If we’re as lucky as actress Susan Lucci, who at 74, still looks just like when she is 50. What’s her secret? Has she discovered the whereabouts of the fountain youth? Does she routinely bathe in a virgin’s blood? Does a cyborg replace her secretly?
Nothing is quite as dramatic and theatrical as those theories. This former ‘All My Children’ star attributes her youthful veneer to her daily diet plan and rigorous workout routine. Staying young isn’t just about physical fitness. It’s also about staying relevant in the changing times of our modern era. To defy the effects of aging will keep your mind young and embrace the ever-evolving advancements of culture and technology.
Instagram Gave Her Career A Second Wind
Like many other stars getting up there in years, Susan Lucci initially struggled to grasp the importance of social media. Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are some of the most influential platforms of our time. Older folks are slow to adopt these services. Meanwhile, the younger crowd has grown up with like buttons, emojis, hashtags, and photo filters. It’s obvious cultural divide but some savvy seniors muster up the courage to try the modern digital world.
Lucci was initially apprehensive to hop aboard the social media train because of privacy concerns. She’s never been one to air out her dirty laundry for all the world to see. She’s always been a very reserved individual, so at first, she thought social media wasn’t really for her.
That was until two years ago when she was vacationing in St. Barts. She’s pretty confident that day after throwing caution to the wind. She slips on a teeny-tiny black bikini and asks her husband to snap a few photos. A friend of hers then insisted that she post the shots on Instagram – which she reluctantly did. The internet proceeded to lose their ever-loving minds as the pics went viral. And once the media got their hands on the photos, suddenly all the headlines were featuring her name as well.
The reaction wasn’t exactly what Lucci had expected but it was flattering, to say the least. The photos come out and spread like wildfire. She thinks that Instagram just might be a good way to stay in touch with all of her fans.
Shortly after making that realization, Lucci realizes how social media and mainstream media are intertwined. They spend days vacationing in Barbados with her husband, Helmut Huber. Lucci notices that the paparazzi are following her around with telephoto lenses hoping to snap a few shots worth publishing. It’s obvious that they’re familiar with her recent Instagram posts that are making waves across the internet. She just put 2 and 2 together.
A few days into her trip, a friend from England gave her a call and asked if she had seen the photos of herself published by TMZ. Instead of getting mad at the paparazzi for violating her privacy, it makes her happy. The pictures look too good for her to be angry. By the fourth day of her trip, she was even half-looking for the photographers because she wanted to thank them for capturing her good side.
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And make sure you keep watching. You won’t believe what Susan Lucci went through in 2018. She barely made it out of that year alive. Stay tuned to find out what exactly happened to her.
Back In The Spotlight
A lot of women Susan’s age complain about feeling invisible, but she is anything but that. These days, she has 157,000 Instagram followers following her every move. She’s published nearly 2000 posts ranging from Pilates tips to low-carb diet recipes. She’s also created for herself a booming fitness empire promoting products like the Pilates Pro Chair and even her own successful line of activewear which is available through QVC and HSN.
Looking to branch out and try her hand at producing, she struck a development deal with Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. It’s pretty clear that this septuagenarian has no plans of slowing down anytime soon, and really, why should she? She says that she feels better now than she did in her 20s and 30s.
When asked what her secret to retaining her youthful glow is, Lucci thanks Pilates for much of it. She’s been practicing the physical fitness system for more than two decades now. And it shows too! Pilates has completely reshaped her body in all the right ways, but it also encouraged her to give her diet a much-needed overall as well.
Once she started doing Pilates, she says that she lost all desire to consume things like cheeseburgers and french fries. As you might have guessed by looking at her fit beach bod, Susan Lucci is just as committed to maintaining a healthy diet as she is about her keeping up with her workout routine.
She hardly ever eats dessert, never snacks, and avoids carb-heavy foods like bread and pasta as much as possible. A typical lunch for her normally consists of something like a turkey and avocado sandwich made with beefsteak tomatoes instead of bread.
Dinner typically includes a salad paired with some wild-caught sockeye salmon, broccoli, and steamed vegetables. It’s no wonder she looks as good as she does with a diet like that! We should probably all be taking notes.
When she does indulge in something sweet, she typically limits herself to just one or two bites, and she is especially careful to keep her alcohol intake to a minimum. She might have a glass of wine when she and her husband go out to dinner, but as a rule, she never drinks at home.
Lucci’s Secret To Vibrant, Youthful Skin
You might be wondering what someone in their 70s that’s still making headlines in the tabloids thinks about the inevitability of growing older. Well, she’s not exactly thrilled about it. She told Harper’s Bazaar back in 2018 that she is ‘kicking and screaming’ all the way, but that hasn’t stopped her from being especially vigilant about her skincare regimen.
No matter how tired she is, she never goes to bed with her makeup on. She carefully removes it every evening with Neutrogena wipes and then gives her face a refreshing wash with Cle de Peau Beaute cleanser and then uses SkinMedica TNS Essential Serum with growth factors. The last tool in her age-defying arsenal is Botox.
But instead of overdoing it and looking ‘frozen’ and fake, Lucci’s dermatologist Dr. Gendler, takes a more conservative approach aiming for a ‘natural’ look. The proof is in the pudding too. Just look at her! Her wide smile and almost non-existent crow’s feet are a testament to his methods.
Ultimately though at the end of the day, to Lucci, age is less about a number and more of a state of mind and body. She’s learned over the years that if you train hard you can actually offset some of the things that might be working against you. Her final piece of wisdom for her fans and curious admirers is that If you’re strong, you’re beautiful, no matter what age you are.
She’s Had Steady Work Since All My Children
Lucci played the villainous Erica Kane on ABC’s All My Children from 1970 until the soaps cancelation in 2011. Shortly after that show ended, Lucci landed a role on Lifetime’s Army Wives and then found another opportunity when she scored the role of Genevieve Delatour on AMC’s Devious Maids working alongside Marc Cherry from 2013 to 2016. It was also during this same time period that Lucci Hosted the true-crime documentary series Deadly Affairs on the Investigation Discovery channel.
Since then, she has had small but consistent roles. In 2015, she played the role of Danica in David O. Russell’s biographical comedy-drama film Joy. She followed that up by starring in a 2017 episode of the Hulu exclusive dark comedy Difficult People.
Her last credited role was in 2018’s computer-animated comedy film, Ralph Breaks the Internet.
Heart Disease Almost Killed Her
In the fall of 2018, Lucci suddenly started experiencing chest pain while she was out shopping. According to an interview that she gave to Today, she felt like an elephant was sitting on her chest. The store manager, who happened to also be her friend, recognized what was going on and drove her to the ER.
She was rushed to surgery where the doctors discovered that she had a 90% blockage in one of her arteries and an 80% blockage in another. Lucci had previously experienced two other bouts with chest pain in the weeks prior but she ignored them hoping they would pass. Seeing as she follows a strict Mediterranean diet, isn’t overweight, and is by all metrics in great shape, she was shocked to develop heart problems, but fortunately, her surgeons were able to successfully place stents in her arteries and heart and now her health is better than ever.
Lucci Stays Busy in Business and Charitable Endeavors
After almost dying, Lucci decided to join forces with the American Heart Association to help spread awareness about heart disease. She uses her platform to help educate women about the symptoms of heart ailments and encourages them to get screened.
She also has a habit of auctioning off her private possessions and donating all the revenue to various charities that she believes in. She’s especially fond of organizations that help out children and adults suffering from cerebral palsy.
We’ve already briefly touched on it, but Lucci is also a successful businesswoman who has developed her own line of active-wear that she sells through QVC and the Home Shopping Network. Her long career as an actress coupled with her numerous business ventures have paid off for her as well. Recent estimates place her net worth somewhere around $80 million.
Well, here we are once again at the end of another facts-packed video. Really though, it’s refreshing to see an aging star like Lucci still flourishing as well she is. Again, may we all be so lucky when we reach her age.
Anyway, we’d love to hear from you! Do you think you’ll look as good as Susan Lucci does when you’re in your 70s? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments section below, and don’t forget to share your own age-defying tips if you have any.
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