All My Children star Susan Lucci surprised everyone when she won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series award at the 1999 Daytime Emmys. This win came after she had been nominated 18 times and lost to other actresses like Kim Zimmer and Erika Slezak. The victory was a long time coming for the soap legend known for her role as Erica Kane.
Despite being the highest-paid actor on daytime television, Lucci had never won an Emmy. She had joked about her losing streak on various occasions, including appearances on Saturday Night Live and in TV commercials. But all that changed on May 21, 1999, when Shemar Moore announced her name as the winner, ending her streak of losses.
The audience at Madison Square Garden erupted in applause, with celebrities like Rosie O’Donnell, Oprah Winfrey, and Kelly Ripa showing their support for Lucci. The ovation lasted for two minutes as Lucci accepted her award and thanked her fans for their continuous support over the years.
Even after winning, Lucci remained dedicated to her role as Erica Kane and received two more Daytime Emmy nominations for the part. In a virtual cast reunion in 2020, she recalled the moment she thought Moore was announcing playoff scores before declaring her the winner.
Last year, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honored Lucci with the Daytime Emmys Lifetime Achievement Award, presented once again by Shemar Moore. Reflecting on that memorable night in 1999, Moore admitted that he did not expect Lucci to win and was genuinely surprised when he announced her name.
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