Liza Huber, Susan Lucci’s Daughter, Became a Soap Star on ‘Passions’ but Left Acting Behind—and Her Reason Will Surprise You
The former actress followed in her mom's footsteps but found her true calling as an entrepreneur
As the daughter of All My Children star Susan Lucci, Liza Huber was born into soap opera royalty. In 1999, Huber went into the family business when she was cast in Passions, but after the show’s cancellation in 2008, she left the entertainment industry and had a successful second act as a businesswoman.
Read on to learn how Huber, now 50 and a mom of four, became a soap star in her own right—and why she decided to leave the over-the-top world of daytime drama behind.
Becoming a second-generation soap star
Liza Huber was born to Susan Lucci and her husband, Helmut Huber, in 1975, when Lucci was five years into her legendary run on All My Children, and she was exposed to the world of daytime drama from an early age. In an NPR interview, Lucci recalled how her daughter was always aware of her character’s larger-than-life screen persona, saying, “When my daughter was about 5 years old, one summer day she looked at me and she said, ‘Mommy, how do you act like Erica Kane?’ And she tossed her little hair, like Erica did. And I was just so thrilled that my daughter saw the difference, that she knew there was a difference. That made me feel so happy.”
As a teen, Huber first stepped in front of the camera opposite her mom in a 1993 car commercial. She then made an uncredited cameo in Ebbie, a 1995 TV movie starring Lucci. After graduating from college, she landed the role of socialite Gwen Hotchkiss on the supernaturally tinged soap Passions in 1999. Huber left the show in 2000 and was replaced by Natalie Zea, but she returned in 2002 and stayed until Passions was canceled in 2008.
As a second-generation soap star, Huber was often asked if she felt like she was in her mother’s shadow, but she confidently said this wasn’t the case. In a 2016 interview with Celebrity Parents magazine, Huber said that her mom didn’t put pressure on her to act, recalling, “I went into this feeling confident that I wanted to make this choice for myself and feeling good that I was good at what I was doing.”
Huber also revealed that she took a break from acting in college and majored in communications to determine whether she truly wanted to work in the entertainment industry. During this time, she realized that she wanted to pursue an acting career, and she said, “When the opportunity came to audition for Passions right out of college, I jumped at it because I knew in my own heart that I love to perform and be in front of the cameras. Of course, people are always going to compare; that’s just the way it is. But it’s fine; I’m so proud of my mom and everything she’s accomplished. I’m proud to be her daughter, and I’m also proud of everything that I’ve been able to accomplish.”
While Huber and her mom have spoken positively about one another in the past, they haven’t been photographed publicly together since 2017, and there’s been speculation that they are estranged. In 2022, following the death of her father, Huber responded to an Instagram comment from a fan sending condolences, saying, “We have been estranged from my parents from many years and were not invited to the funeral,” and in 2023, when a follower asked about Lucci, she said, “We’ve been estranged for nearly a decade.” The reason for the family’s split hasn’t been publicized, and Lucci hasn’t commented on it.
Why Liza Huber chose motherhood and entrepreneurship over acting
Huber may have initially felt strongly about becoming an actress, but after Passions ended, she chose to embrace a new chapter focused on family and business. Huber married businessman Alex Hesterberg in 2004 and had four children. Becoming a mom inspired her next venture, and she founded Sage Spoonfuls, a line of products that allow parents to easily prepare all-natural baby food, in 2011 and published a baby food cookbook.
Huber is also dedicated to giving back. When her son Brendan was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a baby, she channeled her love into action, working with organizations to raise awareness and support families facing similar journeys. Before their estrangement, Lucci and Huber appeared together at charity events. In an interview with People, Huber said that her son had made good progress over the years, and she ultimately realized that she wanted to be open about his condition and empower him and others with cerebral palsy, saying, “If I am trying to hide it, how does it look to him? I don’t ever want him to feel bad about himself. I want him to feel good and proud and celebrate the way he overcomes challenges.”
Audiences loved Huber’s role on Passions, but the former soap star has said she has no plans to go back to the screen. The closest she’s come to returning to the world of soaps was in 2020, when she and her former castmates participated in a virtual reunion. Over the past 15 years, Liza Huber has found her calling in entrepreneurship and advocacy, and long after leaving soaps for good, it’s clear that she’s been keeping a full plate with business and motherhood.
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