All My Life

by Susan Lucci

  Jeremy was severely beaten in jail, which upset Erica so much she decided she had to marry him, even if he was in prison. Naturally, she had another plan, too. She wanted to secretly break him out of jail during the ceremony, so she staged a prison break.

  The climactic helicopter escape was shot on location in Connecticut. It was freezing cold outside. We got there very early in the morning, just before dawn. When I got to the set, I approached the director, Jack Coffey, who told me how he wanted to shoot the scene. He explained that while dressed in a wedding gown and high heels, Erica was supposed to climb up a thirty-foot ladder through an opening in the roof. When she got onto the roof, they would yell “cut.” The next scene called for Erica to run as fast as she could across the top of the roof, over pebbles and debris, and on toward a ladder that would be hanging from the hovering helicopter. They would yell “cut” once again, and then my stunt double, a woman dressed just like me, would take over and grab the rope, climb that ladder, and fly away over Connecticut. None of this was especially out of the ordinary, nor did it seem like it would be hard. Once I had my direction, I was good to go. (I just wished it would stop snowing.)

  When they opened the hatch in the ceiling, snow was falling through the roof. When I got to the top, I ran down the length of the building, as expected. After doing it the first time, I was so pumped up with adrenaline that I thought to myself, I can grab that rope myself. I can dangle off the helicopter and they won’t have to stop the scene. I thought I was doing a good thing and making the scene better as I began to climb up the rope to the helicopter until I felt the producer and director throw their bodies on top of me to pull me down and stop me from being lifted into the air.

  “Are you crazy?” one of them yelled as they threw me to the ground. That’s when I came to my senses and realized that hanging from a chopper hundreds of feet above the ground was probably not a great idea.

  The stunt double came over to me afterward and said, “You don’t want to do that. It’s a dangerous stunt, Ms. Lucci.” She was wearing gloves that looked similar to mine, but I later found out that they had special grips on them so she wouldn’t fall. It was very cold, and the higher up she went, the colder it got. My fingers would have frozen and I would have definitely lost my grip.

  Jeremy didn’t end up accompanying Erica that day. He refused to escape because of the consequences of getting caught. Although he was eventually cleared of Earl’s murder, Erica never forgave him for not going with her. Although they never married, she loved him very much—at the time.

  * * *

  Dimitri Marick, played by the very handsome Michael Nader, whom I had admired from his work on Dynasty, was one of Erica’a most successful love interests. Michael was wonderful to work with, very experienced, and extremely funny. I knew him before he came to All My Children in 1991 because we shot a made-for-television movie together in 1988 called Lady Mobster. I was very excited that he’d be joining the cast, all the more because he was to be one of Erica’s love interests and future husband.

  Michael’s character on All My Children was a Hungarian aristocrat known as Count Andrassy. Erica and Dimitri actually married twice. Their first wedding was on June 22, 1993, and their second on December 30, 1994, a traditional Eastern Orthodox ceremony that took place at a beautiful chapel on the grounds of Wildwind, Dimitri’s Gothic estate. I had never seen anything like that ceremony, as it was quite beautiful in imagery as well as staging. There was a moment when two crowns were held above our heads while the wedding party marched around us three times. The exchange of vows was very moving. I suddenly felt like I was part of a thousand-year-old tradition.

  We went on location to Budapest shortly after the Berlin Wall came down. That was my first time in Hungary. The architecture in Budapest was gorgeous, but after years of Communist control, it was also in great need of repair. The people there did their best for our crew, but there simply was no money in the country. The buildings needed cleaning and there were few flowers and very little food in the city. The countryside was breathtaking, with rolling hills, but it was also desolate. The vines had all dried up on the farms, there were no animals—everything appeared to be deserted. Our driver told us that the farms had been taken over by the Communists and had been used as military bases and housing. The Hungarian government was doing what it could to return the land to its rightful owners, but it would take at least three years to start making progress in that endeavor.

  * * *

  As I said before, Erica and Adam’s relationship was complicated. The two married for a second time on December 13, 1991. Erica surprised Adam by becoming the ideal wife—sort of. She was doing her best to kill him with kindness. Knowing he was someone who always needed to be in control, Erica began turning Adam’s world upside down by changing everything that was familiar to him, including his home. She redecorated Chandler Mansion, a once-masculine home, into a softer more feminine estate. Her plan to drive Adam crazy succeeded, and by the end of 1992, Erica and Adam were once again headed for divorce—War of the Roses style. He realized that no matter how hard he tried, he would never win Erica’s love. He gave her the divorce she so desperately wanted.

  One of my all-time-favorite scenes with David was also one of the funniest I have ever shot on All My Children. It was a thirteen-page food and pillow fight! Erica is in her hotel suite in New York City hoping Jackson “Jack” Montgomery, played by the one and only Walt Willey, is coming to meet her. Walt is quick on his feet, not just funny but hilarious, and as everyone in the audience could see, extremely easy on the eyes. Not only is he big, blond, and beautiful, he is a really great dancer. And, oh…did I mention those blue, blue eyes? He’s got a wonderful spirit, is always prepared, and wants to get the most out of his scenes. He is an absolute doll to work with, as he is always respectful of everybody around him.

  * * *

  In 2010, Soap Opera Digest named Erica and Jack “Best Couple” in all of Soapdom. The truth is, all of the actors I’ve been paired with over the years have been hot men—and that’s intentional. We have great chemistry, and we are supposed to. That is what makes people tune in and watch and what makes the romantic story line sizzle. That magic is due to the tremendous instincts and fantastic eye of our casting director, Judy Wilson, who has won several Emmy Awards for her work on our show.

  A wonderful new additional to our cast and, lucky for me, in Erica’s life, too, is the fantastically talented and highly regarded actor Michael Nouri. Michael is tall, dark, and handsome and has the broadest shoulders ever. He is warm, creative, and absolutely hilarious. He does the best Richard Burton imitation ever and can play every role in South Pacific by himself! He is truly a one-man show. I love working with Michael, just as I have loved working with each of the men, men, men I have had the PLEASURE of working with over the years.

  * * *

  Our fans have been very passionate about Erica’s relationship with Jack. I personally think they’re better being divorced than married. When they were married the first time, their children needed both of them too much for the marriage to work. They couldn’t be present for their children and there for each other, too. Their blended family just wasn’t blending. In fact, it was actually tearing them apart.

  The second time Jack and Erica got married, they promised each other that they would never let the children interfere in their relationship again. Jack took Erica to a boathouse, played some music, and danced with her as a symbol of his love and devotion. Unfortunately, circumstances in their lives are always dire. Sometimes Walt Willey and I will read our scripts and say, “But the kids are grown!” Still, the events that surround their lives are always huge and require more from Erica and Jack than they can give while they’re in each other’s lives.

  So, when the bell to her hotel room rang, Erica was surprised to find Adam there instead of Jack. Adam was in the wrong place at the wrong time!

  When Erica realized it was Adam and not Jack, she simply couldn’t control her a
nger or disappointment, so she took it out on Adam through a highly choreographed scene created by renowned stage-fight director B. H. Barry. The scene opened with Erica throwing things and ripping open a pillow, which sent endless amounts of goose-down feathers flying everywhere in the room but was ultimately not very satisfying. Oranges were thrown, bread went flying, and walnuts were launched at Adam like missiles. Erica eventually got so frustrated that she grabbed a huge bunch of grapes from a bowl on a table behind Adam and just squeezed them over his head, letting the juice run down his hair and onto his face.

  David and I rehearsed the food fight for the entire day prior to shooting the scene because we all definitely wanted to get it in one take. We wound up shooting that final scene at nine-thirty in the evening. Everyone from the crew to the cast had already put in an extremely long and full day. Most of us had worked straight through lunch to get it right. By the time we set up the shot, we were all ready to get it in the can and go home. Thankfully, we did end up getting the entire scene in one take so that was a wrap. The scene was so well received that it is archived in the Museum of Television.

  David and I have been through so many experiences together, but my all-time-favorite story line between them was when Adam kidnapped Erica and their plane crashed on a remote island. The scenes were shot on location in Canada, north of Toronto, in an area called Stone Lake. Erica was trying to escape from Adam to get off the island. She ran to the edge of a cliff where she came face-to-face with a large grizzly bear. The bear could have backed her off the cliff, but instead, Erica decided to confront it.

  “Get away from me, you disgusting, disgusting beast! You may not do this! Do you understand me? You MAY NOT come near me! I am Erica Kane and you are a filthy beast!” Erica goes on to growl at the bear before it turns away and leaves.

  When I read the scene for the first time, I went to Jackie Babbin, who was our executive producer at the time. Although I had always been ready and willing to try to rehearse whatever was written on the page, I asked Jackie if she thought the script had gone just a little too far this time? I really didn’t think the scene could ever work, but Jackie assured me it would, and if I played it right, everyone would love it. I said I would try, of course, but I felt like Erica confronting a bear was more than our audience would ever buy into. Jackie insisted the scene would play great, so I said okay and did it with every fiber of my being believing this could really happen.

  It was a very hot July day when we shot this scene. When the wrangler brought the bear to the set, the animal was so hot that all he wanted to do was go swimming in a nearby stream. When it was time for the bear to come to the set, he didn’t want to get out of the water. He let out several grunts and cries while we were shooting just to let everyone know how hot he was. (Don’t we all wish we could do that from time to time?)

  I didn’t want to be the one to argue with a hot and tired grizzly bear in an unscripted scene, so I gave it my all on the first take. Thankfully, everyone loved it and the bear was able to return to his stream. Looking back on that day, I wish I had been given another crack at the scene. I was fighting so hard to find the reality there, I would have liked the opportunity to make it work even better.

  That scene has become All My Children legend. In many ways, it epitomized who Erica Kane is. She can do things and get away with stuff that the rest of the people in this world cannot. She has an unending fighting spirit in her. You cannot keep Erica Kane down. A lot of people wish they had that type of spunk when their back is against a wall. Everyone fantasizes about standing up for themselves and winning. And that is part of what makes Erica so lovable.

  Speaking of lovable, when I heard that David Canary and Julia Barr weren’t going to make a permanent move to Los Angeles, I felt a sense of tremendous loss. I couldn’t imagine All My Children without either of them. And to be completely honest, I didn’t want to imagine it. I am sure there is a noticeable loss on camera, too, as our audience must miss them dearly as well. Their story has been left with Brooke and Adam leaving Pine Valley together. I can only hope and pray that they will someday return.

  There was so much trust between David and me. We had many scenes over the years that involved a lot of verbal sparring and snappy repartee. All of the scenes were extremely well written, which made them fun and exciting to play. We shared a mutual respect for each other, as did our characters, which I think was always underlying their verbal jousting. Erica and Adam were rivals who really respected each other underneath all of their sarcastic remarks. As for Susan and David, there was no sarcasm between us at all. There was only and always will be love and mutual admiration.

  Julia Barr played Brooke English, a character who had a wonderful, rich relationship with Erica over the years. Julia is so down-to-earth, candid, and very funny. She is a genuine delight to be around and to have on the set. She has positively impacted all of the people with whom she has worked. She and I had wonderful chemistry together that lasted for many years. Erica and Brooke were archrivals and had some of the best woman-to-woman scenes in daytime. The audiences loved those scenes almost as much as Julia and I did. Our characters threw some unforgettable verbal punches and one-upped each other frequently over the years. These scenes were the most fun to play. As time passed, Erica and Brooke found a fondness for each other, taking their rivalry from an envious one to a friendly one, so that whenever one of us was really in trouble, the other knew well enough to put a lid on it for a while. But the knock-down, drag-out scenes in the ladies’ room became classic. These were the scenes we all begged to have more of.

  Not only did Erica lock horns with Brooke English in the ladies’ rooms of Pine Valley, but Erica’s best friend, the zany Opal Cortlandt, played by the charming Jill Larson, often jumped into the fray. I usually can’t take my eyes off of Jill. She used to be a model in Paris, but when she is in character as Opal, she wears more layers of jewelry and hair adornments better than anyone on the planet and somehow manages to pull it off! Her comic timing is unbeatable and she is just a pure delight. I am so glad they cast her as my best friend. When Opal married Palmer Cortlandt, she became the unlikely lady of Cortlandt Manor—a role she embraced wholeheartedly, having given up her former occupation as the owner of the Glamorama, Pine Valley’s local beauty salon. Although Cortlandt Manor made the move to Los Angeles, the Glamorama didn’t. And boy, do I miss it!

  And finally, no discussion about those who will be very missed in Los Angeles would be complete without mentioning the spectacular, wonderful, legendary, charming, and handsome Jimmy Mitchell, who played Palmer Cortlandt since joining the show in 1979. While Jimmy did make the move to Los Angeles, he died on January 22, 2010, from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease complicated by pneumonia.

  Jimmy was a highly skilled and trained dancer. And, he was a great one! He performed on Broadway in Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, and other musicals, played Curly in Agnes DeMille’s iconic ballet scene in the musical version of Oklahoma. He also danced with the American Ballet Theatre. He was so talented, funny, and very well versed in both film and theater. He was so bright and always so full of life. And he was also very flirtatious in the most wonderful way.

  He had a great big presence on camera as Palmer Cortlandt. I used to love when he opened the door to Cortlandt Manor and you could hear his “Doberman” guard dogs in the background. Of course, the barking was done with sound effects, but they so perfectly accompanied Palmer’s larger-than-life image.

  I was doing a concert version of One Touch of Venus at the New Amsterdam Theatre. Leroy Reams was playing the barber, Peggy Cass was playing my mother, and I was playing the bratty fiancée. The only way I could make those rehearsals while doing All My Children was to run like crazy during my lunch breaks from the studio to the conductor’s apartment on the Upper West Side. I’d rehearse my dance with Leroy for thirty or so minutes, and then run right back to the set of All My Children in time to rehearse for the show. I remember waiting to do one of my scenes and not
icing Jimmy standing behind the set of Cortlandt Manor waiting to do his. There was some sort of camera breakdown, so we had a little downtime. All of a sudden and out of the blue, Jimmy strolled over, took me in his arms, and started to dance with me. I thought to myself, I will never forget this! Dancing with Jimmy Mitchell behind the sets!

  I knew life in Los Angeles and at the show was going to be different. It would take some adjusting, but it would all be for the greater good. The state-of-the-art HD studio they built for us is three times the size of the one we had in New York. With all of that extra space, the cast imagined we were going to be getting larger dressing rooms, too. I had always heard about the fabulous spaces other television actors had while doing shows in Los Angeles. Some had two rooms with enough square footage for exercise equipment, a small kitchenette, and even a private bathroom with a shower and tub. When my daughter, Liza, was doing Passions, she called and told me all about her palatial accommodations. She knew I had something a little larger than a broom closet in New York. In fact, she had a private bathroom with a shower and a separate living room—and a television set, too! She said that all of her coworkers knew I still used the public bathroom back on the set of All My Children and felt very bad about it. I tried to convince Liza that New York is a vertical city, which means space is always going to be limited and that my lack of space didn’t really bother me. From the very beginning of my career, I never had any of those perks, so I didn’t really know what I was missing. Still, I had hoped for something a little bigger when we got to L.A.