Suzanne Somers, best remembered as Chrissy Snow on the 70s and 80s sitcom Three’s Company, has passed away at the age of 76.
Somers was a key to the show’s early success and had a natural talent for comedy despite a lack of formal training.
Variety reports:
Suzanne Somers, ‘Three’s Company’ and ‘Step by Step’ Star, Dies at 76Suzanne Somers, who parlayed TV stardom in the sitcom hits “Three’s Company” and “Step by Step” into a personal fortune as a health and fitness pitchwoman and author, died Sunday in Palm Springs, Calif. She was 76.“Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th. She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years,” Somers’ longtime publicist R. Couri Hay wrote in a statement on behalf of the actress’ family.“Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family,” the statement continued. “Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th. Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly.”The leggy blonde first attracted attention with a small but eye-catching role on the big screen, as the nameless beauty in a white Thunderbird who captivates departing college freshman Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss) in George Lucas’ ‘60s hit comedy-drama “American Graffiti” (1973).
Somers was surprisingly conservative for someone who worked in entertainment.
In this video, Somers talks about being cast on Three’s Company just as she was about to give up on show business.
Fred Silverman, who was the head of the network at the time, talks about casting Somers in this clip.
In the fifth season of the show, Somers got into a pay dispute with the network and left the show under unpleasant circumstances. It put such a strain on the cast that Somers’ co-stars stopped talking to her. In fact, it wasn’t until 2012 that Somers was reuinited with Joyce DeWitt, the actress who played Janet Wood, Jack and Chrissy’s sensible roommate who worked at a flower shop.
Following her departure from Three’s Company, Somers went on to do a live stage show in Las Vegas and ultimately returned to television on the ABC series Step by Step. She also enjoyed huge success on the Home Shopping Network for years.
Somers was tremendously talented and will be missed.
Thank you for all the laughs.
Featured image via YouTube.
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