Just days before ABC announced the end of its daytime series 'All My Children,' the soap's beloved star, Susan Lucci, was unequivocally denying that her show -- which also launched the careers of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kelly Ripa and Oscar winner Melissa Leo -- was going off the air.
Was Lucci, in fact, blindsided by the cancellation?
Her daughter, Liza Huber, now tells TMZ that her mom is "upset," and had no idea ABC was going to pull the plug on the soap. Lucci was allegedly informed out of the blue on Thursday, at the same time the network broke the news to the entire cast.
Lucci, 64, has played Erica Kane on 'AMC' for 41 years, and has famously been nominated for 21 Emmys (she won in 1999). She is the only original cast member still with the series since its 1970 premiere, which might explain why she'd expect to be in the loop sooner about cancellation plans, instead of caught by surprise.
Lucci, who told PopEater earlier this month that "it hurts" to hear rumors of her show's cancellation, is hardly the only insider devastated to be saying goodbye to 'All My Children.'
Agnes Nixon, 83, who created the show (along with 'One Life to Live,' also being cancelled by ABC), said a statement:
"ABC's decision to cancel All My Children and One Life to Live saddens me greatly....I treasure the decades that the worlds of Pine Valley and Llanview were brought to life by our talented casts and crews. I appreciate that the network allowed our teams to break new dramatic ground and always supported our commitment to the honest portrayal of social issues. We hope we have entertained our viewers and perhaps even educated them along the way."
Nixon then added that, although the network was through with her soaps, she held out hope they might find a new home elsewhere.
"We were always family, made up of writers, producers, directors, actors, crews," she said. "Equally important in that family are our loyal fans who shared this journey with us. Although ABC has concluded there is no longer a place for our shows on their network, I will do everything possible to keep them alive."
