Hollywood is mourning the loss of a beloved actress and wellness advocate, Suzanne Somers, who has passed away at the age of 76, just one day before her 77th birthday. She passed away peacefully in her home, surrounded by her husband, Alan, her son Bruce, and immediate family.
The star’s long-time publicist, R. Couri Hay, confirmed the heartbreaking news to Page Six, revealing that Somers lost her battle with an aggressive form of breast cancer that she bravely fought for over 23 years.
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Somers, born Suzanne Marie Mahoney on October 16, 1946, in San Bruno, Californiav. Her journey to stardom began in the modest surroundings of San Bruno. Raised in a working-class family, she demonstrated a natural flair for performance from a young age. After high school, she moved to San Francisco, where she pursued modeling and acting gigs while studying at the American College. This move marked the start of her remarkable career.
Suzanne’s first big break came in the late 1960s when she appeared on the game show Anniversary Game and later secured a role in the TV series The Brothers. Her big breakthrough, however, came in the 1970s with her role as the endearing and ditzy Chrissy Snow in the hit sitcom Three’s Company. The show’s success catapulted her to fame, and she became a beloved television personality.
A Star is Born
Somers’ journey to fame began with a serendipitous twist. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts with other actresses, Suzanne was cast in the ABC sitcom Three’s Company in January 1977. It was ABC president Fred Silverman who recommended her for the role after seeing her on The Tonight Show. She portrayed Chrissy Snow, a beloved character known for her classic portrayal of the stereotypical ‘dumb blonde’ and her role as an office secretary.
The show revolved around two single women living with a man who pretends to be gay to bypass the landlord’s policy prohibiting single men sharing an apartment with single women. Three’s Company became an instant hit, eventually leading to a short-lived spin-off series, The Ropers.
The Turbulent Years
The path to stardom was not without its challenges. As Three’s Company entered its fifth season in late 1980, Somers demanded a significant salary increase, from $30,000 to $150,000 per episode, and 10 percent ownership of the show’s profits. This demand was influenced, to some extent, by her husband Alan Hamel. However, when ABC refused to meet her financial requests, Somers refused to appear in the second and fourth episodes of the season, citing various excuses, including a broken rib. Her character’s presence was significantly reduced to just 60 seconds per episode.
The situation escalated, leading to her firing from the show and a legal battle. Somers sued ABC for $2 million, citing damage to her credibility in the industry. The lawsuit was ultimately settled with an arbitrator awarding her $30,000 for a single missed episode for which she had not been paid. Future rulings favored the network and producers, but Somers remained resolute in her quest for equal pay, stating that she was fired for asking to be paid as much as popular male television stars of the day.
REELated:
Playboy
In 1980, Somers’ first set of nude photos was published in Playboy. These images were taken by photographer Stan Malinowski back in February 1970, when Somers was a struggling model and actress. She had initially done a test photoshoot for the magazine and was accepted as a Playmate candidate in 1971. However, she declined to pose nude for the actual shoot.
Somers’ original motivation for considering this pictorial was to help cover the medical bills related to her son, Bruce Jr.’s injuries sustained in a car accident. However, when her son was just 14 at the time of publication, she grew concerned that the images would be difficult for him to see.
When Somers appeared on The Tonight Show, she denied ever posing nude, except for a previous topless photo in High Society magazine. This prompted Playboy to publish the photos from the 1970 Malinowski shoot in their 1980 issue.
As a result of this publication, Suzanne Somers filed a lawsuit against Playboy. The case was ultimately settled, with Somers receiving $50,000. She chose to donate a substantial portion of this settlement, at least $10,000, to the Easter Seals charity.
The Second Pictorial
Surprisingly, Suzanne Somers returned to Playboy for a second nude pictorial in December 1984. This unexpected decision was made in an attempt to regain her popularity after the tumultuous events surrounding her departure from Three’s Company.
Initially angered by Playboy’s proposal for a second photoshoot, Somers eventually agreed after discussing it with her family. This time around, she felt that she would have more control over the quality of the photos, and having such control was an important condition for her to participate.
In a twist, Somers’ earlier belief that her son would not want to see his mother in a nude pictorial was disproven. Her then 18-year-old son did, in fact, view the second pictorial.
These two Playboy pictorials added an unexpected layer to Somers’ multi-faceted career, showcasing a different aspect of her life that has remained a topic of conversation and curiosity among fans and observers.
Reinvention and Success
In the 1980s, Somers took on the role of a Las Vegas entertainer and became the official spokesperson for the Thighmaster, a piece of exercise equipment that became a sensation through infomercials. During this period, she also performed for U.S. servicemen overseas, earning her a well-deserved induction into the Infomercial Hall of Fame.
She returned to network TV in 1991 with the hit sitcom Step by Step, alongside Patrick Duffy, finding success once again. Her resurgence allowed her to launch a daytime talk show, Suzanne Somers, in 1994, which lasted for one season. Step by Step continued until its final season on CBS.
A Broadway Debut:
Suzanne Somers’ career took a turn onto the Broadway stage in 2005 when she debuted in a one-woman show, The Blonde in the Thunderbird. The show featured stories about her life and career but was short-lived due to poor reviews and disappointing ticket sales.
Continued Success and Personal Reconciliation:
In the years that followed, Somers hosted an online talk show and later, The Suzanne Show on Lifetime Network, where she welcomed a variety of guests to discuss health and fitness topics. She also appeared as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars in 2015, partnering with professional dancer Tony Dovolani.
Despite the ups and downs of her career and personal life, one of the most heartwarming stories is her reconciliation with her former Three’s Company co-star John Ritter after 20 years of not speaking to each other. Their reunion was short-lived, as Ritter tragically passed away in 2003, but it was a testament to the enduring bonds formed in the world of entertainment.
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