Susan Lucci, the legendary actress from All My Children, has spoken candidly about the profound and persistent grief she continues to face following the death of her husband, Helmut Huber. The couple were married for an incredible 52 years before his passing in 2022 at the age of 84, just one month after he suffered a stroke.
A Life Together Remembered
Lucci, now 79, is currently promoting her new memoir, La Lucci, which is set for release on February 3. Within its pages, she reflects deeply on her five-decade love story with the Austrian-born producer, whom she married at just 22 years old. Their union was blessed with two children: daughter Liza, now 50, and son Andreas, 45. Lucci now describes the life they built together as 'such a gift.'
The Unpredictable Waves of Grief
In a heartfelt interview, Lucci revealed that the pain of her loss still arrives in unexpected waves, often catching her by surprise. She described feeling 'completely lost' and 'so alone' in the immediate aftermath of his death. The Emmy-winning star admits she does not resist these feelings, choosing instead to accept them as they come.
'I don't fight it,' she said. 'I'm surprised sometimes by it. Certainly there are things like the holidays that are triggers - someone who should be sitting at the table. But I just go with it.'
When pressed on what she misses most about her late husband, Lucci's answer was simple yet encompassing: 'everything.' She elaborated, stating it was difficult to pinpoint just one thing, but that she profoundly misses his presence and the simple, shared moments like having coffee together in the morning.
Public Tributes to a Private Love
Lucci has honoured her husband's memory on several public occasions. In December 2023, while accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmy Awards, she dedicated the honour to Huber. She expressed how much it meant to have their son Andreas in the audience and stated she could feel his father's presence with them that night.
'I thank my husband, Helmut Huber, because he has everything to do with me standing up here tonight and receiving this incredible award,' she told the audience.
The year prior, at the 49th Daytime Emmy Awards, Lucci delivered a poignant tribute. Her voice cracking with emotion, she called Huber 'the love of my life' and described him as a 'larger than life force of nature.' She acknowledged the painful cost of love, saying, 'They say that the grief is the price we pay for love. Well, grief is an excruciating price but I would not give up even one second of the love.'
A Partnership Forged in Youth
The couple's remarkable story began when they were both working at the Garden City Hotel on Long Island. Lucci was 22 and fresh out of college. After a whirlwind courtship of just three weeks, they became engaged and married in September 1969.
Huber, a former motorcycle racer and skilled skier who was once asked to join the Austrian Ski Team, became an integral part of Lucci's professional life. He acted as her manager for much of her career and served as the CEO of their production company, Pine Valley Productions—named for the fictional town in All My Children.
Lucci, famed for her role as Erica Kane which she played from 1970 until the show ended in 2011, often credited her husband's unwavering support. In a 2020 interview, she said, 'I got really lucky because I married somebody who is smart and handsome, and he’s very confident and he has a great sense of humor... He’s really been a rock.'
The feeling was profoundly mutual. Huber once told People magazine in 1999, 'The first time I saw Susie, it hit me. Still today, she walks in a room, and I just light up.'
Following his passing, a family representative released a statement celebrating Huber's vibrant character, describing him as a loyal family man and friend with a roaring sense of humour and a larger-than-life personality who lived his life to the absolute fullest.
