Susan Lucci is celebrating Michael B. Jordan’s first Oscar win with a message that connects his present moment to where it all started.
After Jordan took home Best Actor at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15 for his role in Sinners, Lucci shared a public congratulatory post on Instagram, highlighting both his performance and his character. “Congratulations @michaelbjordan on your Oscar! I watched last night and was so excited to see you win!!” she wrote.
She also praised his speech, calling it “beautiful, gracious, and authentic.”
Lucci didn’t just acknowledge the win—she tied it back to their time together on the iconic soap opera All My Children, where Jordan appeared in more than 50 episodes between 2003 and 2006. “So proud to have worked with Michael on AMC!!! What a spectacular actor he is!!!” she added, alongside a throwback image from the series.
Their on-screen connection dates back to Jordan’s early career, when he played Reggie Montgomery, a troubled teen who is eventually adopted into the Montgomery family—placing him directly in Erica Kane’s orbit. That dynamic made Lucci’s character his stepmother, and the two shared regular scenes during his run on the show.
This isn’t the first time Lucci has spoken highly of Jordan. In a recent podcast appearance, she reflected on his professionalism as a teenager, describing him as prepared, respectful, and consistent on set.
“He was always so wonderful to work with,” she said, emphasizing that his demeanor never felt forced. She ultimately described him as “a genuinely terrific young man.”
Jordan’s casting on All My Children came after his future Black Panther co-star, the late great Chadwick Boseman, briefly originated the role of Reggie Montgomery. According to casting director Judy Blye Wilson, Jordan—then 15 and based in New Jersey—was a closer fit for the character’s age and quickly proved himself.
“He turned out to be pretty spectacular,” she said to TV Insider, adding, “Michael B. Jordan is simply a wonderful human.”
The role became an early proving ground for Jordan, who went on to build a career across television and film, with appearances in The Wire, Friday Night Lights, and later leading roles that pushed him into the top tier of Hollywood.