Susan Lucci

“Overcoming my shyness has been a lifelong struggle.”

“I was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award 19 times before I won. The first nine years, I heard someone else's name called; after that - I think it was a protective thing - I didn't hear whose name was called, but nobody was making eye contact with me, so I knew that it wasn't mine.”

“I really always felt that I was going to be an actress. I had a lot of confidence in the fact that I would do well from a very early age. I didn't know how tough the business is.”

“I started doing Pilates when I was in my mid-40s. I thought it was called 'pie-lattes' because I didn't hear anyone talk about it; I just read about it.”

“Erica Kane was a spectacular role for any actress to play, and I felt so lucky to be the one who got to do it.”

“I am the luckiest actress on the planet.”

“My parents were both from extremely different backgrounds. My father's Italian, my mother was of Swedish descent. They're both first-generation Americans.”

“I occasionally buy a bikini, but I'm too shy to wear it.”

“I was very lucky both of my parents had really nice skin.”

“When someone has that combination of arrogance and ignorance - that drives me crazy.”

“In 1949, when I was 2, my family moved from Yonkers, NY, to a development of brick houses in Elmont, a Long Island suburb of New York City. What I remember most about the house was the glider on our porch. I used to sit there evenings close to my father, Victor, as he talked about the moon and the stars. He taught me to dream big.”

“The 'All My Children' studio was near Lincoln Center, and I used to see all the ballerinas and the dancers, and I thought, I don't want to bulk up; I want to have long, lean, toned muscles. And I found out that through Pilates, you can achieve those strong, lean dancer muscles.”

“I married somebody who is very secure. He's been in my corner from the time we met, and we grew in this together.”

“It took awhile for me to get used to speaking candidly about my own life. I got into it, and it turned out to be a wonderful experience.”

“People always ask me, how do you do everything you do?”

“I drink hot water and lemon - after two cups of the coffee in the morning.”

“With 'Dancing with the Stars,' they miraculously send your dance teacher with you wherever you need to be.”

“I grew up loving Broadway musicals. I'd put on my parents' cast albums and stand on the stool and sing in the mirror.”

“If your skin looks okay today, and you take care of it, there's a good chance it's going to look good tomorrow.”

“The sense of acting being teamwork was a mentality that I took from school: I studied with wonderful people, and I wanted them to be proud of me.”