All My Children
All My Children 55th Anniversary Panel: Mona’s Favorite Husband for Erica, The Best Crier, Ruth Warrick and Favorite Adversaries
Last week, several of the stars of the iconic soap opera, All My Children took part in a very special panel to mark the series 55th anniversary which was entitled Susan Lucci in Conversation with Andy Cohen: All My Children at 55.
Those who have followed Cohen’s career know that the noted creator of Bravo’s “Real Housewives” franchise, and host of Watch What Happens Live. is an an ardent and self-professed longtime fan of the soap opera.
Taking part in the walk-down-memory-lane panel live at the The 92nd Street Y, New York included: the aforementioned Lucci (ex-Erica), Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley), Jill Larson (ex-Opal), Eden Riegel (ex-Bianca), Jennifer Bassey (ex-Marian), Francesca James (ex-Kitty/Kelly and a former AMC executive producer), plus former head writer Lorraine Broderick and series casting director, Judy Blye Wilson.
Photo: ABC
As Cohen posed his questions to the panel, plus several from those in the audience, some interesting nuggets and moments emerged which mentioned some of All My Children’s legacy stars.
When asked who was Erica’s all-time favorite husband (she was truly married 8 out of 11 times), Susan Lucci responded, “So many men. So little time. It was a wonderful group of men to work with.” However, Susan recalled that Erica’s mom, Mona (Frances Heflin), had a favorite of her own, and it was Tom Cudahy played by Richard Shoberg. Lucci noted. “She was really rooting for him.”
Photo: Steven Bergman
With a laundry list of husbands that included: Jeff Martin, Phil Brent, Tom Cudahy, Adam Chandler twice, Dimitri Marick twice, and Jackson Montgomery, plus marriages that were deemed invalid to Mike Roy and two to Travis Montgomery, who did Susan Lucci feel was the love of Erica’s life?
When all was said in done, Lucci admitted she felt all roads for Erica led back to Jack Montgomery (Walt Willey). “(He) was the one who wouldn’t leave and couldn’t get out of her life, and she couldn’t walk away from him too much,” recalled Lucci. “Although at the end (in the ABC series finale), she was in the crosshairs of that rifle going after Jack, because she had left him again. ”
Photo: ABC
Speaking of being married 8 times, talk turned to the one and only Ruth Warrick (ex-Phoebe Tyler Wallingford) and her real-life plethora of suitors and husbands! Lucci shared, “In the beginning (of the show) when we would do the dress rehearsals, I had the great opportunity to sit on set and Ruth Warwick would hold court. I was a young actress who thought this was spectacular, because she would talk about all the men in her life and give advice on men.”
Susan added, “Ruth thought one of her children came from Orson Welles! But, to be just out of college and sit there and listen to all these wonderful stories was pretty fantastic.”
Photo: ABC
Andy Cohen wanted to know of all the panelists, or during the run of All My Children, who was the best crier. Susan Lucci felt it was Kim Delaney (ex-Jenny Gardner),”I think she was a good crier!” Francesca James had a laundry list of actresses who could bring the waterworks on cue, citing “Jill (Larson) can, Susan (Lucci) can, Eden (Riegel) can, I’m terrible at it.”
Photo: Steven Bergman
Later, Susan Lucci revealed her favorite on-screen sparring partner, and to not anyone’s surprise it was Julia Barr (ex-Brooke), and those delicious Erica Kane and Brooke English snipes and cat fights. “Without a doubt it was Brooke English” She recalled, “I used to love when they would write the scenes in the ladies rooms at the Chateau when Brooke and Erica would run into each other.”
Photo: ABC
So, who do you think was the all-time best love match for Erica? Did you get a kick of the scenes betweens between Brooke and Erica? Who was the best crier on All My Children? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
All of Erica’s men and husbands were great! You all for got Jeremey who waa one of Erica’s greatest loves even though they never married.At least not to my knowledge! ABC canceling AMC for the Chew a cooking show was the dumbest decision ever on network t.v.! Where is the Chew now? Canceled!
I think it was OLTL that lost it’s time slot to The Chew. It was that other show that lasted only a month that replaced AMC..
If I recall correctly. A horrible lost on both AMC and OLTL nonetheless
GH fan: If I remember correctly, One Life to Live was replaced by some ridiculous show called the Revolution which only lasted about 6 months. All My Children was replaced by the Chew that last around a year or so. As far as I’m concerned, there is no legitimate reason why both All My Children and One Life to Live are not in production and an on the air today.
Yes, you are correct. The Revolution!
The name is kind of funny now, some “revolution”… The Destruction would have been more fitting!
I agree AMC & OLTL was the best and to this day hold so many memories watching.
Wasn’t Erica ever married to Jeremy Hunter?
Please bring back All My Children!!!
Yea bring back all my children
I was definitely all for Erica and Jack. They belonged together.
Loved Julia Barr/Brooke – one of my favourite characters.
Was Brooke English ever kidnapped? Every time I hear the song, “I’ll Be Watching You”, it reminds me of Brooke English getting kidnapped.
I remember the first day AMC came on to ABC. I was in college, and one of my neighbors at the dorms, was sitting in the TV room and said, “I am reserving this room from 12:30 TO 1:00, because my brother is (the original) Chuck Tyler and I HAVE TO watch it”.
When I worked on Herald Square, in NYC, I would have my lunch @12pm at my desk and then walk across the street to one of the dept. stores to watch AMC, along with about 10 other women from around the area every work day. The dept. store did not like it, causewe were blocking the aisles. The next day, all of the tvs were turned off. NOW, how can you sell a TV with them all turned off? So, we went to another dept. store. The next day the tvs were put back on.
When I lived in the Philly area, we were able to get ABC on the radio. I would have lunch at my desk, and listen to AMC (on my radio).
Thank you for reading this to the end. I NEVER missed an episode of AMC. <3
Loved your story Linda! The lengths we’d go through to see our shows back in the day! During the Luke & Laura days I worked afternoons in a law office & at 2:00 I would call home & my sister would turn GH on, turn the volume way up & lay the phone down so I could hear the show! If my boss came in I would pretend to be on hold! I always watched AMC on my lunch hour.
And yes, Linda-that crazy guy-was it Harold or Hal maybe? He kidnapped Brooke & to this day my sister & I think of that when the song comes on!
Hal stalked Brooke, did not actually kidnap her. (I don’t think)
How about the cat fight between Erica and Ceara…”At least my Donna Karan is real!”
I love all my children How can I get to watch from the beginning to the end of the shows reruns
A million dollar question with an impossible answer. Lots of episodes were on videotape and lots of those are lost due to the videotapes being reused
ever married.At least not to my knowledge! ABC calk
Alan Dysert, who played Sean Cudahy on ABC’s All My Children has died. He was 75-years-old. The news of his passing came from his wife Michele who shared via a Facebook post that Dysert died back on October 23.
“My heart is broken as I share that my beloved husband, Alan, passed away on October 23, 2026. While I am struggling to imagine life without him, I am forever grateful to have experienced what so many people spend their lives searching for — the love of a lifetime,” Michele expressed.
While a cause of death was not made public at this time, Michele admitted that Alan, “faced more than his share of health challenges over the years, yet he continued to approach life with determination, humor, and gratitude.”
Photo: ABC
Dysert wrote about his battle with a rare, aggressive and incurable cancer in his 2023 autobiography, Lights, Camera, Cancer! He spoke of having undergone four major cancer-related surgeries, and many rounds of chemotherapy and CT scans.
SEAN CUDAHY WAS ‘BAD GUY’ PERSONFIED
On All My Children, Dysert played Sean Cudahy, the con man villain to his brother, good guy, Tom Cudahy played by Richard Shoberg. Dysert played the role between 1980 and 1990 returning for multiple story arcs, which included being revealed to be the murderer of Sybil Thorne. He was also involved in several affairs including with the impressionable Devon McFadden (Tricia Pursley).
THE LIVES HE TOUCHED
Alan’s longtime agent Melinda Eisnagule told PEOPLE his death is a “loss to our community and to the acting community at large. He touched so many lives and made the industry and the world a better place every day with his positive energy and kindness.”
Dysert leaves behind his wife, Michele and his two sons Cody and Cooper and will be remembered by those who knew him for a career that spanned the theatre, film, TV and performance coaching, and of course being a part of the legacy of All My Children.
Share your remembrances and condolences on the passing of Alan Dysert, All My Children’s Sean Cudahy, via the comment section below.
All My Children
Mark Consuelos Celebrates Kelly Ripa’s 56th Birthday on ‘Live,’ But Remember When Wendy Williams Outed the Couple as Married Before Anyone at ‘All My Children’ Knew?
On the Friday, October 2 episode of Live with Kelly and Mark, the morning talk show marked the 56th birthday of Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley Vaughan Santos, All My Children).
During the opening segment, Mark Consuelos (ex-Mateo Santos, All My Children) humorously comparing his wife to both Gandhi and Groucho Marx, reflecting on both her comedic ability and peaceful ways.
Later, they went on to discuss the origins of her name and the most popular picks to name babies back in the year she was born, 1970. They were Kimberly, Lisa, and Jennifer for girls and Michael, David, and James for the boys.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Ripa recalled that she learned she was almost named Kim. However, their neighbors at the time had two daughters Kelly and Kim, which is what her parents wanted to call them, but they settled on Kelly and and her younger sister, Linda.
At the conclusion of the episode, Mark rolled out a huge cake for his wife. It was, “Happy birthday from all of us here at Live and at home.” Next, he cut the cake, and Ripa grabbed his face and gave him a “thank you” kiss.
Photo: JPI
KELLY AND MARK TRIED TO KEEP THEIR VEGAS WEDDING ON THE DOWN LOW
All of this brings back memories of how Kelly and Mark’s Las Vegas wedding ceremony went public in 1996 while the two were still on All My Children playing Mateo Santos and Hayley Vaughan. In essence, they were outed by then radio host Wendy Williams! They discussed it on the talk show back in 2024.
In fact, the duo hid their marriage from their All My Children castmates for months, until they found out Williams got wind of the nuptials and spread the intel on the airwaves.
The two recalled their secret wedding on a 2024 episode of Live! “We’d eloped. It’d been a few months at that point. We’d been married for three months, nobody at All My Children knew we were even dating, much less married to each other. We’re brushing our teeth and we’ve got Wendy Williams’ radio show on. We’re listening, and she’s like, ‘I’ve got celebrity dish!”
EYEWITNESS
Next Ripa continued, “The celebrities,’ I guess they had a broad use of the term back then, was the fact that ‘two soap stars from All My Children, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos eloped in Las Vegas.’ There was this eyewitness that worked in the Clark County courthouse that said we eloped, and the news broke, and we had to tell everybody we were married.”
Live With Kelly and Mark airs weekdays in syndication. Check your local listings for times in your area.
Share your birthday wishes for Kelly in the comment section, and let us know your thoughts on how Wendy Williams broadcast the news, unbeknownst to the All My Children newlyweds, that they tied the knot in Vegas? Check out Mark and the ‘Live’ studio audience singing ‘happy birthday’ to Kelly in the post below.
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All My Children
‘All My Children’ Movie Writers for Lifetime Revealed: Ron Carlivati, Jamey Giddens and Leo Richardson
This week began and as reported with a spotlight article on Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos and how their production entity, Milojo, has been teeing up the All My Children reboot with Lifetime.
The L.A. Times featured the married couple, co-hosts of Live with Kelly and Mark, and former All My Children cast members (where they met and fell in love) about their plans to bring two All My Children movies to Lifetime and how they are working with the Agnes Nixon estate to make it come to fruition,
On Wednesday, it was revealed by Daytime Confidential, that All My Children reboot producer, Andrew Stearn handpicked none other than Ron Carlivati (ex-head writer, One Life to Live, General Hospital and Days of our Lives) and Jamey Giddens (who is the new co-head writer of The Young and the Restless, following his tenures on the writing teams of Beyond the Gates and Days of Our Lives), as the two scribes who will bring the first of two of Kelly and Mark’s All My Children movies to the page.
Photo: IMDb
RON CARLIVATI AND JAMEY GIDDENS CONFIRM THEIR BOARDING THE ALL MY CHILDREN MOVIE PROJECT
The second installment is said to be written by primetime writer Leo Richardson whose credits include: Star, Katy Keene and more recently the Penn Badgley (ex-Phillip Chancellor IV, The Young and the Restless) starring series, You.
Richardson also wrote for three years on the U.K.’s long-running soap, EastEnders. All My Children revival fans will recall Richardson’s name was attached as the writer for the first incarnation of the All My Children movies, entitled, Pine Valley.
Ron Carlivati took to X and confirmed he is indeed boarding the All My Children movie project. Carlivati shared, “So excited to share this news! Thanks to Andrew Stearn, Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos, Albert Bianchini and the Agnes Nixon estate for entrusting Jamey Giddens and me with the first of two planned All My Children movies for Lifetime! Stay tuned!”
Photo: Jeremy Smith/imageSPACE
Jamey Giddens confirmed DC’s announcement by taking to his account on X and expressing, “I’ve been booked and busy in 2026. Thanks to Andrew Stearn, the Agnes Nixon estate, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos for entrusting Ron Carlivati, and me with the first of two planned All My Children movies for Lifetime!”
Some fans seemed to question how Giddens could be writing for the first All My Children movie at Lifetime, when he is the new co-head writer at The Young and the Restless with Dan O’Connor. Jamey answered that head on via X and explained, “We turned in our All My Children script months ago. My sole focus as of this past Monday, is Genoa City, Wisconsin! #YR”
ERICA KANE, MARIA SANTOS AND HAYLEY AND MATEO SANTOS TO APPEAR IN THE ALL MY CHILDREN MOVIE REVIVAL?
In the planned stories, Susan Lucci’s Erica Kane and Eva LaRue’s Maria Santos will be two characters whose lives we will get to see for the first time since the series was canceled by ABC back in 2011 after 41 years on the air. As well, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos confirmed they will make brief appearances on-screen; one could assume as Hayley and Mateo Santos.
“It’d be wonderful to give the fans something that they’ve been yearning for so many years,” shared Mark Consuelos to the LA Times. “All My Children gave me my family. I met my wife there. It gave me my start in the business. It gave us so much. It would be a dream to be able to give back.”
So, what do you think of Ron Carlivati and Jamey Giddens getting nod to write the All My Children movie #1 script and Leo Richardson #2? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
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