Breast Cancer Survivor and Critically Acclaimed Actors

How could they ever have known that the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. would bring them together into a lifelong partnership? Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker were on different courses when they started out… Eikenberry studied anthropology at Barnard College in New York for two years before a friend persuaded her to audition for Yale Drama School. She was accepted and suddenly found herself on the road to becoming an actress.

An accomplished actress with a string of theater and feature film credits, Eikenberry played activist counselor Ann Kelsey on NBC’s hit series “LA Law.” In this role, perhaps her most famous, she won four Emmy nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, and a Golden Globe award. Her stage, screen, and television accomplishments are too numerous to mention, including co-producing and hosting “Destined to Live,” a one-hour documentary for NBC television, which dealt with the emotional aspects of breast cancer, from diagnosis to surgery. Eikenberry had battled the disease in 1986 and was aware of the importance of letting other women know that they were not alone and could recover and lead full and normal lives. Eikenberry and Tucker are now dedicated to telling their important story with humor and hope, always stressing the importance of breast cancer education, early detection research, and treatment.

Tucker, born and raised in Baltimore, attended Carnegie Tech Drama School where he performed in more than 40 productions. Following graduation, he took several acting jobs in theaters across the country…eventually ending up in Washington at the Arena Stage. A match was made! In 1986, Tucker was also cast in the NBC series “LA Law” as Stuart Markowitz.

That same year, Tucker received the Good Guys Award from the National Women’s Political Caucus in recognition for his efforts on behalf of numerous causes affecting women. He has also co-starred with Michael J. Fox in Universal’s For Love or Money, and with Tracy Ullman in the HBO special “Tracey Takes on New York.” He is author of the book, I Never Forget a Meal: An Indulgent Reminiscence.

Although Tucker enjoys working in television, he would like to keep his hand in theater and film and hopes to successfully mix all three. Eikenberry’s new passion is composing songs with Michael. She writes the music, he writes the lyrics. Their song was featured in Parallel Lives.

Married 20 years, Tucker and Eikenberry live in Mill Valley, California with their son, Max. Their daughter, Alison, lives in Los Angeles.

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