All My Children

Legendary Casting Director Joan D'Incecco, Responsible For Casting Susan Lucci & Erika Slezak On Daytime, Dead at 89

December 28, 2016

Photo: NorthJersey.com/D'InCecco Family

Photo: NorthJersey.com/D'Incecco Family

The daytime world has also lost in December and in 2016, another iconic figure.

Longtime ABC casting director, Joan D’Incecco passed away in New Jersey at the age of 89.

For over 20 years, Joan was the casting director at All My Children. And it was D’Incecco who is credited with finding Susan Lucci to play Pine Valley’s Erika Kane, as well as Kelly Ripa as Hayley Vaughan. D’Incecco was honored by Susan Lucci when the iconic soap star finally won her Daytime Emmy after 19 tries and took the stage to accept her award. She saluted the legendary casting director citing that she “saw me as more than just an ethnic type … and saw that I could play Erica Kane.”

Following the news of Joan’s death, Susan Lucci told NorthJersey.com, “At the time I was told I could not work in television because I was too ethnic looking — I had dark eyes and an olive complexion — but Joan was able to look past that and was very warm and encouraging,” Lucci said, adding that Mrs. D’Incecco made good on her promise to call her back in six months. At the second meeting, with Mrs. D’Incecco, show creator Agnes Nixon and other producers in attendance, Lucci won the part of Erica Kane.

“Joan remained as accessible, warm and smart as the first day I met her,” said Lucci. The actress said she was able to get a message of gratitude to the casting director in the days before she died. D’Incecco introduced countless actors to TV audiences including a young Laurence Fishburne and Tom Berenger to One Life to Live and the one and only six-time Daytime Emmy-winning Erika Slezak (Viki).

Joan’s film work included the original Mel Brooks movie, The Producers as well as The Subject was Roses, which led to Jack Albertson winning an Academy Award for Best Actor and Patricia Neal being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

She was the winner of the Casting Society of America’s prestigious Artios Award in 1985, 1989, 1991, and 1992, and was nominated for the award three additional times throughout her career. Longtime fans of ABC Daytime fondly remember seeing D’Incecco’s name in the closing credits of AMC and OLTL.

Joan is survived by her son, John and his wife, Meg, and daughter, Nicole and her husband Ian; and her grandchildren; L.J., Benjamin and Sam and sister, Doris Mueller. Funeral services were held on December 19th, with amemorial service to celebrate Joan’s life planned for New York City in early 2017.

Share your thoughts on the passing of Joan D’Incecco, and her ability to find some of the greatest talent every to appear in daytime dramas in the comment section below. But first, watch Susan Lucci’s Daytime Emmy-winning speech where she shares her gratitidude for the legendary casting director!

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Click to comment

Guest

boes

What a gift she had, and how lucky we were to be the recipient of it.

Guest

Max Daddee

Beautifully said, boes. Joan, may your spirit soar in the Upper World. You were a blessing to many in this world, those who enjoyed your talents and also those who knew you personally.

Guest

Llanviewer717

What a wonderful eye for talent. Erika Slezak, Susan Lucci, Laurence Fishburne and Tom Berenger!!!!!!!!

Rest in peace Mrs. D’Incecco.

Guest

Tomas Torquemada

A GREAT eye indeed!

Guest

Iakovos

This woman clearly knew how to assemble talented people. We watched those wonderful shows for years, for the writing, yes, but also for the actors/characters that brought those tales to rich vibrant life.

Guest

Llanviewer717

Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The characters were so multi-layered and complexed and the actors were wonderful at bring them to life.

Guest

soapqueenforever

I remember when this originally aired. Although I wasn’t a watcher of AMC, I cried right along with Ms. Lucci. I was also happy because the beautiful Shamar Moore handed out the award. Are there any Y&R fans out there who remember when Neil and Malcom use to work out and their sweaty bare chests would be on display for all the world to see. Now to me that is a wonderful way to wile away an afternoon. Soap Opera at its best

Guest

Connie

Joan was a wonderful and wonderfully talented woman. May she RIP

Guest

mark

Daytime must’ve been so exciting back then to work in as well as watch!

Guest

soapqueenforever

In my opinion, I think the late seventies to the mid to late eighties were prime soap opera watching. They don’t make them like that anymore. Everyday after school, from seventh grade to 1984 senior year in H.S was for myself and my older sister, was always General Hospital. From 3:00 to 4:00 Mon-Fri we would be glued to the television set. GH now, I think is a shadow of its former self. The best was its heyday and for me that was the late seventies to the mid eighties. I’m sure we won’t see it like that again anytime… Read more »

Guest

Susan

David Lewis was good in the role of Edward Quatrain but John Ingle did a much better job.

All My Children

Kelly Ripa’s First Book On the Way in 2022

July 21, 2021

Former All My Children star, now co-host of Live with Kelly and Ryan and a successful executive producer in her own right, Kelly Ripa, will add writer to her list of credits.

New this week is that Ripa is sharing a look at her real-life in a book, that will be released next spring in April of 2022.

According to the intel, the book entitled Live Wire will feature sharp, funny, and honest collection of real-life stories from Ripa, showing the many dimensions and crackling wit of the beloved daytime talk show host.

As soap fans know, Ripa has been married to Mark Consuelos (Ex-Mateo, AMC) and the two share three children together.

The loglines for the release share: “In Live Wire, Kelly shows what really makes her tick. As a professional, as a wife, as a daughter and as a mother, she brings a hard-earned wisdom and an eye for the absurdity of life to every minute of every day. It is her relatability in all of these roles that has earned her fans worldwide and millions of followers on social media. Whether recounting how she and Mark really met, the level of chauvinism she experienced on set, how Jersey Pride follows her wherever she goes, and many, many moments of utter mortification (whence she proves that you cannot, in fact, die of embarrassment) Kelly always tells it like it is. Ms. Ripa takes no prisoners.
Surprising, at times savage, a little shameless and always with humor… Live Wire shows Kelly as she really is offscreen—a very wise woman who has something to say.”

So intrigued to read Kelly’s book when it is released next year? Comment below.

All My Children

All My Children Stars and Eileen Davidson On New Episode of Virtual Game Show “Soap Opera Know-It-All”

July 16, 2021

Imagine being in the hot seat and having some of your soap opera favorites trying to stump you with trivia, while trying to best your competition. Well, that’s what four contestants faced as they battled it out in the ultimate soap trivia game, Soap Opera Know-It-All.

The Michael Fairman Channel just released its fifth episode of its season, where in round one of the game play, stars from the beloved All My Children served up the questions including: Cady McClain (Ex-Dixie), Jill Larson (Ex-Opal), Lindsay Korman-Hartley (Ex-Cara), Vincent Irizarry (Ex-David) and Jacob Young (Ex-Y&R). In addition, the former cast members from Pine Valley also try to stump viewers at home with some additional character-related questions.

Later in the episode, there is a very special appearance by Eileen Davidson (Y&R, Ex-Days, Santa Barbara and B&B). It is Eileen who reveals and asks the final question of the game to determine the eventual winner.

For this edition, host Michael Fairman welcomed longtime soap fans: Michael Cochran, Sean McKinley, and Robert Davis along with returning champion, David Bursky for this soap deep-dive competition.

Photo: MFTV, Inc.

Trivia questions from the following daytime and primetime soaps were put to the players during the game: All My Children, As the World Turns, Dark Shadows, General Hospital, Knots Landing, Sunset Beach, Days of our Lives, Dynasty, Edge of Night, One Life to Live, Port Charles and The Young and the Restless.

As the series moves through its now back-half of the season, the winning contestant must defeat the competition for the right to move on to the next episode to face three more challengers all in pursuit of the “Know-It-All” title with special soap-related prizes along the way.

Watch the episode below and make sure to subscribe to the Michael Fairman Channel for more interviews, music and more.

Now let us know, did you get most of the answers correct? Which question stumped you all the way? Comment below.

All My Children

Jacob Young, Brytni Sarpy and Jason Cook Working on New Film, ‘Four For Fun’

July 14, 2021

Check this out! Soap veteran and Daytime Emmy-winner Jacob Young (Ex-AMC, B&B and GH) is producing his first film, that movie is written by and being directed by former Days of our Lives and General Hospital star, Jason Cook.

Now comes word via Instagram that Y&R’s Brytni Sarpy (Elena) is also part of the cast in the indie film, Four For Fun.

Sarpy shared on Instagram “We had all the fun. Love you all. Can’t wait to see this baby fly… 🖤✨🎬 #FourForFun

Meanwhile, Young posted on IG “Producing a movie is no easy task. Films like this are only possible when everyone’s artistic passions are intact and on point. I have to say @brytni @annikafoster @probably_donovan_patton absolutely slayed it (no pun intended) Cast by the one and only @paulruddycasting ! So proud to act with such a talented cast. I’m also incredibly excited to call this the first full-length film I’ve produced on. We couldn’t have done it without the incredible writing, directing, and relentless vision of Jason Cook! Here’s to big things team! More to come!”

The new film also features Annika Foster (Lifetime’s Burning Little Lies) and former Blue’s Clues host Donovan Patton.

Check out the posts from Brytni and Jacob below!

So, are you intrigued to see this film when it makes its debut? Comment below.