Susan Dey

Last updated

Susan Dey
The Partridge Family Susan Dey 1970.jpg
Publicity photo for The Partridge Family , 1970
Born
Susan Hallock Dey

(1952-12-10) December 10, 1952 (age 72)
Pekin, Illinois, U.S.
Education Fox Lane High School
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
  • producer
  • author
Years active1970–2004
Known for
Spouses
Lenny Hirshan
​
​
(m. 1976;div. 1981)​
Bernard Sofronski
​
(m. 1988)​
Children1

Susan Hallock Dey (born December 10, 1952) [1] is an American retired actress, known for her television roles as Laurie Partridge on the sitcom The Partridge Family from 1970 to 1974, and as Grace Van Owen on the drama series L.A. Law from 1986 to 1992. A three-time Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series for L.A. Law in 1988.

Contents

Early life and education

Dey was born in Pekin, Illinois, to Ruth Pyle (née Doremus) Dey, a nurse, and Robert Smith Dey. [2] Ruth died in 1961, when Susan was eight. [2]

Dey attended Columbus Elementary School in Thornwood, New York. She later moved to Mount Kisco, New York, where she graduated from Fox Lane High School in 1970. [3]

Career

The Partridge Family, season 1. L-R: Shirley Jones, Jeremy Gelbwaks, Suzanne Crough, Susan Dey, Danny Bonaduce and David Cassidy Partridge Family first cast 1970.JPG
The Partridge Family, season 1. L-R: Shirley Jones, Jeremy Gelbwaks, Suzanne Crough, Susan Dey, Danny Bonaduce and David Cassidy

Dey began her professional life as a model. Her first modeling break was the cover photo of a booklet by Pursettes tampons on first facts of menstruation for young girls, "Getting to Know Yourself."[ citation needed ]

She was cast as Laurie Partridge in the television series The Partridge Family from 1970 to 1974. [4] [5] She was 17 when she won the part with no previous acting experience. She briefly reprised that role for the Hanna-Barbera animated series, Partridge Family 2200 A.D. for two episodes, before being replaced by Sherry Alberoni. She returned to weekly network television in 1977 as the co-star of the short-lived sitcom Loves Me, Loves Me Not . [4]

Dey's first film role was as a passenger in the 1972 airline hijack movie Skyjacked , starring Charlton Heston. [6] In a 1977 made-for-television movie, Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night , she portrayed a disturbed young mother with serious psychological problems who begins to take them out on her toddler daughter. [4] [7] Also in 1977, Dey starred opposite William Katt in First Love , directed by Joan Darling [4] [8] and appeared in the Barnaby Jones episode "Testament of Power" (1977).

Dey co-starred with Albert Finney in the 1981 science-fiction film Looker , written and directed by Michael Crichton. [4] She had a leading role in 1986's Echo Park as a struggling waitress-actress who takes a job as a stripper delivering singing telegrams. [4] [9] She starred on L.A. Law from 1986 through 1992 as Los Angeles County deputy district attorney Grace Van Owen, who later became a judge. [4] She won a Golden Globe Award as Actress in a Leading Role – Drama Series for the role in 1988. [10] She was also nominated in each of the following four years. She was also nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1987, 1988, and 1989. [11]

Dey at the 1990 Emmy Awards Susan Dey 1990 Annual Emmy Awards.jpg
Dey at the 1990 Emmy Awards

She hosted a 1992 episode of Saturday Night Live . Later that year, she co-starred in the sitcom Love & War . [4] Although the show ran until 1995, Dey was replaced in 1993 by Annie Potts because producers reportedly felt she had "no chemistry" with co-star Jay Thomas. [12] In 1993, Dey produced and starred in Lies & Lullabies (later released on DVD as Sad Inheritance ), where she played a pregnant cocaine addict. [13]

Dey was mentioned in Shirley Jones's memoir as the only cast member who "consistently refused" to take part in Partridge Family reunions. [14]

In 1972, Dey was credited as the author of a book titled Susan Dey's Secrets on Boys, Beauty and Popularity. [15]

Personal life

During the production of The Partridge Family , Dey had romantic feelings for co-star David Cassidy. They eventually pursued a relationship when the show ended, but Cassidy broke it off as he did not share her feelings. In 1994, Cassidy disclosed details of his relationship with Dey in his autobiography C'mon, Get Happy ... Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus; he presumed this led to her severing contact with him. [16]

Dey was married to Leonard "Lenny" Hirshan from 1976 to 1981. [17] They have one daughter. Dey has been married to television producer Bernard Sofronski since 1988. [18]

She serves as a board member of the Rape Treatment Center at UCLA Medical Center, and co-narrated a documentary on campus rape with former L.A. Law co-star Corbin Bernsen. [19] She suffered from anorexia during the run of The Partridge Family. [20]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1972 The Candidate Girl in Crowd
1972 Skyjacked Elly Brewster
1977 First Love Caroline
1981 Looker Cindy Fairmont
1986 Echo Park May
1987The Trouble with DickDiane
1998AvengedMargo
2003RainDianna Davis

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1970–74 The Partridge Family Laurie Partridge96 episodes
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
1973 Circle of Fear PeggyEpisode: "Doorway to Death"
1973 Goober and the Ghost Chasers Laurie Partridge (voice)8 episodes
1973Terror on the BeachDeeDee GlynnTelevision film
1974 Partridge Family 2200 A.D. Laurie Partridge (voice)2 episodes
1975 The Rookies AngelEpisode: "Angel"
1975 Hawaii Five-O Susan BradshawEpisode: "Target? the Lady"
1975 S.W.A.T. Janice2 episodes
1975 Cage Without a Key Valerie SmithTelevision film
1976 The Quest Charlotte RoseeEpisode: "The Captive"
1976 The Streets of San Francisco Barbara RossEpisode: "The Thrill Killers" (filmed as a two-hour episode; aired in two parts)
1977 Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night Rowena HarperTelevision film
1977 Loves Me, Loves Me Not Jane Benson6 episodes
1977 Barnaby Jones Linda JasonEpisode: "Testament of Power"
1978 Little Women Jo MarchTelevision miniseries
1980 The Comeback Kid Megan BarrettTelevision film
1983 Sunset Limousine Julie PrestonTelevision film
1983–84 Emerald Point N.A.S. Celia Mallory22 episodes
1983 Malibu Linda HarveyTelevision film
1984Love Leads the WayBethTelevision film
1986–92 L.A. Law Grace Van Owen110 episodes
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama (1989–92)
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1987–89)
Nominated—Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series
1992–93 Love & War Wallis "Wally" Porter23 episodes
1992Bed of LiesVicky DanielTelevision film
1993 Lies and Lullabies Christina KinseyTelevision film (aka Sad Inheritance)
1994Beyond BetrayalJoanna/Emily DoyleTelevision film
1995 Deadly Love Rebecca BarnesTelevision film
1995 Blue River Mrs. SellersTelevision film
1997Bridge of TimeMadeleine ArmstrongTelevision film
1999 Family Law Karen HersheyEpisode: "Holt vs. Holt"
2002 L.A. Law: The Movie Grace Van OwenTelevision film
2002 Disappearance Patty HenleyTelevision film
2004 Third Watch Dr. Breene2 episodes

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References

  1. ↑ Green, Joseph (1994). The Partridge Family Album. Harper Perennial. pp. 10, 306. ISBN   9780060950750.
  2. 1 2 "Obituary". The New York Times. July 21, 1961.
  3. ↑ Reynolds, William Joseph (September 4, 2010). "A Look Back: Fox Lane High Graduate Susan Dey". Bedford-Katonah Patch. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Susan Dey". TV Guide. TV Guide . Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  5. ↑ "The Partridge Family (TV Show) 1970". TV Guide. TV Guide . Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  6. ↑ Soares, Emily. "Skyjacked (1972)". TCM.com. Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night (1977)". TCM.com. Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  8. ↑ Maslin, Janet (November 5, 1977). "First Love, Film of the 70's, Misogynistic on Ugly Affair". The New York Times .
  9. ↑ Ebert, Roger (April 25, 1986). "Echo Park (1986)". RogerEbert.com. Chicago Sun-Times.
  10. ↑ "Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama (1988)". GoldenGlobes.com. Golden Globe Awards. Archived from the original on March 24, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  11. ↑ "39th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners : OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES - 1987". Emmys.com. Emmy Awards . Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  12. ↑ The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 705. 0-345-45542-8
  13. ↑ Scott, Tony (March 11, 1993). "ABC Sunday Night Movie Lies and Lullabies". Variety. Variety.
  14. ↑ Nguyen, Vi-An (July 29, 2013). "7 Surprising Secrets of the Partridge Family Cast from Shirley Jones's Memoir". Parade.com. Parade Publications. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  15. ↑ Dey, Susan (May 10, 1972). Susan Dey's secrets on boys, beauty, & popularity. Scholastic Book Service.
  16. ↑ "DAVID CASSIDY AND SUSAN DEY: INSIDE AN UNREQUITED LOVE ON 'THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY' BUS". Inquisitr. 2017. Archived from the original on November 21, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Susan Dey".
  18. ↑ Associated Press (February 23, 1988). "Susan Dey ties knot with movie executive". St. Joseph Gazette. p. 8A.
  19. ↑ Campus Rape. Rape Treatment Center, Santa Monica Hospital Medical Center. 1990. OCLC   21500123.
  20. ↑ Mathews, Jay (October 5, 1989). "SUSAN DEY, LIGHT-YEARS FROM THE CHILD STAR". Washington Post. Retrieved January 2, 2020.

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