Suzanne Somers, star of the series “Vivre à trois” and “Our beautiful family”, dies at the age of 76

2023-10-16 01:22:03
Actress Suzanne Somers poses in front of her newly unveiled star on Hollywood Boulevard, January 24, 2003. ADREES LATIF / REUTERS

Suzanne Somers, the effervescent blonde American actress known for her roles in television series Living as a threesome (Three’s Company) et Our beautiful family (Step by Step), died Sunday October 15 in the morning, her family announced in a press release. She was 76 years old.

Suzanne Somers suffered from breast cancer for more than twenty-three years. “His family was gathered to celebrate his 77th birthday on October 16states the text. Instead, they will celebrate his extraordinary life, and want to thank his millions of fans and followers who loved him dearly. »

The actress was first diagnosed in 2000 and also suffered from skin cancer. She faced backlash after speaking out against the use of chemotherapy in books and on shows such as “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which drew criticism from the American Cancer Society.

Born in 1946 in San Bruno, California, to a gardener father and a medical secretary mother, Suzanne Somers began acting in the late 1960s, playing the blonde driving the white Thunderbird in the film American Graffiti (1973) by George Lucas. His only response is to say ” i love you “ to the character of Richard Dreyfuss.

During her audition, George Lucas simply asked her if she knew how to drive. She will say later that this moment “changed his life forever”. She later put on a one-woman show on Broadway called The Blonde in the Thunderbird (The blonde in the Thunderbird), which attracted generally harsh criticism.

“Who do you think you are? »

The actress then appeared in numerous television series in the 1970s, including Two hundred dollars plus fees (The Rockford Files), Starsky et Hutch et The man who was worth 3 billionbut her most famous role in the United States is the one she plays in Living as a threesomewhich aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984 – although its run ended in 1981.

In Living as a threesome, a comedy about roommates, she plays a scatterbrained blonde opposite John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt. In 1980, after four seasons, she asked for a raise from $30,000 per episode to $150,000 per episode – comparable to what John Ritter received. Her husband Alan Hamel, a former television producer, encourages this request.

Production then responds “Who do you think you are? »she remembered in 2020 in an interview with the magazine People : “John Ritter is the star [de la série]. » She was quickly fired and her character was replaced by two different roommates during the show’s final years on the air.

But the actress is taking the opportunity to explore new activities, including a show in Las Vegas, writing books, hosting a talk show and starting a business.

Suzanne Somers returned to television in the 1990s, notably in Our beautiful family (Step by Step), broadcast in the United States on ABC and multibroadcast in France on M6, in particular.

The World with AP