← Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa
Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa
Susan Lucci: I Am Erica Kane and You Are A Filthy Beast!
00:52:23
The iconic Susan Lucci joins Kelly in the studio, aka Michael’s bedroom, to discuss what it was like for her to FINALLY break her Emmy streak after 19 nominations for her role as Erica Kane on All My Children. The duo share their favorite off the wall storylines for their characters, Erica and Haley, and Susan breaks down the famous scene with the grizzly bear. PLUS, stick around for a very special announcement… and Susan shares if she’s ready to find love again. Be sure to check out Susan’s new memoir, La Lucci.
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- [00:00]
Kelly Ripa
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- [00:25]
Unidentified Advertiser Voice
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- [00:55]
Susan Lucci
She asked me, she said, so, Susan, how do you feel about this? So we're going to have a grizzly bear and you're going to just yell at this grizzly bear, bear. And you're gonna fight the grizzly bear and you're gonna win and stop.
- [01:09]
Kelly Ripa
Amazing.
- [01:10]
Susan Lucci
I said, jackie, you know I will try anything in rehearsal. Yeah, okay, I'll try. But do you think we've gone too far?
- [01:18]
Kelly Ripa
Somebody gonna cue me or do I cue myself? Cue yourself. Okay. Hey everybody. We're back with another episode of let's talk off camera. So let's get talking. Oh, listen up listeners. And I don't mean maybe. We've got a big show, epic show, iconic show, legendary show. This show has finally elevated Michael's bedroom. We've got a fancy chair.
- [01:47]
Susan Lucci
Fancy.
- [01:48]
Kelly Ripa
I sprayed room spray because we had some friends, friends of ours staying in this room. They came in from out of town and when they left, the entire room smelled like a latter day brewery.
- [02:04]
Albert Bianchini
Stop.
- [02:04]
Kelly Ripa
I would say a wine shop, but not the right kind of wine. Our friends like to come in from out of town. They stay here now cause they know we're empty nesters. So every bedroom is always occupied. I don't know what I think I'm doing here, but apparently I'm running a hotel for wayward travelers. But they really do like to. They like to come and booze it up. I guess this is a boozy place. I forget. So listen listeners, today, like I said, a legend is joining us. A New York Times best selling author. An Emmy winner. A fucking Emmy winner. Jan. Fucking Emmy winner.
- [02:44]
Jan Chalet
Well deserved.
- [02:44]
Kelly Ripa
That's right. Let me repeat it again. An Emmy winner.
- [02:48]
Susan Lucci
Albert.
- [02:48]
Albert Bianchini
Emmy winner.
- [02:49]
Kelly Ripa
You ever win an Emmy?
- [02:50]
Albert Bianchini
No.
- [02:51]
Kelly Ripa
Well, she played the queen of Pine Valley, Erica Cain, for over 40 years on a show I know a thing or two about. Actually, I know very little about the show. I'm being honest. I remembered the show that day, and then I moved on to the next show, All My Children. That's right. Susan Lucci has a new book appropriately titled. I love it. La Lucci, La Lucci. It's coming out February 3rd. And if you're an AMC fan, stay tuned because we have a big announcement in this episode. Oh, we do. We finally got clearance. Finally a big announcement. Please welcome everyone. The one and only Susan Lucci. Thank you.
- [03:31]
Susan Lucci
Thank you.
- [03:32]
Kelly Ripa
Long winded intro. So what would Erica Cain think about having to lower herself and shoot a podcast, record a podcast in this lowly place?
- [03:43]
Susan Lucci
She's anything but lowly, let me just tell you. It's gorgeous. Thank you so much for having me here.
- [03:50]
Kelly Ripa
So welcome, welcome. Thank you for doing this. I said in your intro, emmy winner, and I wanna paint the picture. You finally won the EMMY on your 19th nomination. You became very, very famous. You broke out, some would say, by not winning an Emmy.
- [04:09]
Susan Lucci
Who knew?
- [04:10]
Kelly Ripa
These advertising agencies ate it up. People lapped it up. Jan has a very interesting theory that I agree with you, Jan. Yeah.
- [04:17]
Jan Chalet
I think that the Emmys saw this as an opportunity to get viewers, so they would do this every year just to get the viewers. And I think that that's what was going on.
- [04:27]
Kelly Ripa
Jan, do you think the Emmys are rigged? Is that what you're saying? I think they might be a little. So how did it feel when they finally called your name? Did you settle into a place of. They're just not going to say my name, so fuck it.
- [04:46]
Susan Lucci
I like said I settled into numbness.
- [04:48]
Kelly Ripa
Numbness, you know, when you went to another place, I was gone.
- [04:52]
Susan Lucci
Yeah. After the ninth time, I didn't win. I think some self protective thing came over me and so I would see people not making eye contact with me.
- [05:01]
Kelly Ripa
Right.
- [05:02]
Susan Lucci
So I knew it wasn't me this time.
- [05:07]
Kelly Ripa
That's right. The presenters have to get up there and they must see the name, and it's not you. And so suddenly it's this, it's someone else.
- [05:20]
Susan Lucci
And the people are applauding and they're looking at the someone else.
- [05:23]
Kelly Ripa
Right.
- [05:24]
Susan Lucci
So you know it's not your cue to enter.
- [05:26]
Kelly Ripa
Right. Yeah.
- [05:27]
Susan Lucci
And my fear was after a while, because I never really heard the name after the ninth time, that maybe I would go up there by mistake. Right. You know?
- [05:35]
Kelly Ripa
Right. Of course. I mean, how couldn't you. I mean, I myself know a thing or two about losing Emmys times. I'm sorry. And Mark and I, we won an Emmy last year. Yes. And then we won an Emmy again this year. And I figured out the key to winning an Emmy. Mark and I were asleep both times. So, Susan, here's the key. You made the mistake of going every night. You got it. You actually have to be asleep. And then now we're superstitious. I'm like, wow, if we ever show up again, we're going to lose, because I only lose when I'm there. That was your mistake.
- [06:15]
Susan Lucci
Yes.
- [06:15]
Kelly Ripa
You were too much of a team Emmy player. So do you remember your speech? I remember it. I remember, like, I remember all of it, because I was there.
- [06:25]
Unidentified Advertiser Voice
You were there.
- [06:25]
Kelly Ripa
I lost that year.
- [06:27]
Susan Lucci
Oh, no.
- [06:28]
Kelly Ripa
I didn't give a shit. Cause you won.
- [06:30]
Susan Lucci
You were. I mean, I have seen the tape, so I know that you were standing and. Oh, my gosh.
- [06:34]
Kelly Ripa
It was, like, exciting.
- [06:35]
Susan Lucci
It was so sweet.
- [06:36]
Kelly Ripa
We were crying. It was like, thank you.
- [06:39]
Susan Lucci
It was very exciting. It is better to win.
- [06:41]
Kelly Ripa
Yes. My God, yes.
- [06:42]
Susan Lucci
By now, you know. Yeah.
- [06:43]
Kelly Ripa
It's so much better to win.
- [06:44]
Susan Lucci
So much better to win. Yeah. But even when I did win and Shemar Moore announced, the streak is over.
- [06:50]
Unidentified Advertiser Voice
It's over.
- [06:50]
Kelly Ripa
I know. I was like, what?
- [06:52]
Susan Lucci
Well, we were in the Garden that year. Usually in Radio City. We were in the Garden that year, and it was May, and I thought, oh, isn't that nice? They're telling everybody in the audience what the playoff teams are doing.
- [07:03]
Kelly Ripa
Right? Right.
- [07:04]
Susan Lucci
Cause it's the Garden.
- [07:04]
Kelly Ripa
Right. Of course.
- [07:05]
Susan Lucci
And then he said my name. And so, you know, Rosie o' Donnell had said when we sat down, I'll take your purse. They'll say your name. I said, history has taught me. I'm not going up, but thank you very much. So then they said it, and again, people were looking in my way, and I heard the music, and the camera stayed there.
- [07:22]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah.
- [07:23]
Susan Lucci
And so Helmut picked me up by my elbow, and for anybody who saw it, they saw me whisper in his ear, are you sure?
- [07:30]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah. No, I watched it over and over again. It's one of my favorite pieces of archival footage is you winning an Emmy because you are in complete disbelief. And I was like, oh, I know this now. That we host that Jan. We host a show backstage after the Oscars.
- [07:46]
Susan Lucci
Oh, yes.
- [07:48]
Kelly Ripa
Now I am fully aware of people who are not in their bodies at the moment of great joy. And so now I recognize that in you. At the time, I didn't know what that meant. No, but now I know. You're fully, like, having an outer body experience.
- [08:04]
Susan Lucci
Yes, exactly. And the night before, I was laying in bed, you know, at least for me, I would get sort of. I didn't think about it from one year to the next, and then, you know, they nominate you, and then you have to go and find a show that you think is worthy, and they.
- [08:18]
Kelly Ripa
Make you watch, like, 300 episodes of yourself.
- [08:21]
Susan Lucci
Yes. And then you try and you have some help because the producers are. It's their show, you know, so they're helping you, too. But the press got whipped into a frenzy, you know, it was the 19th time, and so I didn't want to get my hopes up. But each year, if they were like that with me, though, this is your year. This is your year, I would get very hopeful. And I tried to dismiss it, but the night before, I laid in bed and I thought, you know, if they're right, I really should have something in my mind. I should prepare something. So I just thought about it then and thought, if I ever were to actually win and hear my name, and it really is me, you know, there are people I would like to thank.
- [09:00]
Kelly Ripa
Well, your speech was beautiful, and it was so gracious because I would have been up there and I would have been like, you know what? Thanks for nothing. You guys are the worst. Making me wait 19 years, you assholes.
- [09:12]
Jan Chalet
Well, what happened after she won?
- [09:14]
Susan Lucci
The Emmy?
- [09:14]
Jan Chalet
Ratings went boop down.
- [09:17]
Susan Lucci
Is that right, Dan?
- [09:19]
Kelly Ripa
No, it's not even on television anymore. So cynical. But it's true. It is true.
- [09:24]
Albert Bianchini
In that moment, it did.
- [09:25]
Kelly Ripa
That was, like peak Emmys. It really was. Yeah. There's a rehearsal hall, you know, all My Children shot down the street from where our old studio was. And I remember after the Emmys, the rehearsal hall, which is where we would rehearse, looked like a flower boutique in Paris. It was. You remember the absolute. The amount of flowers. I was reading all the cards because there were so many famous people, movie stars sending you flowers and global people sending you flowers. It was extraordinary.
- [10:00]
Susan Lucci
You're giving me chills remembering this.
- [10:02]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah. Do you remember?
- [10:03]
Susan Lucci
Of course I do.
- [10:04]
Kelly Ripa
Yes.
- [10:04]
Susan Lucci
And, yeah, Balloons and you name it. And at home, it was like a scene from a movie because flower truck after flower truck kept pulling up to the house, and it was very exciting.
- [10:16]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah. Of course, there was this very funny People magazine article. Do you remember Helmet called it the goddamn Emmy. Do you remember? I do. No Helmet. It was so quintessentially Helmet. It was.
- [10:35]
Susan Lucci
It was. We, at one point Got a little dog and a little bichon and really beautiful little dog. And our neighbor was over and everyone's saying hi to this little puppy. And we had not named this dog yet. And our neighbor said, oh, why don't you name a meme? Then you'll have one.
- [10:51]
Kelly Ripa
Right?
- [10:54]
Susan Lucci
And helmet. When the neighbor left, Helmut said, screw the Emmy. Let's go for the big one. Let's call them Oscar.
- [11:02]
Kelly Ripa
So tell me about, like, take me back in time because I, I know the story, but I want you to tell our listeners about your origin story. Auditioning for All My Children. You were one of the original cast members. Take us through the process.
- [11:21]
Susan Lucci
So I was asked to audition for this new show coming on All My Children. I met Joan Dinco, who was the legendary, fabulous cast and director about six months before. And she said, we're gonna have a new show in about six months called All My Children. And I want you to come back and audition when you're new and just out of college. And somebody said, you know, it was about six months into my living and I didn't live in New York City, but in New York making rounds. And I thought, they're really going to remember in six months. She did. And she called me in and they had sent me sides. And it was the scene between Mona and a 15 year old Erica Cain. And it was eight pages long and it was so full of every history between them. Knockdown, drag, out, fight. She wanted Erica to study for her math tutor who was coming over, who was Phil Brent.
- [12:11]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah, my gosh.
- [12:12]
Susan Lucci
Somebody else's boyfriend. And Erica wanted him.
- [12:14]
Kelly Ripa
Yes, right, of course. Right, right.
- [12:16]
Susan Lucci
And so Erica is busy putting on her lipstick and Mona's saying, shouldn't you be preparing for your math tutor? She said, you don't get it, Mom.
- [12:22]
Kelly Ripa
Forget it. You know?
- [12:23]
Susan Lucci
So I kept on.
- [12:24]
Kelly Ripa
And was Mona Fra Heflin back then?
- [12:26]
Susan Lucci
Mona was Frau Heflin.
- [12:28]
Kelly Ripa
Wow.
- [12:28]
Susan Lucci
And she was the woman I auditioned with for the first four auditions. And then the callback that they were gonna put on tape was not with Fra, it was with someone else. And I thought, oh, really? Oh. So I was there in the hallway waiting for my turn to go in. It came down between two of us at that point at the end. So I was in the hallway, Bud Kloss, who was our original executive producer, was standing talking to me. And out of the corner of my eye I saw a woman in a gorgeous. You can appreciate this Yves Saint Laurent cocoa brown pantsuit and high heels and a cappuccino suede bag. Running. And Bud must have seen me not looking him in the eye, although we were talking to each other. He said, that's Agnes Nixon.
- [13:14]
Kelly Ripa
Blue eyed, blonde, beautiful, incredible.
- [13:18]
Susan Lucci
The first time I saw a professional woman in New York City in his designer clothes, I had, you know, you nod over in college in magazine.
- [13:26]
Kelly Ripa
You had come to occupy so frequently on All My Children.
- [13:29]
Susan Lucci
I was a very willing student.
- [13:31]
Kelly Ripa
Yes, of course.
- [13:33]
Susan Lucci
So anyway, I was very thrilled and I had no idea about Agnes Nixon. My stupidity. I didn't know.
- [13:39]
Kelly Ripa
Well, I mean, how could you at that point? I mean, really, I guess.
- [13:43]
Susan Lucci
But I had watched soap operas with my mother and her best friend and her mother.
- [13:48]
Kelly Ripa
Nobody sits around and talks about who created this soap opera.
- [13:50]
Susan Lucci
Nobody does. Nobody did. Anyway, so. But there she was. And then I thought, oh, great. But said, yeah, she's gonna go in and watch your. Your audition. I thought, oh, good. You know, a little more pressure. So I did the audition and I went and sat down. That when I was finished, I went and sat down in the lobby. It was raining. It was this time of year. And I was waiting for Helmut. We were just married and Helmut was gonna pick me up afterwards. And Bud came out before Helmut arrived and he turned at the door. He was on his way home. He turned at the door and he said, we'll be calling your agent in the morning.
- [14:25]
Kelly Ripa
Oh, my gosh. Incredible.
- [14:27]
Susan Lucci
Incredible. And I was so thrilled because I loved the part. There was such. The writing, I could tell from the audition scene was so amazing.
- [14:35]
Kelly Ripa
That's my question is, like, how much? Because when you play a character as iconic as Erica Cain, how much was the original writing and how much of you? Like, I think at a certain point they start to adjust writing based on, like, how zesty you were, how exciting you were. I think like, writing becomes adjusted. You know, you make the most of your character or the least of your character, and the writers adjust accordingly. Don't you agree?
- [15:05]
Susan Lucci
It's an interesting point. I mean, for me, I would read the scripts, including that audition scene, but it just never stopped. And I would read the scripts and I would think, really, I'm gonna get to do that. That's fantastic. How do they know that? How do they know that I could do that? I want to do that. So maybe there's something of that. And Agnes was very generous. You know, after time she said to me, this character is at least as much yours. We're 50, 50 on this.
- [15:31]
Kelly Ripa
She was such a pioneer, though. She really, like.
- [15:34]
Susan Lucci
I mean, for me, I'm just thinking, oh, Agnes, it's there on the page. And I'm so inspired and so lucky, but thank you.
- [15:40]
Kelly Ripa
You know, what was your favorite storyline over the years? And I know it's like choosing your favorite child, your favorite handbag. It's like they're all like. It's all meaningful. One of your favorite.
- [15:53]
Susan Lucci
Well, I mean, certainly to go on location. First of all, All My Children was, I believe, the first to do that.
- [15:58]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah.
- [16:00]
Susan Lucci
To St. Thomas, but around the city and to. I'm five two on a good day, Kelly.
- [16:05]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah. But you played a model.
- [16:07]
Susan Lucci
Yes, because on tv, for some unknown fantastic reason, I appeared taller and I was gonna take it. Oh, good. Okay. At least I'm tall somewhere. All those modeling sequences were so much fun. And to tell you the truth, some of my best acting, sitting on top of the fountain in December in front of the plaza in a little tiny chiffon dress and the men selling chestnuts on the street in three parkas. You know, this was good.
- [16:32]
Kelly Ripa
Smiling, you know, pretending you weren't cold.
- [16:34]
Susan Lucci
Oh, not cold, no. Loving it. But I loved it. Lying on a marble bench in front of Lincoln Center. More fountains in December.
- [16:41]
Kelly Ripa
Thinking about the crowd that must have drawn. Because I think that oftentimes viewers, particularly listeners. Listen up. The television viewing audience had three networks. That was television. And soap operas reigned supreme. They did. My father often talks about his mother who was an Italian immigrant, and, And Mark's family when they came from Italy. Mark's father spoke English, but of course he and his siblings and his mother did not. And they would sit in the hotel room and watch All My Children. Like that's how they started practicing to learn English before they went into school. So they were speaking fluent soap opera. I can't imagine the wild stuff that came out of their.
- [17:27]
Susan Lucci
There are divas all over this country.
- [17:30]
Kelly Ripa
Yes, it's so true. Exactly. But my, my father talked about, about coming home. He worked for New Jersey Transit. He was a bus driver and the bus depot was in Camden and his parents house was in Camden and he would leave the bus depot and go have lunch with his mother and he would, he would walk in and she would be crying and he's like, why are you crying? And she's like, the doctor died.
- [17:56]
Susan Lucci
I know what you're talking about. I mean, first of all, it's the most gratifying thing in the world when people come up to me and now you're telling me about mothers or family members who learn to speak English. Watching All My Children are watching. Erica Cain. That's just one of the most Gratifying things. But also I would be an elevator sometimes. And maybe some of the other actors were. And we're talking about our storyline. This is before interviews really took off. So people in the elevator would listen to us say, yeah, I had the abortion. He really didn't understand. Cause you talk about it in your first person when you're talking about your character.
- [18:30]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah.
- [18:30]
Susan Lucci
And you could see they were like, very, you know, like, this is too personal. Why are they talking.
- [18:36]
Kelly Ripa
Why are they talking about this?
- [18:37]
Susan Lucci
Yeah. So I think for a long time, frankly, until all the talk shows took off, you know, nobody really necessarily understood that it was make believe.
- [18:47]
Kelly Ripa
You know, this is the original, like Real Housewives, really.
- [18:52]
Susan Lucci
If you think about it, actually, there's something to that.
- [18:55]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah. Because when I watched the Real Housewives, I'm not kidding, I will watch it. And I'm like, this was a storyline on All My Children. I swear, this was a storyline. I have a question for both of you guys. Okay.
- [19:07]
Jan Chalet
What was your craziest like most for both of you? Kelly, you're being interviewed too off the wall storyline. You had.
- [19:14]
Kelly Ripa
Oh, my gosh. I'm going to say when there was a time where there was a cruise the boat storyline where we were all drugged with. I read about this. We were drugged. Libidozone, right? Oh, yes, yes. And then Mark had an affair with my mother, played by Phyllis Lyons, I believe.
- [19:37]
Jan Chalet
So it was a drug that made everybody want to have sex.
- [19:38]
Kelly Ripa
Everybody had everyone libidasone. Yes. And I didn't take the drug because I was sober. And so everybody else, they accidentally took the drug. Mark has an affair with my mother, and then I strangle her and throw her overboard. Yeah.
- [19:56]
Jan Chalet
Oh, my God, that's amazing.
- [19:57]
Kelly Ripa
But then she. Spoiler alert. She lives. She lives. So I didn't really kill her. I think that was my craziest storyline. What about you?
- [20:05]
Susan Lucci
Yes. And they did that so you could come back and you would still be loved. You were not. Yes.
- [20:08]
Kelly Ripa
Right.
- [20:09]
Susan Lucci
Well, there were a couple. I mean, first of all, it's beginning with the bear fighting the grizzly.
- [20:16]
Kelly Ripa
Oh, yeah. Fighting the grizzly bear. Yeah, yeah. Iconic.
- [20:18]
Susan Lucci
I mean, Jackie Bamman was the producer at the time, and she asked me, she said, so, Susan, how do you feel about this? So we're gonna have a grizzly bear, and you're gonna just yell at this grizzly bear, and you're gonna fight the grizzly bear and you're gonna win and stop.
- [20:35]
Kelly Ripa
Amazing.
- [20:36]
Susan Lucci
I said, jackie, you know, I will try anything in rehearsal.
- [20:39]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah.
- [20:40]
Susan Lucci
Okay. I'll Try. Yeah, but do you think we've gone too far this time?
- [20:45]
Kelly Ripa
There is no such thing.
- [20:46]
Susan Lucci
That's what she said.
- [20:47]
Kelly Ripa
Guess what? She was right.
- [20:49]
Unidentified Advertiser Voice
Yeah.
- [20:49]
Kelly Ripa
Because that's an iconic. Like, if you Google All My Children, that pops up.
- [20:55]
Susan Lucci
It does. It's one of those scenes, actually. I thought it was probably a good idea just to be friendly with the bear before I did the scene with him.
- [21:01]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah, right.
- [21:02]
Susan Lucci
And it was very, very hot. It was the end of July in Finger Lakes. And so the bear was a big grizzly bear. And, and he was in the water. Whatever, whatever. That was just trying to stay cool. And so I like that you're okay.
- [21:19]
Kelly Ripa
For our listeners, Susan is actually acting out a bear. She's telling this story. So I just want to paint the picture because again, we're off camera. Nobody can see you doing this.
- [21:32]
Susan Lucci
Go ahead. He's trying to stay cool. And so I was looking at him and trying to, like, make him familiar with me. And the, the trainer was trying to pull the bear towards me. And this bear was hot. This bear did not want to work that day. So he's like, rawr.
- [21:48]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah.
- [21:49]
Susan Lucci
Like, leave me alone.
- [21:50]
Kelly Ripa
Rawr.
- [21:51]
Susan Lucci
You know, like that. And finally he came. So I said, oh, great. Now they pulled him out of the water where he was happy, and now I'm going to have to yell at him. So they were happy with one take. And probably because they knew the bear didn't want to work and they were afraid of what that bear might do.
- [22:05]
Kelly Ripa
Also, like, I mean, you don't poke a bear. And also, bears are high. Like, they're unique, unpredictable, and a.
- [22:12]
Susan Lucci
Yes. Wild animal.
- [22:13]
Kelly Ripa
So what if the bear turns? What are they gonna do? Like, what are they gonna do?
- [22:19]
Susan Lucci
You're right. They are not prepared for that.
- [22:21]
Kelly Ripa
These are the things. Like, I, I. It's funny when I look at that scene. What year was that shot? Do you recall?
- [22:28]
Susan Lucci
I don't know, but I, I would think maybe the late 80s.
- [22:31]
Albert Bianchini
85.
- [22:32]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah. Because when I look at it, it is reminiscent of. Only in this case, in the case I'm going to bring up, it was a fake gorilla. Jessica Lang yelling at King Kong. Yes. When she's like, you son of a bitch, chauvinist pig ape. You remember that? And I was like, it is Erica Cain yelling at the grizzly bear. Only that's a real grizzly bear.
- [23:01]
Susan Lucci
We're lower budget.
- [23:04]
Jan Chalet
I have another question for you guys. Okay, so you both had pregnancies while you were playing your character, and your characters weren't pregnant.
- [23:13]
Unidentified Advertiser Voice
Right?
- [23:13]
Kelly Ripa
Right.
- [23:14]
Jan Chalet
So what were the wild things they did to hide your pregnancies?
- [23:25]
Kelly Ripa
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- [26:40]
Jan Chalet
So you both had pregnancies while you were playing your character?
- [26:44]
Kelly Ripa
Yes.
- [26:44]
Jan Chalet
And your characters weren't pregnant.
- [26:46]
Susan Lucci
Right. Right.
- [26:47]
Jan Chalet
So what were the wild things they did to hide your pregnancies?
- [26:50]
Kelly Ripa
Mine, I don't think they hid it very well. I was not like, I looked pregnant from my eyeballs down. And as I got progressively more pregnant, like I did not have a face that didn't show pregnancy. It in my face and then my neck and then it just. I just went out. They wound up burying me alive in. I fell into a pit and they buried me alive. And so I was just sort of trapped in the pit and I was buried alive because I was just. They couldn't hide it any other way.
- [27:22]
Susan Lucci
I remember that I had a hysterical pregnancy.
- [27:26]
Kelly Ripa
That's right.
- [27:27]
Susan Lucci
The first time.
- [27:27]
Kelly Ripa
Right.
- [27:28]
Susan Lucci
So they've put not a hole but a depression in the mattress. I'd be in bed a lot.
- [27:32]
Kelly Ripa
Right.
- [27:33]
Susan Lucci
So I'd be. But, you know, I'd be hanging down underneath and then there would be like loaves of bread, like, torn off that she was eating in bed. And chocolates. And the crew was very happy to eat those chocolates, of course.
- [27:48]
Kelly Ripa
Right. Any food? Yes.
- [27:50]
Susan Lucci
So they would be empty. The box would be half empty. That was the first time. The second time I opened a disco with my brother Mark when I was. I was five months pregnant. I had a T shirt. It was called Erica's and it had light bulb. Erica on her black T shirt. Light bulb. And we were not very high tech. I mean, nobody was in those days.
- [28:13]
Kelly Ripa
Right.
- [28:13]
Susan Lucci
Of course, there was a wire that went down to my thigh and there was like some sort of mercury source that if I moved, it would light up and blink.
- [28:21]
Kelly Ripa
Erica.
- [28:22]
Susan Lucci
Erica. And of course, that only heightened the fact That I was so pregnant. And they convinced me that nobody could tell that I was pregnant. When I look back at those scenes.
- [28:31]
Kelly Ripa
You'Re like, like, I'm definitely pregnant.
- [28:33]
Susan Lucci
I am definitely pregnant. And at the time, because it was her place, she was also the hostess. So I started with clutch bags in front of me and then. And menus and then I'd be behind a desk. And then I remember my last scene, I had a cape on. I looked like a tent.
- [28:53]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah, right. Yeah.
- [28:54]
Susan Lucci
And they did not take a close up, which would have shown I was pregnant too, because I know what you're saying about your face.
- [29:01]
Kelly Ripa
My entire face was. I just looked pregnant.
- [29:04]
Susan Lucci
Me too.
- [29:04]
Kelly Ripa
My face. What's amazing though, is that Susan survived childbirth twice in real life because, I don't know, as tiny as Susan is. Helmet is gigantic. And so, I mean, truly, when I think about it, I'm like, oh my God, how did that happen? How could that possibly happen? Did you have. Were your kids big when they were born?
- [29:24]
Susan Lucci
Liza was 7 pounds, but something 7 pounds and like 8 ounces. And Andres was 6 pounds.
- [29:31]
Kelly Ripa
Okay.
- [29:32]
Susan Lucci
Yeah, but I do C sections.
- [29:33]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah, but by the time I knew them, they were. I think Andreas was like a preteen and. And Liza was a teenager. They were much taller than me. And I remember thinking, how, how on earth did this. Tiny, petite, smallest, tiniest, like the. I mean, you're. You're so tiny.
- [29:55]
Susan Lucci
It's so funny because to me, I just look normal. And then I put up, you know, I put clothes up to me if I see them in a store.
- [30:02]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah, because you always think they're going to fit.
- [30:04]
Susan Lucci
Yeah. And then they don't. But Andreas is 63 and he's always been a bigger boy. And I know the other mothers in the class, you know, would kind of look at me like, how did that happen? You know, and then they meet Helmut and then they know.
- [30:20]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah, right.
- [30:20]
Susan Lucci
Helmut said, well, the Austrian genes to.
- [30:22]
Kelly Ripa
Right, of course.
- [30:23]
Jan Chalet
What about like love scenes on a soap? Like, how is that shot? Do they make it a small crew or is everybody out there for this? And what. Is it awkward or is it just normal?
- [30:32]
Kelly Ripa
I mean, you go first because you had so many more love scenes than.
- [30:36]
Susan Lucci
You know, more than the love scenes. Were the love scene auditions. Oh, you know, because. Because you didn't know these people at all, you know, And I remember after one love scene audition, I. I said to him, what's your name? You know, we should know each other's names anyway. Right. That. That was awkward.
- [30:55]
Kelly Ripa
That's the worst because you have to kiss a bunch of people.
- [30:57]
Susan Lucci
Except you and Mark.
- [30:59]
Kelly Ripa
Well, Mark and I.
- [31:00]
Susan Lucci
You had such chemistry. Instantly.
- [31:02]
Kelly Ripa
I loved Mark. I just felt like he was a real person and I thought he was a good person. I'm glad that I was accurate in my assessment. I got very lucky. But even, like, doing love scenes with Mark, I found very awkward because it's so different than how you are in real life. Like what they want to see on camera. Yeah. Like, it's not. It's like what they want to see is so weird.
- [31:26]
Jan Chalet
Yeah.
- [31:26]
Kelly Ripa
You know, it's a soap opera, so it. They want it to be super romantic and they want kisses to last much longer than they actually last in the world.
- [31:35]
Susan Lucci
And from the angle that they want to shoot it from, they want. And yes.
- [31:39]
Kelly Ripa
So weird. It's like nothing you would ever do in life, you know, so. So even though we were married eventually on the show, you know, in real life, our love scenes were so strange and awkward, comparatively.
- [31:56]
Susan Lucci
And there has to be a part of you that wants to keep that private part of your life private at the same. At the same time.
- [32:02]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah.
- [32:03]
Susan Lucci
Yeah.
- [32:04]
Kelly Ripa
To me, that was like, the worst part, because, like, make believe is make believe. No matter. Because I've had to do, like, strange love scenes with all sorts of people. Even remember Foteo, when we had, like, the temporary actor playing Mark?
- [32:18]
Jan Chalet
What does that mean?
- [32:19]
Susan Lucci
There was a.
- [32:19]
Kelly Ripa
We called him Foteo. His name was Kirk Caceres. Mark was shooting a movie and they hired this actor named Kirk Caceres, who is a lovely, lovely man. The role of Mateo will temporarily be played by Car Caceres in the movie. Middle of Everything, I found doing love scenes with him less awkward because it was just regular awkward. Not Mark and me, as you pointed out, trying to protect something that was private between us. Yeah. So that, to me, is the strange thing. So tell us how you conjure up tears. Because when I think of a tragic figure, Erica Cain had so many tragic things happen to her in her life. How do you cry on cue? What was your methodology behind it?
- [33:07]
Susan Lucci
Well, method is the thing, you know, and I think it depends for each actor a, how your background, your training, and then, you know, what works for you. And for me, it would be sense memory, you know, thinking back on something for myself. And it didn't have to literally be what my character was crying or upset about, but something that I knew would provoke me to come up with that.
- [33:32]
Kelly Ripa
For the character that was the bane of my existence. When I would see Haley breaks into tears, I would Be like, oh, no, this is gonna be a long day. It's so difficult to do.
- [33:44]
Susan Lucci
You know what made me break into tears? I was home and the writers wrote me in a week early to come back from having had Andreas.
- [33:51]
Kelly Ripa
Oh, yeah, yeah.
- [33:51]
Susan Lucci
A week early. Not only that, it said Erica appears in a sexy, tight black nightgown. You know, and you're desperately trying to get yourself. Myself back into shape. I ate asparagus for. Yes, just asparagus. Asparagus for, you know, 10 days. Yeah.
- [34:08]
Albert Bianchini
I know you talk about this a lot. What were the max amount of takes you guys ever had in a scene? Was it.
- [34:14]
Kelly Ripa
I mean, I mean, they wanted it in one if there was a boom shadow.
- [34:20]
Susan Lucci
That's right. Only if there was a tentacle.
- [34:22]
Kelly Ripa
If your co star went up or which.
- [34:24]
Susan Lucci
Yeah, yeah.
- [34:24]
Kelly Ripa
I remember you working with Michael Nate, who was like such a gem, such a great guy, but he would go up constantly. Susan never went up, but Michael would go up, like literally bing, bong. You open the door and he would go, line.
- [34:41]
Jan Chalet
Did people hide lines, like around the set? Like, did people do that?
- [34:45]
Kelly Ripa
I certainly did. I know Jimmy Mitchell did.
- [34:48]
Susan Lucci
Jimmy Mitchell was famous for.
- [34:50]
Kelly Ripa
He was famous for it. Yeah. He would write his lines, like on props around the set and just memorize his blocking.
- [34:55]
Susan Lucci
And on his hands did.
- [34:56]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah.
- [34:57]
Susan Lucci
See one who wrote on his hand.
- [34:59]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah. But you just always knew your lines.
- [35:01]
Susan Lucci
I just was able to memorize them. I don't know, I.
- [35:05]
Kelly Ripa
You could still do it.
- [35:06]
Susan Lucci
Well, I did a, you know, Broadway play this spring.
- [35:08]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah, right.
- [35:09]
Susan Lucci
And then reprieved it in the summertime. Yeah. So. And that was three 10 page monologues.
- [35:13]
Albert Bianchini
Wow.
- [35:14]
Susan Lucci
So, yeah, So, I mean, I was under a rock, you know, until I could know that. Know this. But it was interesting what I heard you say earlier about how, you know, your short term memory. Like people. Fans will come up and they'll. They'll say, oh, I love that line. And they'll recite a whole scene. And I'm like, you, you have no idea.
- [35:31]
Kelly Ripa
Right.
- [35:32]
Susan Lucci
I'm so thrilled that they know that what they're doing and they know the lines. But for me, I did a scene.
- [35:38]
Kelly Ripa
And that was to the next.
- [35:39]
Susan Lucci
You had to be like being shot out of a cannon.
- [35:42]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah. Because you were. I mean, if there was a singular star of soap operas. I'm not just saying all my children of soap operas. It was Susan Lucci as Erica Cain, the most iconic. And it was very funny. I'm just gonna say something. I'm gonna be very bitchy. But every show Every other show tried to have their Erica Cain, and it was not really a thing. So we would, like, roll up to the Emmys, and I'd be like, nice try, bitches. You know what I mean? They would always have, like, their version of Erica Cain, but it really wasn't. So we always felt, like, a certain amount of, like, pride and propriety over the fact that we had the real thing. Like, we had champagne and they had, like, you know, sparkling wine.
- [36:32]
Albert Bianchini
Susan, I saw you and Annie get your gun. You did?
- [36:35]
Kelly Ripa
Oh, you were there, too, did you?
- [36:37]
Albert Bianchini
Were you doing double duty at the same time? Were you in the show as well?
- [36:41]
Kelly Ripa
I was.
- [36:41]
Albert Bianchini
No.
- [36:42]
Susan Lucci
Yes, I was.
- [36:43]
Albert Bianchini
How?
- [36:45]
Susan Lucci
When I look back, eight shows a week.
- [36:48]
Kelly Ripa
That's crazy.
- [36:50]
Susan Lucci
Yeah. Their theory was, if you are doing something else, then we're going to bring new audience into the show. To all my children. And then if those people tune into all my children and they brought in because they saw you do something, they.
- [37:02]
Kelly Ripa
Want to see you.
- [37:03]
Susan Lucci
So.
- [37:05]
Kelly Ripa
Wow, brutal schedule. I remember sitting next to your parents was such thrill because it was one thing, like, I had my own sense of pride because Susan Lucci is now on Broadway.
- [37:21]
Albert Bianchini
Oh, on Broadway. It was huge.
- [37:22]
Kelly Ripa
Take that, other bitches from the episodes, you know, so I'm, like, watching. It was like. It was unbelievable to me because, again, I can't stress enough. You are so petite, and there you were, larger than life. And in that stage on Broadway stage in that. That major show. But sitting next to your parents, it was. I can't really put it into words what it felt like to experience the pride through their eyes. It was as if all of their dreams were coming true. Oh, thank you. You know, it's got to be a high point. Oh, that had to be for sure.
- [38:03]
Susan Lucci
My. For sure. For me to be in that theater and have. Have my parents there and have my dad sitting in the audience. But my dad also said, you see, Susan, I always told you you could sing better than you could act.
- [38:16]
Kelly Ripa
That is such a dad thing to say. Oh, my gosh. My dad frequently tells me that they should force people to watch live in prison for added punishment, which is my favorite. I mean, these are what the dad, you stay grounded.
- [38:32]
Susan Lucci
You stay definitely grounded.
- [38:33]
Kelly Ripa
You to keep you grounded. But it's. It's very funny because going backstage to see Susan after Annie gets your gun was. It was like the Emmys all over again. It was a who's who of just famous people. Famous people everywhere you looked. And, you know, at the soaps, like, you know, we. Occasionally we would have Very famous people on the show. Carol Burnett, of course. I'm.
- [38:59]
Susan Lucci
Carol started as a fan.
- [39:01]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah, I know.
- [39:02]
Susan Lucci
She was so vocal about it.
- [39:04]
Kelly Ripa
Yes.
- [39:05]
Susan Lucci
And I think that that was so great of her. She was the first, you know, and when I think about the famous people, you know, Oprah Winfrey, Carol Burnett, Diane Sawyer, I remember.
- [39:16]
Kelly Ripa
And Regis and Kathy.
- [39:17]
Susan Lucci
Regis and Kathie Lee, of course. Yeah.
- [39:19]
Jan Chalet
And you had all the athletes, right? All the athletes.
- [39:22]
Kelly Ripa
They loved all my children. They loved all my children.
- [39:25]
Unidentified Advertiser Voice
Every.
- [39:25]
Susan Lucci
Every. Jockeys to the basketball players.
- [39:28]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah, it was wild. It was really wild.
- [39:30]
Susan Lucci
NFL. It was.
- [39:32]
Kelly Ripa
That was exciting. Did you have a favorite scene partner, a favorite lover, if you will? Like, of all your marriages, how many were there?
- [39:43]
Susan Lucci
There were. There were 10, I think I was about to go to 11 when we were caught in the crosshairs of that. That rifle the last day of shooting.
- [39:51]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah.
- [39:54]
Susan Lucci
And then Jack walked out anyway, so. And Erica was going after him, but.
- [39:59]
Kelly Ripa
And you would have married him how many times? Twice.
- [40:02]
Susan Lucci
Three times. Yes, but I married his brother as well.
- [40:05]
Kelly Ripa
Yes, I remember. Yes. I remember that it was her true love.
- [40:09]
Jan Chalet
Like, who would you say was her true love?
- [40:11]
Kelly Ripa
Erica's true love? Yeah.
- [40:12]
Susan Lucci
You know, certainly Jack was somebody she kept going back to, but I think. I think Mike Roy was a big love of her life.
- [40:21]
Kelly Ripa
Wow. Wow.
- [40:24]
Susan Lucci
Yeah. You know, well, first of all, he's one of the men who got away.
- [40:27]
Kelly Ripa
Yes.
- [40:28]
Susan Lucci
You know, but there was a scene where he came back and he said. She was kind of saying, like, why? And he said, I just couldn't see putting you on the back of my motorcycle and going to a banana plantation in the tropics. And she said, why didn't you ask me?
- [40:46]
Albert Bianchini
Me?
- [40:49]
Kelly Ripa
It's so funny. I was watching these Diane Keaton interviews, you know, after she passed away, and there's this great interview with Ellen DeGeneres where she's like. And you're. You know, you've chosen never to get married. And she said, no, I didn't choose it. I've never been asked. Nobody ever asked me. And I just thought, oh, my gosh, here's a woman that probably had so many people that. That wanted to ask or. But just didn't dare ask because she seemed like she had it. So she had it all together. She had too much. You know, it's like one of those things. Erica Kane seemed like she just had the world at her feet, so the love of her life, you know, didn't turn out for her the way she had hoped.
- [41:32]
Jan Chalet
Do you guys want to make your announcement?
- [41:35]
Kelly Ripa
Okay. Here's the announcement. Are you ready? Foreign. This episode of let's Talk off Camera is brought to you by Alloy Health. Use promo code off camera for $20 off your first order@myalloy.com here's the truth everyone. Brain fog, sleep issues, changes in your hair and skin, even your sex drive, they're all connected to hormones.
- [42:08]
Jan Chalet
Was there like, was there one like symptom that surprised you the most from this?
- [42:12]
Kelly Ripa
I mean there was many, but the changes in my skin, like the actual skin on my body frightened me.
- [42:21]
Jan Chalet
See, I'm so scared that I haven't tried started hormones yet that I've like missed a window.
- [42:25]
Kelly Ripa
No, you have not missed a window, I'm telling you. You have not missed a window. I'm telling you. Alloy connects you with a menopause trained doctor to create a personalized treatment plan delivered right to your door. Jan, it is not too late. Join the 95% of women that feel better in just two weeks. Go to myalloid.com and use the code off camera today. Have you heard about Raised Right? They're a family owned human grade pet food company that works with world renowned veterinarians to make fresh home cooked style whole food recipes for dogs and cats. Raised Right's recipes are high in protein, low in carbs and made with simple ingredients. As many of their recipes have just 10 ingredients or less. Plus each batch gets lab safety tested and they openly post the test results on their website for everyone to see. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that Lena, who is typically a picky eater, is obsessed with it. Gobbled the chicken recipe all up. Jan, did Cooper try it?
- [43:22]
Jan Chalet
He tried it and now he won't eat his other food.
- [43:24]
Kelly Ripa
Oh, so you don't need it now?
- [43:26]
Jan Chalet
The dry food he won't eat. He's obsessed with it.
- [43:28]
Kelly Ripa
Well, listen to this Jan. You can get 20% off your first box box today at raisedrightpets.com Kelly, let me quickly spell this out for you. That's R a I s E-R-I g h t p e t s.com Kelly, if you know anything about me, it's that I love to do laundry. It just gives me such satisfaction. But did you also know that skin care can start in the laundry room? The first step of a sensitive skincare routine is choosing the right laundry detergent. Allfree Clear is the number one detergent brand recommended by dermatologists for sensitive skin. Allfree Clear is 100% free of dyes and fragrance allergens. It provides an effective clean that's gentle on the skin while removing impurities like dirt and body oil that can irritate your skin. It's made with eight carefully selected ingredients to fight stains and be gentle on skin. How great is that? Allfreeclear has been a game changer for me. It leaves my clothes feeling fresh and my skin feeling happy. I especially love that it doesn't give my laundry a strong artificial odor like some other brands. You know what I mean? For an effective skin friendly clean wash with all free clear. Okay, here's the announcement. Are you ready? Yep. Okay. Mark and I and our production company, we are developing two All My Children movies for Lifetime. We are so excited. It's very early stages, but how would you feel about. Not to put you on the spot. How would you feel about walking back into the role?
- [45:15]
Susan Lucci
I would love to play Erica Cain again. It would be a lot of fun. Are you kidding? She was so much fun to play. My goodness, it was so much fun. I was serious when I said I would look at the scripts and go, really? I get to do this. This was a wonderful part. And I've been hearing good things about the writer, too. And that, of course, is so important. Whose hands are you in?
- [45:34]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah, exactly.
- [45:35]
Albert Bianchini
Lifetime is very excited about it.
- [45:37]
Susan Lucci
It is very exciting.
- [45:39]
Albert Bianchini
Very excited about it. Elaine, who is the head over there, is very excited about it and they.
- [45:42]
Susan Lucci
Are wonderful to work with. I have worked with them before and I've had nothing but positive things.
- [45:48]
Albert Bianchini
But I will say the times that it has even leaked or it has been out there, the fans show up. And that's my question. Like, to this day, you mention it to someone and 50 more people.
- [45:58]
Kelly Ripa
92Nd Street.
- [45:58]
Albert Bianchini
Yeah. Oh, yeah. Even that.
- [46:00]
Susan Lucci
Packed. Packed. Around the block.
- [46:01]
Kelly Ripa
Around the block. They want more.
- [46:03]
Albert Bianchini
Yeah, they want more.
- [46:04]
Susan Lucci
So exciting.
- [46:05]
Albert Bianchini
Yeah.
- [46:05]
Susan Lucci
You know, you feel their warmth and their energy and you feel so lucky.
- [46:10]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah. Would you ever do an All My children podcast where you, like, do deep dives? Oh, you know, like discussing episodes and have other actors on to talk about it?
- [46:21]
Susan Lucci
I don't know. I never thought about it.
- [46:22]
Kelly Ripa
There's such an audience for it. You should really consider that, Albert, you should produce it.
- [46:26]
Albert Bianchini
There's an audience. I mean, people love it. People would download the 92nd Street Y, I think. Really caught everybody. Not caught everyone by surprise because you feel the energy, but when you see all of those people in one room, packed and desperate, the desperation, even outside afterwards, you realize, oh, really? Yeah, they. They need more.
- [46:45]
Kelly Ripa
We need to.
- [46:45]
Albert Bianchini
We need to deliver.
- [46:46]
Susan Lucci
It's definitely an Audience and they want to.
- [46:48]
Albert Bianchini
They want to talk about the show as if it just aired yesterday.
- [46:51]
Kelly Ripa
Yesterday.
- [46:51]
Albert Bianchini
It's still.
- [46:52]
Kelly Ripa
It's fabulous, and it's really fun. From our perspective, it's the most fun thing we do.
- [46:57]
Susan Lucci
And you do it from home.
- [46:58]
Unidentified Advertiser Voice
You do it.
- [47:00]
Kelly Ripa
You can do it from home, which is. Yeah, from anywhere. So let's talk about La Luchi. Is this your second book?
- [47:08]
Susan Lucci
Yes.
- [47:09]
Kelly Ripa
Yes. And so, you know, I don't want to bring up, like, anything that causes you trauma, but I know you do get into the loss of helmet, and I can't as somebody. Like, I've been married to mark for 30 years, and so the idea of not having him with me is almost unthinkable, inconceivable to me.
- [47:31]
Susan Lucci
And so it's hard for me to think of you without Mark and Mark without you, too.
- [47:34]
Kelly Ripa
And I feel the same way, you know, about you and Helmut. When I read the news, I was. I truly. I don't know why. I reached out to Andy Cohen and he and I were like, oh, no. You know, it was that moment of. Of, oh, no, because I can't think of you without thinking of him. Can you. Can you tell me about your process through that and. And what it was like for you?
- [48:01]
Susan Lucci
Well, I. I do talk about it in the book quite a lot.
- [48:04]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah.
- [48:05]
Susan Lucci
And. And a lot of other things, too. I mean, the book is basically about milestones in my life and, And. And choices that I made, because everybody goes through their own experiences. Things they're going through, they're going through, and they can. They can certainly relate. It is a process, and it's different for everybody. But he was spectacular, and he's very special.
- [48:29]
Kelly Ripa
Very special man.
- [48:31]
Susan Lucci
Special man. And I was very lucky. And. Yeah. I mean, it's hard for me to talk about it in a short form.
- [48:39]
Kelly Ripa
But I was thinking, like, writing it down had to be helpful.
- [48:44]
Susan Lucci
It was helpful to me. You know, it's interesting. Helmut and I were very good friends with. With Nelson DeMille, the writer, and his wife, Sandy. And Sandy was one of my closest friends, and she passed away much too young. And. And then we still, the three of us, and we had a group of friends.
- [49:02]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah.
- [49:02]
Susan Lucci
And then when Helma passed away, Nelson became just, you know, the best buddy. And I mean that sincerely, the best buddy I ever could have imagined. And he. He was encouraging me to write another book. He said, you know, it's been. Been a while since you wrote your first memoir. And he said, I just think you have another book in you. And I think you should write it. What he didn't know is that sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night after Helmut passed, and things were just pouring out of me, and I was writing them down. I. I knew that I should keep some paper next to my side of the bed and, you know, and. And to write them down. And so it wasn't falling on deaf ears when he said that to me. And it was encouraging to me to hear that from, of course, World beyond fabulous writer. And so I did. And then Laura Morton, who's writing the book with me and who wrote my first book with me, I loved her process because it was very much. She asks the right questions for me to evoke the. To evoke the response. The response, in a way, to give me permission. In a way, giving myself permission to talk about them. And she's a very sensitive listener and was able to help organize everything.
- [50:13]
Kelly Ripa
Did you ever put anything down that you wanted to suck back? Like, where you're like, no, no, no, no, no, I'm sorry. I. I don't want. I don't want that in there.
- [50:21]
Susan Lucci
No, no, it didn't. No, I didn't get to that place. I know Laura would say to me, you're very brave. And I don't know why she was saying that, except that this book is different than the first book, too, because these are a whole different experience. But I have a different voice now. And we started writing it a year and a half ago, and so this was an even more raw place than I am. And everybody's different. And sometimes you think you're great, and then the grief just, you know, washes over you again. But I'm also. I realized that you can't just tie everything up that happens to you in a neat little bow and make any kinds of conclusions. And one thing I was really careful about, and I kept saying to Laura, laura, I don't want to. Any teaching moments. You know, I don't want any bumper stickers, nothing like that. Just. We're going to say these things and let people take what they. What they can from it. But I will tell you that you helped me a lot. I have to say this, really. I've never spoken to you about this, but your candor. And I've watched that since the beginning, since being in the hair and makeup room. I was always so happy when you were there. And. And actually, the first day I met you, you know, we didn't have private bathrooms.
- [51:31]
Kelly Ripa
We were in the. We were in the bathroom.
- [51:33]
Susan Lucci
We were in the bathroom in the common ladies room. And I mean, whoever was an extra and.
- [51:37]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah, that's right.
- [51:38]
Susan Lucci
Sometimes audiences.
- [51:39]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah. You're waiting, like waiting around. And that.
- [51:41]
Susan Lucci
That green fluorescent light. I could see the extras, like, putting their makeup on, you know, three times. And I'd say, don't worry, you look.
- [51:48]
Kelly Ripa
So good in person, so much better.
- [51:50]
Susan Lucci
This is green fluorescent. We all hate it. But you were in there, and we were there a lot, and I didn't.
- [51:55]
Kelly Ripa
Know you were in there.
- [51:56]
Susan Lucci
And then I was at the sink and you came out and you. And you said to me, hi, so I'm playing Haley and I really want your wardrobe. And that's why I signed this contract.
- [52:04]
Kelly Ripa
Exactly. I never got it. I never got the wardrobe.
- [52:11]
Susan Lucci
But lucky as you got the part and you were there.
- [52:13]
Kelly Ripa
I got the part.
- [52:15]
Susan Lucci
But I just admire that so much about you.
- [52:17]
Kelly Ripa
Thank you.
- [52:18]
Susan Lucci
And watching you over the course. Course of this time, this has helped me to find my voice.
- [52:24]
Kelly Ripa
Thank you. Thank you very much. I always believed, as you cover in the book, that Regis Philbin gave you the nickname La Lucci.
- [52:33]
Susan Lucci
He did. He made it public for sure.
- [52:35]
Kelly Ripa
Public. But you had that nickname.
- [52:37]
Susan Lucci
Yes. In the studio probably before you even joined the cast. I mean, they, you know, they would call every once in a while, you know, they would say La Lucci to the set. You know, Henry Kaplan, certainly.
- [52:46]
Kelly Ripa
You know, of course. Henry Kaplan. Oh, my gosh.
- [52:49]
Susan Lucci
And not only all the time, but sometimes. And the stage managers would pick up on it. But you know, the monitors in a TV studio are on constantly. And so maybe Regis heard it. But Regis said to me that they always called Sophia Lauren that in. In Italy. And I was so flattered and touched and so. And he would always say it was so. He made. He tickled me. Yeah.
- [53:07]
Kelly Ripa
He would go, lalouch.
- [53:09]
Unidentified Advertiser Voice
Yeah.
- [53:09]
Kelly Ripa
Yes, yes. Yeah.
- [53:10]
Susan Lucci
He made me laugh.
- [53:12]
Kelly Ripa
That's so funny, because I really did. Like, I was under that perception. I was like, oh, she named the book La Lucci because Regis gave her that nickname. And as I'm read, like literally page one, I think she's like, everyone thinks Regis Philbin gave. I was like, oh, my gosh, she's talking to me.
- [53:31]
Susan Lucci
Oh, good. Well, talking to you and talking to whoever is the reader, that is my goal that I'm talking to you. Oh, good. I'm glad you felt that way. And the name La Lucci, if it wasn't for Regis, I couldn't have named my book La Lucci because he made it famous. He made it public. And now truck drivers go by and they say, La Lucci, you know, and people.
- [53:52]
Kelly Ripa
It's a great name.
- [53:53]
Susan Lucci
It's a great name. I'm very happy with it.
- [53:55]
Kelly Ripa
I'm sure Mark and I have told you this before, but our youngest niece is named Lucci.
- [53:59]
Unidentified Advertiser Voice
Oh.
- [54:00]
Kelly Ripa
And we all.
- [54:00]
Susan Lucci
Is she Luciana.
- [54:01]
Kelly Ripa
She's Luciana, but we call her Lucci. And it's like every time we see her, we're like, lucci.
- [54:07]
Susan Lucci
You know, it's just. Oh, that's so nice for me to.
- [54:09]
Kelly Ripa
Know again, I told you, you taught me, Mark's family how to speak English, so I am very.
- [54:14]
Susan Lucci
So thrilled.
- [54:14]
Kelly Ripa
And what are the chances that he would wind up working on All My Children?
- [54:18]
Susan Lucci
Exactly.
- [54:18]
Kelly Ripa
What are. It's like. It all means something. I believe we're all connected.
- [54:22]
Susan Lucci
I think so, too. And that's a lot about why I wrote this book. Yes. You know.
- [54:26]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah.
- [54:27]
Susan Lucci
Because I do think that we're all connected. I mean, there are parts where I talk about dreaming my dreams and what that was like, and. Yes, everybody has a place where they dream their dreams.
- [54:34]
Kelly Ripa
Do you want to go back and beat the boy up on the bus that said, whatever. Whatever he said to you? I do want to, like, punch him in the nose, because that's the New Jersey in me. You're too elegant.
- [54:43]
Susan Lucci
Well, no, it's a Long island thing, too.
- [54:44]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah.
- [54:46]
Susan Lucci
I could go there.
- [54:48]
Kelly Ripa
But let me ask you this question, and if it's too personal, you can tell me again to shut it. Does Helmut visit you? Like, has he come to you? Like, in, like, you'll walk into a room and you'll smell him?
- [55:06]
Susan Lucci
Helmet sends me Signs, the first book that I received from a good friend who sent me a book called Signs. And you probably know it.
- [55:16]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah, I do know it.
- [55:17]
Susan Lucci
Well, I did not know about Signs at all. And she said, you know, this might help you and read it. And. And I did. And. And they were the. They were the first signs that were unmistakable. His grown children came and stayed with me, you know, when Helmut passed and when they went back to Europe, I went into. They were staying in the guest suite, so I wanted to see, you know, what I need to do and blah, blah, blah. And of course, everything was immaculate and lovely, but there was a plastic bag on one of the side tables full of dimes. Full of dimes. And at first I didn't get it right away, but then I thought, is this what. Because, you know, in the book they talk about all these oranges. That's Rythere. Of course. His birthday was 10:10, and he would tell people this all the time. Even brides who were getting married at 10:10 in Las Vegas, he would stop them and say, it's my birthday on 10 10.
- [56:11]
Kelly Ripa
That's funny.
- [56:11]
Susan Lucci
You know, so. So that those were the first things. And then two dimes would show up in odd places. No. Totally unexpected. And then came the feathers. And the feathers continue. There was one today day, and it's just where I am going to step. Nobody else is going to step on it. It would be as if I was going to step on it. And there are no birds. And it's not a place where birds have been. And they say that's what the feathers are about. That's exactly with you. They're protecting you.
- [56:41]
Kelly Ripa
That's right.
- [56:41]
Jan Chalet
That's beautiful.
- [56:42]
Kelly Ripa
It's beautiful.
- [56:43]
Jan Chalet
Yeah.
- [56:43]
Kelly Ripa
Right? Yeah. Do you think. Would you ever date again? Would you think about it? I mean, I look at you and you look so good.
- [56:53]
Susan Lucci
Thank you.
- [56:55]
Kelly Ripa
You look like money. I feel like. You know what I mean? I just feel like there's a tech billionaire out there waiting to take Foxy La Lucci out on the town. And I'm certain, like, you're probably not thinking about that, but I just often wonder, like, would you consider that.
- [57:16]
Susan Lucci
Well, it's been. It's been close to four years, and certainly, I don't think we're meant to be alone.
- [57:25]
Kelly Ripa
No.
- [57:26]
Susan Lucci
I think that's some of the best part of life.
- [57:29]
Unidentified Advertiser Voice
Yeah.
- [57:30]
Susan Lucci
And. And at the same time, it's hard to imagine, but I haven't met anybody who's turned my head like that, you know.
- [57:36]
Kelly Ripa
Oh, we got to get on it. It's been four years.
- [57:39]
Susan Lucci
That's our new.
- [57:40]
Kelly Ripa
Yeah, that's our new. That's our new thing. This has been such a nice conversation.
- [57:45]
Susan Lucci
It really has been.
- [57:46]
Kelly Ripa
I cannot thank you enough. So I want to remind everyone. February 3rd. The book drops Tuesday.
- [57:53]
Susan Lucci
February 3rd, Tuesday.
- [57:55]
Kelly Ripa
Pub day. Happy pub day. Thank you. February 3rd. Make sure you pick up a copy of La Luchi. Make sure you stay tuned to listen to the La Luchi podcast coming to you soon. Everywhere podcast produced by Albert are available. I'm telling you, I think you would love podcasting.
- [58:11]
Susan Lucci
Thank you.
- [58:12]
Kelly Ripa
You're a good conversationalist.
- [58:13]
Susan Lucci
So are you. Look at you. Well, I mean, you always have them.
- [58:16]
Kelly Ripa
Thank you so much.
- [58:17]
Susan Lucci
Thank you so much.
- [58:18]
Kelly Ripa
Andy and I have talked about it. Jennifer Bassey and I have talked about it. Francesca James and I have talked about it. We have to have our dinner. We talked about it. After the 92nd street wine.
- [58:31]
Susan Lucci
We definitely need to do this.
- [58:33]
Kelly Ripa
We need to do it because I think it would be really fun. I will do it here and it'll be really fun.
- [58:38]
Susan Lucci
Oh, Kelly, that would be fabulous.
- [58:39]
Kelly Ripa
Really. Ok. So look forward to that. We'll podcast that dinner too. In Michael's bedroom. We'll do it in Michael's bedroom. Thank you so much.
- [58:48]
Susan Lucci
Thank you so much.
- [58:49]
Kelly Ripa
We'll talk off camera next week, everybody. Bye. Bye.
- [58:52]
Susan Lucci
Bye. Thank you. So much fun.
- [58:58]
Kelly Ripa
Let's talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa is a production of Malo Jo Productions from Malojo. Our team is Kelly Ripa, Mark and Suela, Albert Bianchini, Jan Chalet, Seth Bronquist, Roz Therian, Devin Schneider, Michael Halperin, Julia Desch and Team Radio Andy Lisa Mantineo, Scott Marlowe, Jake Getz.
- [59:24]
Unidentified Advertiser Voice
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