Suzanne Somers (born
Suzanne Marie Mahoney; October 16, 1946) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress,
authorAn author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created...
and businesswoman, best known for her television roles as
Chrissy SnowChristmas Noelle Snow, better known by her nickname of Chrissy, was a fictional character on the sitcom Three's Company. Chrissy was played by Suzanne Somers....
on
Three's CompanyThree's Company is an American sitcom that aired from 1977 to 1984 on ABC. It is a remake of the British sitcom Man About the House....
and as Carol Lambert on
Step by Step.
Somers later became the author of a series of best-selling
self-helpThe term self-help refers to self-guided improvement—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis....
books, including
Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones (2006), a book about
bioidentical hormone replacement therapyBioidentical hormone replacement therapy refers to the treatment of symptoms of menopause using hormones that are molecularly identical to the endogenous hormones found in the female body...
. She has also released two autobiographies, four diet books, and a book of poetry entitled "Touch Me" (1980). She currently features items of her design on ShopNBC.
Personal life
Born Suzanne Marie Mahoney in
San Bruno, CaliforniaSan Bruno is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 40,165 at the 2000 census.The city is adjacent to, but does not include San Francisco International Airport and Golden Gate National Cemetery .-Geography:San Bruno is located at...
, Somers was the third of four children in an
Irish CatholicIrish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Catholic and Irish .The term is of note due to Irish immigration to many countries of the English speaking world, particularly as a result of the Great Irish Famine in the late 1840s, following which the population declined by over half...
family. Her mother, Marion Elizabeth (née Turner), was a medical secretary, and her father, Francis Mahoney, was a laborer (loading beer into boxcars) and gardener.
In September 1964, she was accepted at San Francisco College for Women (commonly referred to as "Lone Mountain College") on a music scholarship, a Catholic school that is now a campus of the
University of San FranciscoThe University of San Francisco is a selective, private, Jesuit university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco...
. She left during her sophomore year, after becoming pregnant by Bruce Somers, whom she married, giving birth to Bruce Jr. on November 8, 1965. She left her husband three years later and began modeling. In 1971, her son was severely injured when he was hit by a car.
In 1968, Somers met her future husband
Alan HamelAlan Hamel was the co-host of a Canadian children's television show called Razzle Dazzle from 1961 to 1964. The show featured a talking turtle named Howard.Hamel was born in Toronto, Ontario...
while working on a game show. The couple married in 1977, and Hamel became her business manager.
In 2001 Somers announced that she had breast cancer, having a
lumpectomyLumpectomy is a common surgical procedure designed to remove a discrete lump, usually a tumor, benign or malignant, from an affected man or woman's breast...
to remove the cancer followed by
radiation therapyRadiation therapy is the medical use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells . Radiotherapy may be used for curative or adjuvant cancer treatment...
, though she decided to forego chemotherapy in favour of alternative treatment.
On January 9, 2007, the Associated Press reported that a wildfire in
Southern CaliforniaSouthern California, or SoCal, is defined as the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its population centers around three major metropolitan areas, each of which have over 3 million people; the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area with over 12 million inhabitants, the San Bernardino-Riverside...
had destroyed Somers'
MalibuMalibu is an incorporated city in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population is 12,575....
home.
Early acting roles
She began acting in small roles during the late 1960s and early 1970s (including on various talk shows promoting her book of poetry, and bit parts in movies such as the "Blonde in the T-Bird" in
American GraffitiAmerican Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age comedy-drama film co-written/directed by George Lucas, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
, and an episode of the American version of the sitcom
Lotsa LuckLotsa Luck is a 1973-74 comedy series starring Dom DeLuise as bachelor Stanley Belmont who lives with his bossy mother , his sister Olive and her unemployed husband, Arthur...
as the
femme fataleA femme fatale is an alluring and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetypal character of literature and art...
in the early 1970s) before landing the role of the ditzy blonde "
Chrissy SnowChristmas Noelle Snow, better known by her nickname of Chrissy, was a fictional character on the sitcom Three's Company. Chrissy was played by Suzanne Somers....
" on the
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
sitcom
Three's CompanyThree's Company is an American sitcom that aired from 1977 to 1984 on ABC. It is a remake of the British sitcom Man About the House....
in 1977.
Three's Company
At the beginning of the fifth season, Somers demanded a raise from
$The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States. The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that use the $ symbol. It is divided into 100 cents .The U.S...
30,000 to $150,000 an episode and 10% ownership of the show's profit. Those close to the situation suggested that Somers's rebellion was due to husband/manager Hamel's influence over her.
When ABC denied her request, Somers boycotted the second and fourth shows of the season, due to several excuses such as a broken rib (which was false). She finished the remaining season on her contract, but her role was decreased to 60 seconds per episode. After her contract was terminated, she sued ABC for $2 million, claiming that her credibility in show business had been damaged. It went to an arbitrator who decided that Somers was owed only $30,000 for a missed episode she had not been paid. Other rulings favored the producers. Somers has said she was fired because she asked to be paid as much as the male actors on the show.
Before the feud with
Three's Company producers and
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
had even ended, rival network
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
knew that Somers was ultimately going to be available. They eventually signed her to a contract and a development deal for her own sitcom, which was going to be called
The Suzanne Somers Show, in which she played an "over-the-top" airline stewardess. Once she was indeed available (after her firing from
Three's Company), CBS gave Somers – and the public – a timeframe in which to expect the show to hit the air, but due to a change in administration at CBS's entertainment division in early 1982, the brass ended up passing on the project. Also, Somers claimed in her book
After the Fall (
1998The year 1998 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*March 5 - Tennessee Williams' 1938 play, Not About Nightingales, receives its stage première....
), that the producers of
Three's Company kept sending "cease & desist" forms to CBS stating that Somers could not use any of her Chrissy Snow characterization, and that chilled the creative process.
Spokeswomen for the Thighmaster
During the 1980s, Somers became a
Las VegasLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of...
entertainer. She was the spokeswoman for the
ThighmasterThe Thighmaster is an exercise product designed to shape one's thighs. The device is basically two pieces of metal tube bent in a loop and connected with a hinge. The intended use is to put the Thighmaster between the knees and squeeze them together. This exercises the hip adductors...
, a piece of
exercise equipment-Exercise balls:Exercise balls are available in a number of forms. There are large Pilates balls specifically suited to Pilates exercises. Medicine balls are somewhat larger than a basketball and are used as a training aid for a variety of different exercises...
that is squeezed between one's
thighIn humans the thigh is the area between the pelvis and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb.The single bone in the thigh is called the femur...
s. Thighmaster was one of the first products responsible for launching the
infomercialInfomercials are long-format television commercials, typically five minutes or longer. Infomercials are also known as paid programming . This phenomenon started in the United States where infomercials were typically shown overnight --outside of peak hours...
concept. During this period of her career, she also performed for US servicemen overseas.
Playboy pictorials
Somers appeared in two
PlayboyPlayboy is an American men's magazine, founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with a presence in nearly every medium. Playboy is one of the world's best...
cover feature nude pictorials: in 1980 and 1984. The 1980 pictures were taken years before, when Somers was a struggling model and actress and did a test photoshoot for the magazine.
She's the Sheriff
At the height of her exposure as official spokesperson for
ThighmasterThe Thighmaster is an exercise product designed to shape one's thighs. The device is basically two pieces of metal tube bent in a loop and connected with a hinge. The intended use is to put the Thighmaster between the knees and squeeze them together. This exercises the hip adductors...
infomercials, Somers made her first return to a series, although not on network television. In 1987, she starred in the sitcom
She's the SheriffShe's the Sheriff, a first-run, half-hour syndicated comedy series from Lorimar Television, marked the return of Suzanne Somers to series television for the first time since she walked out on her famous role as Chrissy Snow on ABC's Three's Company...
, which ran in first-run syndication. Somers portrayed a widow with two young kids who decided to fill the shoes of her late husband, a sheriff of a southern town. The show ran for two seasons.
Step by Step
In 1990, Somers returned to network TV, appearing in numerous guest roles and made-for-TV movies, mostly for
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
. Her roles in these, including the movie
Rich Men, Single Women, attracted the attention of Lorimar Television and
Miller-Boyett ProductionsMiller-Boyett Productions was an American television production company that mainly developed television sitcoms from the 1970s through the 1990s...
, who were developing a new sitcom. For Lorimar, this was asking Somers back, since they alone had produced
She's the SheriffShe's the Sheriff, a first-run, half-hour syndicated comedy series from Lorimar Television, marked the return of Suzanne Somers to series television for the first time since she walked out on her famous role as Chrissy Snow on ABC's Three's Company...
.
In September 1991, Somers bounced back to series TV by starring in the successful sitcom
Step By Step (with Patrick Duffy), which ran for seven seasons. Playing off her rejuvenated career, Somers also launched a daytime talk show in 1994, albeit briefly, aptly titled
Suzanne Somers. During
Step By Steps final season, on CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
, she began co-hosting Candid CameraCandid Camera was a hidden camera television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as Candid Microphone June 28, 1947...
with Peter FuntPeter Funt is the son of Candid Camera creator Allen Funt. He is also the producer and the host of the show since 1998. He has also written numerous articles for the New York Times and TV Guide. He is married to Amy Funt who serves on the Carmel Unified School District Board of Education...
.
Candid
cohost
From 1997–99, Somers cohosted the revised Candid CameraCandid Camera was a hidden camera television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as Candid Microphone June 28, 1947...
show, when CBS chose to bring it back with Peter FuntPeter Funt is the son of Candid Camera creator Allen Funt. He is also the producer and the host of the show since 1998. He has also written numerous articles for the New York Times and TV Guide. He is married to Amy Funt who serves on the Carmel Unified School District Board of Education...
. Somers stayed for two years before PAX TV renewed the series without her.
The Blonde in the Thunderbird
In summer 2005, Somers made her BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
debut in a one-woman show, The Blonde in the Thunderbird,
a collection of stories about her life and career. The show was supposed to run until September, but was cancelled in less than a week after poor reviews and disappointing ticket sales. Somers blamed the harsh reviews (The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded in 1851 and published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"—named for its staid appearance and style—is regarded as a national newspaper of record...
referred to it as "...a drab and embarrassing display of emotional exhibitionism masquerading as entertainment
") and told the New York Post: "These men [New York critics] are curmudgeons, and maybe I went too close to the bone for them. I was lying there naked, and they decided to kick me and step on me, just like these visions you see in Iraq."
Advocacy of bioidentical hormone therapy
Somers is also a supporter of bioidentical hormone replacement therapyBioidentical hormone replacement therapy refers to the treatment of symptoms of menopause using hormones that are molecularly identical to the endogenous hormones found in the female body...
. Her book, Ageless
, includes interviews with 16 leading practitioners of bioidentical hormone therapy, but gives extra discussion to one specific approach, the 'Wiley ProtocolThe Wiley Protocol is a controversial form of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy devised and advocated by T. S. Wiley. The protocol claims to relieve the symptoms of menopause but is also promoted as increasing overall health through the recreation of a pre-menopausal woman's monthly...
'.
Television work
Anniversary GameThe Anniversary Game was a daily syndicated game show that involved three married couples competing for points and prizes by performing stunts and answering questions, a la Beat the Clock...
(1969–1970)
Mantrap
(1971–1973)
Lotsa LuckLotsa Luck is a 1973-74 comedy series starring Dom DeLuise as bachelor Stanley Belmont who lives with his bossy mother , his sister Olive and her unemployed husband, Arthur...
(c1973)
Sky Heist
(1975)
It Happened at Lakewood ManorIt Happened at Lakewood Manor is a 1977 television movie. After ingesting a powerful insecticide, an army of ants attacks a local hotel....
(1977)
Three's CompanyThree's Company is an American sitcom that aired from 1977 to 1984 on ABC. It is a remake of the British sitcom Man About the House....
(cast member from 1977–1981)
Happily Ever After
(1978)
Zuma BeachZuma Beach is a County beach located at 30000 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California. One of the largest and most popular beaches in the Los Angeles County, Zuma is known for its long, wide sands and excellent surf...
(1978)
Hollywood WivesHollywood Wives is a 1983 novel by the British author Jackie Collins. It was her ninth novel, and her most successful.Hollywood Wives tells the stories of several women in Hollywood, ranging all the way from long-time talent agents and screenwriters to vivacious screen vixens and young, innocent...
(1985) (miniseries)
Goodbye CharlieGoodbye Charlie is a 1964 comedy film about a callous womanizer who gets his just reward. It was adapted from George Axelrod's play Goodbye, Charlie and starred Debbie Reynolds and Tony Curtis....
(1985)
She's the SheriffShe's the Sheriff, a first-run, half-hour syndicated comedy series from Lorimar Television, marked the return of Suzanne Somers to series television for the first time since she walked out on her famous role as Chrissy Snow on ABC's Three's Company...
(1987–1989)
Rich Men, Single Women
(1990)
Step by Step
(1991–1998)
Keeping Secrets
(1991)
Exclusive
(1992) (also co-executive producer)
The Suzanne Somers Show
(1994–1995)
Seduced by Evil
(1994)
Devil's FoodDevil's Food is a singles compilation by the American rock and roll band The Supersuckers released inApril 2005 on Mid-Fi records.-Track listing:#"Gato Negro"#"Shake It Off"#"Hey Ya"#"Teenage Shutdown"#"Doublewide" ...
(1996)
Love-Struck
(1997)
No Laughing MatterNo Laughing Matter may refer to:*No Laughing Matter , a novel by Angus Wilson*No Laughing Matter , an autobiographical work by Joseph Heller about his Guillain-Barre Syndrome...
(1998)
Candid CameraCandid Camera was a hidden camera television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as Candid Microphone June 28, 1947...
(co-host from 1998–2000)
The Darklings
(1999)
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-ListKathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List is a reality show starring Kathy Griffin and airing on Bravo. The show made its debut in August 2005. The show follows the struggle of self-proclaimed "D-list" celebrity Kathy Griffin to climb the Hollywood ladder. This often includes scheming for publicity with...
(2009) (Guest appearance)
ShopNBC
Filmography
- Bullitt
Bullitt is a 1968 American thriller film starring Steve McQueen. It was directed by Peter Yates and distributed by Warner Bros. The story was adapted for the screen by Alan Trustman and Harry Kleiner, based on the novel titled Mute Witness by Robert L. Fish...
(1968)
- Daddy's Gone A-Hunting
Daddy's Gone A-Hunting is a 1925 drama film directed by Frank Borzage based upon a play by Zoe Akins, with adaptation by Kenneth B. Clarke. The film brought together Vitagraph leading lady Alice Joyce and English actor Percy Marmont after his success with If Winter Comes. This is the only film...
(1969)
- American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age comedy-drama film co-written/directed by George Lucas, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
(1973)
- Magnum Force
Magnum Force is the 1973 sequel to the 1971 film Dirty Harry, starring Clint Eastwood as maverick cop Harry Callahan. The film was released in 1973 and directed by Ted Post, who also directed Eastwood in TV's Rawhide and the feature film Hang 'Em High. The screenplay was written by John Milius and...
(1973)
- Ants (1977)
- Billy Jack Goes to Washington
Billy Jack Goes to Washington is a film starring Tom Laughlin, the fourth and last film in the Billy Jack series, and although the earlier films saw enormous success, this film did not. The film only had limited screenings upon its release and never saw a general theatrical release, but has since...
(1977)
- Yesterday's Hero (1979)
- Nothing Personal (1980)
- Totally Minnie
Totally Minnie is a 1987 musical television special on NBC hosted by Suzanne Somers and starring Minnie Mouse. It was the first film to feature Minnie Mouse in the lead role, and, until the premiere of Mickey Mouse Works in 1999, this was the only time Minnie had any starring role.- Plot :The film...
(1987)
- Serial Mom
Serial Mom is an American satirical comedy written and directed by John Waters, starring Kathleen Turner as the titular character, Sam Waterston as her husband, and Ricki Lake and Matthew Lillard as her daughter and son. Despite statements to the contrary in the movie, the story is completely...
(1994)
- Rusty: A Dog's Tale (1998) (voice)
- Say It Isn't So (2001) (cameo)
External links