thought that was one of the 369 00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:28,160 Speaker 2: biggest pluses working in New York. But the other actors 370 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:34,119 Speaker 2: were phenomenal Broadway actors. I mean Jimmy Mitchell who danced 371 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:38,399 Speaker 2: the Curly Ballet in Oklahoma on Broadway and was so urbane. 372 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:40,920 Speaker 2: And you know, I was young and to learn from 373 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 2: these incredibly successful actors who were working on Broadway. Sometimes 374 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:49,359 Speaker 2: someone like Philip Bosco, who, yeah, would come and do 375 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:53,639 Speaker 2: you know an arc on the show? Yeah. Oh, I 376 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:57,440 Speaker 2: remember one day I was doing a concert version of 377 00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 2: One Touch of Venus and we would rehearse the Amsterdam 378 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,159 Speaker 2: Theater during my lunch hour, run out there and do 379 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:06,239 Speaker 2: that and come back was for encores, Yes, and at 380 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 2: the time, and I was so much fun and again, 381 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 2: wonderful Broadway actors. Piggy Cass was playing my mother, Yes, 382 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:17,159 Speaker 2: I know, it was incredible. And coming back to the 383 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:20,359 Speaker 2: studio and waiting behind the sets, you know, if the 384 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:23,560 Speaker 2: cameras broke down a little bit or something was happening 385 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:25,600 Speaker 2: technically that we didn't know what we had to be 386 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 2: on hold, stayed our places. So behind the scenes, my 387 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 2: set flowed into behind Jimmy Mitchell's set, and he came 388 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:36,439 Speaker 2: up to me and he just took me in his 389 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:38,639 Speaker 2: arms and waltz with me. He danced with me all 390 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:41,919 Speaker 2: over the backstage while we were waiting. You know, some 391 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 2: of those wonderful experiences. 392 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 1: Actress Susan Lucci. If you enjoy conversations with talented female Thespians, 393 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:57,560 Speaker 1: check out my episode with former As the World Turns 394 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 1: star and Oscar winner Julianne Moore. 395 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:03,880 Speaker 4: I'm very chatty. I like to talk all the way 396 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:06,960 Speaker 4: up to action. I do, I do, And if you 397 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 4: can't talk to me, I'm really disappointed. Then I get lonely, 398 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 4: and I want to be lonely when I want, I 399 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 4: want to be with my buddy. 400 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 2: I want to talk to me. You talk to me 401 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:15,199 Speaker 2: every friends, buddy talking to you. 402 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:16,680 Speaker 4: What'd you do this morning? What'd you have for dinner 403 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:18,040 Speaker 4: last night? What are you doing later today? 404 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 2: Are you cold? 405 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 4: Do you like that Sweater'd you like my sweater? What 406 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:21,120 Speaker 4: are you doing? 407 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 1: Action? Acting? 408 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 2: I love it. 409 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:23,920 Speaker 4: That's my favorite part. 410 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 3: He said. 411 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,040 Speaker 4: You get this great connection with other human being. And 412 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:29,040 Speaker 4: then the scene is like, ooh, comes alive. 413 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:35,240 Speaker 1: To hear more of my conversation with Julianne Moore, go 414 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 1: to Here's the Thing dot org. After the break, Susan 415 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:42,680 Speaker 1: Lucci shares the story of how she landed the part 416 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:45,359 Speaker 1: of a lifetime a leading role on. 417 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 3: The Great White Way. 418 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,400 Speaker 1: I'm Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the Thing 419 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: Susan Lucci. She has spent decades enjoying the prolific output 420 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:08,159 Speaker 1: of a successful acting career. She's also the mother of 421 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 1: two children and stepmother to two more. I was curious 422 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,879 Speaker 1: whether anyone in her family wanted to follow her into 423 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 1: show business. 424 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:18,960 Speaker 2: My daughter did for a while. 425 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:19,879 Speaker 1: What you do? 426 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 2: She was on passions? Ahuh yeah, and she was wonderful. 427 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:24,680 Speaker 2: She's absolutely wonderful. 428 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:25,920 Speaker 1: And then what happened? 429 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:27,479 Speaker 2: She didn't love it? 430 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 1: And can you say why? 431 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:32,600 Speaker 2: I don't know that it was ever articulated why, but 432 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 2: she did not really love it. 433 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:39,159 Speaker 1: And most people I know who their kids go into it, 434 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 1: especially now a lot of my friends, their kids go 435 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:43,639 Speaker 1: in and they were one. The one thing that they 436 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:46,960 Speaker 1: can't handle is the unreliability of it. Oh, you know 437 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:49,199 Speaker 1: that you don't work that much and you're off all 438 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 1: this time. You don't know what's going to happen to you. 439 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 1: You don't know where you're going to be four months 440 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:56,639 Speaker 1: from now, six months when they couldn't stand that. They 441 00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:00,040 Speaker 1: wanted to have their life and live somewhere and go 442 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:02,119 Speaker 1: to their yoga class and have their husband or a 443 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:03,119 Speaker 1: boyfriend or whatever. 444 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:04,400 Speaker 2: Those Yeah, it's not for everybody. 445 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 1: It's not for ever. 446 00:22:05,119 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 2: And being the spouse of the person you were saying earlier, 447 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 2: you know, you had a girlfriend who didn't get it, 448 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 2: and Helmut did get it. But I would marvel at 449 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:15,399 Speaker 2: that and really admire him for how great he was 450 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 2: about and smart, you know, because it's not for everybody. 451 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:23,439 Speaker 1: Somebody famous one said to me. Don't get too blown 452 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:25,679 Speaker 1: off course, don't let the wind in your sales to 453 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:29,480 Speaker 1: take you. Don't watch comedies that make you laugh, make 454 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 1: you see, don't watch dramas that make you cry, he said, 455 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:35,399 Speaker 1: watch National geographic shows of animals. 456 00:22:35,119 --> 00:22:36,760 Speaker 2: While you're on that set in the middle of while 457 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:37,680 Speaker 2: you're shooting a movie. 458 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:41,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, and don't get too in a different head. Try 459 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: to stay in this kind of neutral gear. And he 460 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: said to me, like when you go in, he goes, 461 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: don't don't talk to people on the phone. Don't talk 462 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,720 Speaker 1: to your girlfriend on the phone. Don't talk to your 463 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:52,480 Speaker 1: decorator on the phone about how much money he's going 464 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 1: to spend on. 465 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:56,960 Speaker 2: God forbid, you have a fight with your girlfriend, don't. 466 00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: Talk to do it. The other one was this guy 467 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:02,800 Speaker 1: turned to me once. It was Albert Salmi, the great, 468 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:06,159 Speaker 1: great character actor. Albert sell me. He was there was 469 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:09,680 Speaker 1: sitting on the the set in a chair reading the 470 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 1: La Times or something, and he says, are you're going 471 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:14,080 Speaker 1: to go back to your trailer? I? Oh, no, I 472 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:16,360 Speaker 1: think I'll hang out. And he said that's the best 473 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 1: thing to go. Don't leave the set, said, don't go 474 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:20,840 Speaker 1: back to your trailer. The set is where it's at. 475 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 1: Always be staying linked to the process. 476 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:26,920 Speaker 2: That's great. Yeah, felt the same way. I would see 477 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 2: people reading books and I thought, gee, how do they 478 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 2: do that? I can't do that. Concentrate what takes you 479 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:34,640 Speaker 2: out of that world? Different world. 480 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:38,200 Speaker 1: One last question about the show directors. So I found 481 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,640 Speaker 1: that we had some wonderful directors, most of who had 482 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:44,880 Speaker 1: this is back in the eighties, with great theater backgrounds, 483 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 1: and they were kind of wickedly funny, you know. I'd 484 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:50,200 Speaker 1: say to the director, Henry Kaplan, I'd. 485 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:54,159 Speaker 2: Say, oh, Henry, you know, Henry, you're wickedly funny, is 486 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 2: exactly he was. 487 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:57,440 Speaker 4: He terrorized me too, terrorized me. 488 00:23:57,640 --> 00:23:58,639 Speaker 1: I have a drink in my head like this, and 489 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:00,360 Speaker 1: I go, I'm gonna can I hold this up? When 490 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 1: I see this line, I want to sip and then 491 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:03,080 Speaker 1: I want to pull it away and say the other 492 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:05,439 Speaker 1: partl where I'm thinking of anything to play, And I go, 493 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:07,920 Speaker 1: and I'll do this and I'll never forget I'm doing 494 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:10,440 Speaker 1: a scene with Kim Zimmer And Henry goes, that's fine, 495 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,000 Speaker 1: you do what everyone does. I'm gonna be on her anyway, 496 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:17,440 Speaker 1: you bast We have some great directors that. 497 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:20,560 Speaker 2: We have great directors, and Henry, Henry was terrific. Also 498 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:22,480 Speaker 2: we used to get our notes. They called him red chairs. 499 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:24,639 Speaker 2: They would call us to red chairs, which were a 500 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,199 Speaker 2: bunch of red director's chairs set up, you know, in 501 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:29,840 Speaker 2: the middle of the studio, to get our notes. So 502 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:32,679 Speaker 2: the whole company of actors got their notes together. This 503 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 2: was both humiliating and bonding, you know, because we're humility together. 504 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,080 Speaker 2: We all had our chance being and when Henry was directing, 505 00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:45,600 Speaker 2: the humiliation was flying. We were just buried. We buried 506 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:47,200 Speaker 2: you destroyed you right before you had to go on 507 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:51,360 Speaker 2: air and play those scenes. Yeah. Actually, yeah, that was him, 508 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:54,200 Speaker 2: and it took me a while. It took me a 509 00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 2: couple of weeks to figure out that that was his 510 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:58,400 Speaker 2: humor because I was destroyed. 511 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:04,280 Speaker 1: Oh he was about well you did Bob Center director. Yes, well, 512 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:05,920 Speaker 1: they all want to move on to the hour shows 513 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:08,359 Speaker 1: because it's more fun for them. Yeah, the half hour shows. 514 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:11,600 Speaker 1: You think you're all just getting started. Yeah, that's over 515 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:15,199 Speaker 1: now you are doing what? No, No, they said there 516 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 1: might be a reboot of the show or not. 517 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:19,720 Speaker 2: You know they're saying that, and I'm told that. Then. 518 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:21,960 Speaker 2: Of course, the writers' strike came and the actors strike, 519 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,200 Speaker 2: so I thought it was gone by then, but I'm 520 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 2: told it's still possibly in the works, so we'll see. 521 00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 1: That's another credible Now in terms of other things you're doing, 522 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:34,280 Speaker 1: you've been involved with that theater in Westhampton for a 523 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:35,120 Speaker 1: very long time. 524 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:38,720 Speaker 2: Correct, well, with celebrity autobiography, right, you know we took 525 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:40,640 Speaker 2: the play there. You were in the first one. 526 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:42,480 Speaker 1: I did one of them, and I did a couple 527 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:43,520 Speaker 1: of them at Guildhall. 528 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,359 Speaker 2: At Guildhall, actually I did the first concert there with 529 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:52,160 Speaker 2: Marvin Hamlish. Yeah, sang yes a little bit. Marvin asked, well, 530 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 2: I met Marvin and sag Harbor at that theater. Actually 531 00:25:55,359 --> 00:25:59,840 Speaker 2: he was doing a concert there, and his wife came 532 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:02,359 Speaker 2: out to me during intermission and told me that she 533 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:06,120 Speaker 2: was Marvin's wife, and she was great herself, but she said, 534 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:08,439 Speaker 2: Marvin's wife, and he'd like to meet you. Would you 535 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 2: like to meet Marvin? I said, what, I'd like to 536 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,439 Speaker 2: meet Marvin, of course. So she took me backstage to 537 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 2: meet him afterwards. And that was a meeting that changed 538 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:18,760 Speaker 2: my life. First of all, it was all during that 539 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 2: time where I hadn't won the Emmy for many, many 540 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:25,399 Speaker 2: and many nominations, and he was assuring me that it 541 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:27,959 Speaker 2: had nothing to do with my work. I mean, he 542 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:30,199 Speaker 2: was really encouraging me. He was a fan, which was 543 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 2: so thrilling that Marvin Hamlish would be a fan. Then 544 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:35,840 Speaker 2: he called me afterwards and asked me if I'd like 545 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:39,280 Speaker 2: to work with him. We worked at Heinzhall in Pittsburgh 546 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:39,920 Speaker 2: the first time. 547 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 1: Do you know? 548 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:44,560 Speaker 2: Heinzhall and the deal was that I would give a 549 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:49,360 Speaker 2: seminar to the seniors who were drama majors at Carnegie 550 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:52,200 Speaker 2: Mellen or Carnegie might have been just Carnegie. 551 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:52,240 Speaker 3: At the time. 552 00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 2: Anyway. He called me then one night and said to me, 553 00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:59,679 Speaker 2: I'd like to write a song for you to dance 554 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 2: with the chorus boys who are dance majors at Carnegie. 555 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:06,200 Speaker 2: They will be there and they will come and they 556 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 2: will dance with you, and you will dance with them. 557 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:12,720 Speaker 2: How does that sound? I said, that sounds amazing, you know. 558 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:16,320 Speaker 2: Thank you, and his doorbell rang at his apartment. He said, 559 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:19,120 Speaker 2: hold on a second, my Chinese food is here, and 560 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 2: so he went to get his Chinese food and we 561 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:24,479 Speaker 2: left it at that. But it was great working with him. 562 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:26,560 Speaker 2: That was my first time working with him. And then 563 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 2: yes we were at West Hampton Nice Theater, Nice Theater. 564 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:34,879 Speaker 2: And then after I won the Emmy, the producers Brandon 565 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:36,960 Speaker 2: Barry Weisler called me and asked me if I would 566 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,480 Speaker 2: like to play Anna Oakley and I get your gun 567 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 2: if I'd like to go in for Bernadette. Bernadette was 568 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 2: going to be leaving the show and would I like 569 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:47,480 Speaker 2: to go in for her? And my agent called me 570 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:51,400 Speaker 2: from ICM at the time in LA and she said, 571 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:53,520 Speaker 2: to me, sit down here. She said, I don't even 572 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:57,160 Speaker 2: know if you sing. I said, well, yeah, I did 573 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:02,040 Speaker 2: musical theater in high school and college. Yes, I'd like 574 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:06,399 Speaker 2: to do that. And she said okay, And I said 575 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:09,359 Speaker 2: and because Marvin, he said I should come to his 576 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:12,879 Speaker 2: apartment so he could hear me sing and see if 577 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:15,360 Speaker 2: he thought I could do this, because after our last 578 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:18,040 Speaker 2: appearance together he said, if you ever need me, I'm 579 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 2: here to help you, let me know. So I was 580 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:23,800 Speaker 2: offered this part, and I was way too shy to 581 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:27,520 Speaker 2: call Marvin Hamlash and ask him anything, but Helmet was not. 582 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 2: So Helmet called Harvin Hamush told him what was being 583 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 2: offered and what did he think, And Marvin was very generous. 584 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 2: He had been on he was on tour. When Helmet 585 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:41,240 Speaker 2: reached me, he was in Europe and he said, but 586 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 2: I'm coming home Sunday night. Come to my apartment and 587 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:47,960 Speaker 2: sing for me and I'll tell you. So we went 588 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 2: to Marvin's apartment. Scariest thing I ever did at that time. 589 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,800 Speaker 2: I rang Marvin Hamlush his doorbell to his apartment and 590 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:58,720 Speaker 2: he answered, and his lyricist was there with him and 591 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:02,800 Speaker 2: his wife, Terry Blair, in the back room, and he said, so, 592 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 2: come on in, I have lyricists here. I'm going to 593 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:08,240 Speaker 2: play the piano and sing through some of the numbers. 594 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 2: And I had by then, you know, just locked myself 595 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:15,400 Speaker 2: in my room and learned all the music. And he said, so, 596 00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:17,440 Speaker 2: I want you to sing a ballad and an uptune 597 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 2: and I had to and I did, and he said, okay, 598 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:21,720 Speaker 2: I'm going to go now to the back of the apartment. 599 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:25,120 Speaker 2: He has one of those pre World War two apartments 600 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:27,640 Speaker 2: and he went and it looked like a La Liique 601 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 2: glass partition and he went way in the back and 602 00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:32,880 Speaker 2: he said, now sing to me, and I did, and 603 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:35,520 Speaker 2: he came out and I guess because it's Broadway and 604 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:38,880 Speaker 2: he need to know he could hear me. And he said, okay. 605 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 2: He said you can do this. He said, you can 606 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:42,840 Speaker 2: do this if you want to, or I want you 607 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 2: to work for a week with Craig Cornelia. That was 608 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:48,200 Speaker 2: his he was his lyricist, and come back to me 609 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 2: and sing again, and so I did, and he said, yeah, 610 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:55,400 Speaker 2: there's no question you can do this. He said, you're 611 00:29:55,480 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 2: very brave tall you're not, and so Bernadette wasn't either. 612 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 3: So it worked. 613 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 2: Worked, so he encouraged me to do it, and he 614 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 2: really helped me to get to the place where I 615 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:10,120 Speaker 2: could do it because the next step was to sing 616 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:13,480 Speaker 2: for Barry and fran Weisler, and I wanted to. They 617 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:16,400 Speaker 2: did not ask for that. I wanted to be one. 618 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 2: I wanted to know I could do it. 619 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:19,280 Speaker 1: How long did you do it? 620 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 2: Not long enough? I'll tell you it was just a 621 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:24,880 Speaker 2: month because by that time Bernadette decided she didn't want 622 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 2: to leave. She was just going to leave for the holidays. 623 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:31,840 Speaker 2: She came back after that riba after that because by 624 00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:35,479 Speaker 2: that time all my children wouldn't let me go. They 625 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:38,520 Speaker 2: were beginning a new truly a very important storyline. But 626 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 2: at the beginning when they told me it was going 627 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:42,280 Speaker 2: to be a very important storyline, and they couldn't let 628 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:44,840 Speaker 2: me go. If you tell me no, I'm not just 629 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 2: going to say, oh okay, I'm never going to throw 630 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:47,680 Speaker 2: out my hands. 631 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:48,920 Speaker 1: It's a great opportunity for you. 632 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:50,880 Speaker 2: Oh my goodness, my dream. I grew up in New 633 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:52,320 Speaker 2: York to be a little girl, to grow up in 634 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 2: New York and then you have a chance to be 635 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 2: on Broadway. Oh my god. 636 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:56,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, a great show. 637 00:30:56,280 --> 00:30:59,600 Speaker 2: Oh great show, great part with the original cast. So 638 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:02,400 Speaker 2: you know I would try to go over that brick wall, 639 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 2: over it, under it, through it, rounded. How you know. 640 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 2: I gave them all sorts of notions. Can we do this? 641 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 2: Can we do that? This was the opportunity of a lifetime. 642 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:13,160 Speaker 2: But all my children did not see it that way. 643 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 2: ABC did not see it that way at the time. 644 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:22,600 Speaker 1: Actress Susan Lucci, if you're enjoying this conversation, tell a 645 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:25,760 Speaker 1: friend and be sure to follow Here's the Thing on 646 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:30,800 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 647 00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:35,160 Speaker 1: When we come back, Susan Lucci shares Howard felt to 648 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:50,360 Speaker 1: finally take home the Emmy after her nineteenth nomination. I'm 649 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:54,479 Speaker 1: Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the Thing. Susan 650 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:59,760 Speaker 1: Lucci has inhabited many amazing roles, including one as national 651 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:04,800 Speaker 1: and Ambassador for the American Heart Association. The organization seeks 652 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 1: to reduce deaths caused from heart disease and stroke, and 653 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:14,320 Speaker 1: has contributed over five billion dollars in cardiovascular and cerebro 654 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:17,760 Speaker 1: vascular research. I wanted to know how she first got 655 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:19,840 Speaker 1: involved with the nonprofit. 656 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:23,920 Speaker 2: I had a hard incident actually five years ago, so 657 00:32:24,240 --> 00:32:27,760 Speaker 2: that's great, you know that everything's wonderful. But it took 658 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:31,040 Speaker 2: me quite by surprise. I had never been zick, nothing, 659 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 2: and my mother. I lost my mother at one hundred 660 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:34,480 Speaker 2: and four. 661 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:36,680 Speaker 1: So where was she then? 662 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:39,960 Speaker 2: She was in assisted living in Florida, which is a 663 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:42,560 Speaker 2: they have, it's an art form in Florida. She was 664 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 2: in a beautiful, wonderful place, but she had never had 665 00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:48,240 Speaker 2: anything major. She was a hundred at the time. So 666 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:51,240 Speaker 2: I was out actually shopping for a birthday present for 667 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:54,000 Speaker 2: a friend, and it was a third time that month 668 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:57,200 Speaker 2: I had felt some pressure on my chest, radiating around 669 00:32:57,240 --> 00:33:00,560 Speaker 2: my ribcage to my back. The first two times I 670 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:04,640 Speaker 2: didn't take it seriously. I thought, as most women do, Oh, 671 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:07,520 Speaker 2: it's nothing, it'll go away. I don't have time for this, 672 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:11,560 Speaker 2: and it did go away. But the third time it 673 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:14,680 Speaker 2: felt like an elephant pressing on my chest. And I 674 00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:17,680 Speaker 2: had heard a woman do an interview many years before, 675 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:21,240 Speaker 2: no reason to even remember this, but I did, and 676 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:24,680 Speaker 2: I sat down good. I was out in a public 677 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:28,800 Speaker 2: place because the manager came over and asked me how 678 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:31,960 Speaker 2: I was feeling. I told her, and she said, Susan, 679 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:33,800 Speaker 2: my car is right outside. I can get you to 680 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 2: Saint Francis Hospital, the heart hospital. It's a mile down 681 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 2: the road, faster than an ambulance will come. And I 682 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:42,400 Speaker 2: went with her. It turned out she also had a 683 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:44,760 Speaker 2: degree in nursing. I mean, what are the odds of that? 684 00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:48,840 Speaker 2: She was so calm, and I had no reason of 685 00:33:48,880 --> 00:33:51,080 Speaker 2: a cardiologist, but my husband did and I called him. 686 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:53,000 Speaker 2: He met me at the er. Turned out I had 687 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:55,719 Speaker 2: a ninety percent blockage in my main artery and a 688 00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:58,800 Speaker 2: seventy five percent blockage in the adjacent He never smoked. 689 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 2: I never smoked. There's no reason to have this turned out. 690 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:05,080 Speaker 2: This is interesting. We all in my family thought that 691 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:07,680 Speaker 2: I have my mother's jeans because she never had anything. 692 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:11,239 Speaker 2: I never had anything. And it turned out and my 693 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:16,319 Speaker 2: otherwise fabulous, handsome, terrific father's jeans in that regard, So 694 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:19,520 Speaker 2: it was a calcium build up. Who knew that. I 695 00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:22,319 Speaker 2: found out anyway, so I couldn't keep my good luck 696 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:24,319 Speaker 2: to myself. I had to get out there and tell 697 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:26,839 Speaker 2: women what symptoms would be, and to listen to them 698 00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:28,800 Speaker 2: and to put themselves on their own to do list 699 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 2: and take take care of themselves. 700 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:34,960 Speaker 1: You were a finalist and a beauty pageant? Is that true? 701 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:37,040 Speaker 2: Yes? I was? 702 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:40,759 Speaker 1: What was the beauty pageant? You were the finalist in 703 00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:41,800 Speaker 1: Miss New York State. 704 00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:43,520 Speaker 2: Mister York State Universe for. 705 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:46,239 Speaker 1: The Miss Universe. Yes, you were like getting on deck 706 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:48,560 Speaker 1: from Miss Universe. Yes, and you were, and you were 707 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:50,960 Speaker 1: you were the runner up for Miss New York State Universe. 708 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:51,319 Speaker 2: Yes. 709 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:55,640 Speaker 1: When I look at you, you're so attract if not 710 00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:59,239 Speaker 1: as just as a woman and beautiful, you're an unbelievably 711 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:03,520 Speaker 1: beautiful woman, a gorgeous woman, and you're attractive as a person. 712 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:07,120 Speaker 1: You got this warmth you of that magical Juna saqua 713 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:11,160 Speaker 1: that people have on camera. People are connected to you, 714 00:35:11,239 --> 00:35:13,839 Speaker 1: and they're looking at you and taking you in that 715 00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:15,120 Speaker 1: head toss of yours. 716 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:15,520 Speaker 2: Thanks. 717 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: You should have patented that you could make a billion 718 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:20,480 Speaker 1: dollars teaching people how to do different types of head tosses. 719 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:25,040 Speaker 1: Shouldn't effects or your head tosses is legendary, But you 720 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:28,239 Speaker 1: stayed connected. I'm assuming because of family your husband are 721 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:31,520 Speaker 1: the things that a lot of people do, but with beauty, 722 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:33,600 Speaker 1: tellent that you could have gone to LA and just 723 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:36,760 Speaker 1: made movies and did TV and just ran in that direction, 724 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:39,120 Speaker 1: and you didn't why. 725 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:42,160 Speaker 2: Maybe that uncertainty, you know that you were saying some 726 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:44,799 Speaker 2: of the younger generation now is. 727 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:49,640 Speaker 1: For you telling us your insecure Susan Lucci absolutely? 728 00:35:51,719 --> 00:35:52,080 Speaker 2: Yeah. 729 00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:53,240 Speaker 1: Was it also a family? 730 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:56,160 Speaker 2: Yes. I by that time, by the time my career 731 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:59,960 Speaker 2: was taking off, I had my first child, my daughter, Liza, 732 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:04,319 Speaker 2: who was probably three years old, four years old, and 733 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:08,600 Speaker 2: I just thought I wanted to raise my children here. 734 00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:11,680 Speaker 2: You know, anything you ever read about raising children and 735 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:15,279 Speaker 2: being a celebrity yourself, especially not in New York, but 736 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:16,440 Speaker 2: going to LA and. 737 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:17,839 Speaker 3: Being a mom and being a mom. 738 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:20,360 Speaker 1: I'm a dad, but a mom, big difference. 739 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:24,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, And so I wanted to raise them with as 740 00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:26,200 Speaker 2: much and I'm going to put this in quotation marks 741 00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:30,000 Speaker 2: normalcy as possible. And what I knew is normalcy was 742 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:33,520 Speaker 2: growing up in the town I grew up in, and 743 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:36,480 Speaker 2: in fact, when I met my husband, I wanted to 744 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:39,000 Speaker 2: move away from there. You know, when you grow up 745 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:42,360 Speaker 2: someplace the grass is always green, or someplace else, and 746 00:36:43,280 --> 00:36:46,600 Speaker 2: I didn't realize how special a place it was. But 747 00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:49,560 Speaker 2: my husband, who came from the Austrian Alps pretty special 748 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:52,920 Speaker 2: place itself. Grew up in this magical way, thought that 749 00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:56,040 Speaker 2: Garden City was a great place to raise children, and 750 00:36:56,080 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 2: so he you know, he had that influence over me, 751 00:36:58,719 --> 00:37:02,320 Speaker 2: and I thought it was right. And from everything I 752 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:05,040 Speaker 2: read and everything he said and everything I could see 753 00:37:05,239 --> 00:37:07,080 Speaker 2: by that time, I thought, yeah, there's a sense of 754 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:10,640 Speaker 2: community here, and there's a lot here for raising children 755 00:37:10,719 --> 00:37:14,200 Speaker 2: in normalcy. Also, as I got closer up to the 756 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:17,600 Speaker 2: nighttime series situation at that time, not that my daughter 757 00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:20,400 Speaker 2: was even in school as she was three, I learned 758 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:23,279 Speaker 2: that they take a break at the time, it was 759 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:26,200 Speaker 2: you would never see your children. You know, you go 760 00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:28,319 Speaker 2: back to work on a nighttime series, at least in 761 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:30,960 Speaker 2: those days at the time where your children are getting 762 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 2: out of school. So the whole summer, you know, you're 763 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:36,480 Speaker 2: busy going back to work. Whereas if I stayed in daytime, 764 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:40,080 Speaker 2: I could go whenever I wanted to go, according to 765 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:43,000 Speaker 2: the more control over my room. 766 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:45,480 Speaker 1: I tried forever never to work in the summertime, and 767 00:37:45,480 --> 00:37:48,919 Speaker 1: in many many years I didn't. I would I think 768 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:50,440 Speaker 1: the time as I worked in the summer was for 769 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:53,279 Speaker 1: like for Scorsese, oh well, like I nobody was saying 770 00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:55,319 Speaker 1: like I had to say yes, there was no and 771 00:37:55,360 --> 00:37:57,239 Speaker 1: go shoot in August or something for a couple of weeks. 772 00:37:57,280 --> 00:37:59,720 Speaker 1: I mean, I never had a big part in those films, 773 00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:01,799 Speaker 1: but just to be with him and be around him 774 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:04,880 Speaker 1: was a thrill. But I tried to, you know, be 775 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:06,680 Speaker 1: with my kids and stay home all the time. And 776 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:10,880 Speaker 1: then eventually that becomes who you are now. When you 777 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:15,439 Speaker 1: finally won your Emmy, your heart fought, well earned, well 778 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:18,200 Speaker 1: deserved Emmy. Well you were sitting that you just expected 779 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:19,200 Speaker 1: to be the same over again. 780 00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:22,000 Speaker 2: You kind of kind of, yes, I will tell you 781 00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:24,440 Speaker 2: that every year I would get whipped into a frenzy 782 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:26,960 Speaker 2: because the press corps, you know, they've did this is 783 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:30,320 Speaker 2: your year, this is your year. But that year everything 784 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:33,040 Speaker 2: was in place. It was a great storyline. It was 785 00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:36,400 Speaker 2: very well shot, very well directed, very well acted by everybody. 786 00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:40,480 Speaker 2: Good stuff. But you know, after a while, I mean, nineteen, 787 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:43,520 Speaker 2: it was my nineteenth nomination. You know, you kind of 788 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:47,080 Speaker 2: say history's taught me. I'm probably not, you know, and 789 00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:49,920 Speaker 2: yet part of you and I'm also not. I'm a 790 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:52,719 Speaker 2: hopeful person. I didn't want to give up completely, you know, 791 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:55,880 Speaker 2: so yeah, I thought, well maybe, but I wrote a 792 00:38:55,920 --> 00:38:58,000 Speaker 2: couple in my head the night before, lying in bed, 793 00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:01,120 Speaker 2: I thought, wow, if they're right, there were people I 794 00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:04,600 Speaker 2: really want to thank, so, you know, talked through my 795 00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:06,600 Speaker 2: head a little bit who I might think, but I 796 00:39:06,680 --> 00:39:09,040 Speaker 2: kind of didn't want to let myself even go there. 797 00:39:09,120 --> 00:39:11,960 Speaker 1: You know, you won the Emmy for for Acting, your 798 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:15,319 Speaker 1: nineteenth nomination. Yes, and then you won the Life Achievement Award. Yes, 799 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:17,279 Speaker 1: just now, just now, well, and now how did that 800 00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:17,800 Speaker 1: come about? 801 00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:20,080 Speaker 2: That was a phone call. I got a phone call 802 00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:23,440 Speaker 2: from my publicist saying, what was the organization the Daytime Emmy? 803 00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:25,239 Speaker 1: The Daytime Emmys, and there's an. 804 00:39:25,160 --> 00:39:28,920 Speaker 2: Emmy committee, right, and they unanimously said they wanted to 805 00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:29,720 Speaker 2: give me the awards. 806 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:32,600 Speaker 1: So my god, well, congratulations for that. Congratulations for that. 807 00:39:32,640 --> 00:39:34,720 Speaker 2: Thank you much less hair raising when you know ahead 808 00:39:34,719 --> 00:39:35,240 Speaker 2: of time. 809 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:38,200 Speaker 1: Much less. And Nicholson said to me a while ago, 810 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:40,640 Speaker 1: I said to him, when you won the Oscar had 811 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:42,880 Speaker 1: been nominated a couple of times. When you won the Oscar, 812 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:44,880 Speaker 1: you kind of looked like you knew you were going 813 00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:46,839 Speaker 1: to win. You were sitting there, you had this really 814 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:49,200 Speaker 1: kind of a weird kind of smile on your face, 815 00:39:49,239 --> 00:39:51,680 Speaker 1: sitting and I watched for the film and he goes. 816 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:52,440 Speaker 3: They owed it to me. 817 00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:55,279 Speaker 1: Oh, he said, they owed it to me, and they 818 00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:58,640 Speaker 1: knew they owed it to me. I've been nominated two 819 00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:00,920 Speaker 1: or three times before and I didn't get it, and 820 00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:02,000 Speaker 1: they knew they owed it. 821 00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:03,360 Speaker 2: Tonight, it's so fun. 822 00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:11,680 Speaker 1: Let me just say, you are this great goddess and 823 00:40:11,840 --> 00:40:15,400 Speaker 1: legend of daytime television and so forth. But I tell you, 824 00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:18,920 Speaker 1: I hope you don't retire. You can't retire because you're 825 00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:20,920 Speaker 1: not done. You're not done. Thank you, a lot of 826 00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:27,960 Speaker 1: other things you could be doing. Thank you, My thanks 827 00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:33,680 Speaker 1: to Susan Lucci. This episode was recorded at CDM Studios 828 00:40:33,680 --> 00:40:38,279 Speaker 1: in New York City. We're produced by Kathleen Russo, Zach MacNeice, 829 00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:42,600 Speaker 1: and Maureen Hobin. Our engineer is Frank Imperial. Our social 830 00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:47,000 Speaker 1: media manager is Danielle Gingrich. I'm Alec Baldwin. Here's the 831 00:40:47,040 --> 00:41:04,080 Speaker 1: thing is brought to you by iHeart Radio.