From Kelly Ripa to Michael B. Jordan: All My Children's A-List Alumni

The popular soap opera premiered on Jan. 5, 1970 

By Andrea Wurzburger
January 05, 2021 11:52 AM

1 of 15

Kelly Ripa

Credit: Ann Limongello/Walt Disney Television via Getty

Ripa starred as Hayley Vaughan on All My Children from 1990 to 2002, and earned three Daytime Emmy Award nominations for her role.

But she got a whole lot more than awards out of her long-running stint on the show ...

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 15

Mark Consuelos

Credit: Andrew Eccles/Walt Disney Television via Getty

... she also met her husband, Mark Consuelos, while he portrayed Mateo Santos Sr. from 1995 to 2002.

The pair played an onscreen couple, which led to them dating and eventually marrying in real life. Ripa and Consuelos now share three children together: sons Michael, 23, and Joaquin, 17, and daughter Lola, 19.

Now, 25 years after the couple first met, Ripa and Consuelos are executive producing a new ABC spin-off series titled Pine Valley, according to a report from Variety. 

3 of 15

Susan Lucci

Credit: Walt Disney Television via Getty

The Queen of Daytime TV, Lucci made her mark as Erica Kane, playing the soap opera's most famous character from its debut in 1970 until its last episode in 2011. In 1999, she finally won a Daytime Emmy Award for her work after a historic 19 nominations. 

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 15

Michael B. Jordan

Credit: Virginia Sherwood/Walt Disney Television via Getty

Before he was PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive, Michael B. Jordan was acting on All My Children. He played Reggie Montgomery, a young gang member adopted by Erica Kane, in 2003. The young actor even shared a few scenes with Amanda Seyfried. 

Advertisement

5 of 15

Chadwick Boseman

Fun fact: Before Michael B. Jordan took the role of Reggie, it belonged to the late Chadwick Boseman, who was only on the soap for one week. 

In a joint interview with The Wrap while promoting Black Panter, Boseman told his costar Jordan that he quit the show because he didn't want his role to be reduced to a racial stereotype. He voiced his concerns and then left the series. 

Jordan said of the move, "I’m younger than Chad, and I was coming into All My Children fresh off The Wire — wide open, still learning. I was playing this role not knowing that a lot of the things I was going through were because of what he’d already done for me."

6 of 15

Melissa Leo

Credit: Walt Disney Television via Getty

Before she was Academy Award-winning actress Melissa Leo, she was Daytime Emmy Award-winning actress Melissa Leo. 

Leo made her acting debut on the soap in 1984, playing her character Linda Warner until 1988. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 15

Josh Duhamel

Credit: Lorenzo Bevilaqua/Walt Disney Television via Getty

With his classic good looks and amazing hair, is it any wonder that Duhamel played the dashing Leo du Pres on the show from 1999 until 2002? He also returned in 2011 for a few episodes before the series ended. 

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 15

Jesse McCartney

Credit: Virginia Sherwood/Walt Disney Television via Getty

Before he was making tweenage girls fall in love with his "Beautiful Soul," Jesse McCartney was nominated twice for Daytime Emmys for his role as Adam Chandler Jr. on All My Children. He played the role from 1998 to 2001. 

In 2006, McCartney returned to the soap opera to appear as himself for two episodes! That's quite the flex. 

Advertisement

9 of 15

Carol Burnett

Credit: Walt Disney Television via Getty

Yes, the Carol Burnett! Sure, she had already made a name for herself by the time she appeared on the show as Verla Grubbs in 1983, but that is neither here nor there. Brunett also returned to reprise her roles for a few episodes in 1995, 2005 and 2011.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 15

Amanda Seyfried

Credit: Virginia Sherwood/Walt Disney Television via Getty

Seyfried played Joni Stafford on All My Children from 2002 to 2003, following up her stint on the daytime television show with her role in Mean Girls. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

11 of 15

Lacey Chabert

Credit: Ann Limongello /Walt Disney Television via Getty

Seyfried wasn't the only Mean Girl who got her start on All My Children! Chabert was the third actress to play Erica Kane's (Susan Lucci) daughter Bianca Montgomery, in 1993. 

Chabert left All My Children in 1994 for the part that would make her famous: Claudia on Party of Five. The character of Bianca Montgomery, however, would go on to become the first lesbian lead character on a soap. 

Advertisement
Advertisement

12 of 15

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Credit: Ann Limongello/Walt Disney Television via Getty

Before she was slaying vampires, Sarah Michelle Gellar played Kendall Hart Lang on the soap opera from 1993 to 1995. She'd get her big break as the titular role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer two years later, in 1997. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

13 of 15

Michelle Trachtenberg

Credit: ABC

From 1993 to 1996, Trachtenberg appeared opposite her future Buffy the Vampire Slayer costar Gellar on All My Children, playing Lily Montgomery. She was the first actress to play the role, with Leven Rambin and Mischa Barton later taking over the troubled character. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

14 of 15

Mischa Barton

Credit: Dave Benett/Getty

How else did you think Mischa Barton was so good at nailing that campy, teen drama vibe on The O.C.? She got some practice when she made her screen debut on All My Children in 1996. 

Shortly after her debut, she landed roles in Notting Hill and The Sixth Sense.

Advertisement
Advertisement

15 of 15

Christian Slater

Credit: Monica Schipper/WireImage

Prior to his big break in the campy 1988 cult classic Heathers, Slater had a turn on All My Children as Caleb Thompson in 1986. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

By Andrea Wurzburger