Susan Dey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Susan Dey
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
Occupation	Actress model producer author
Years active	1970–2004
Known for	The Partridge Family L.A. Law L.A. Law: The Movie
Spouse(s)	Lenny Hirshan ​ ​ (m. 1976; div. 1981)​ Bernard Sofronski ​ (m. 1988)​
Children	1

Susan Hallock Dey (born December 10, 1952) is an American actress who is now retired. She is well-known for her roles on television. She played Laurie Partridge in the fun sitcom The Partridge Family from 1970 to 1974. Later, she starred as Grace Van Owen in the drama series L.A. Law from 1986 to 1992. Susan Dey was nominated for an Emmy Award three times and a Golden Globe Award six times. She won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her work in L.A. Law in 1988.

Early Life and Education

Susan Dey was born in Pekin, Illinois. Her mother, Ruth Pyle Dey, was a nurse. Her father was Robert Smith Dey. Sadly, Susan's mother passed away in 1961 when Susan was eight years old.

Susan went to Columbus Elementary School in Thornwood, New York. Later, her family moved to Mount Kisco, New York. She finished high school at Fox Lane High School in 1970.

Susan Dey's Acting Career

The Partridge Family, season 1 cast. From left to right: Shirley Jones, Jeremy Gelbwaks, Suzanne Crough, Susan Dey, Danny Bonaduce and David Cassidy.

Susan Dey started her career as a model. She got her first big modeling job on the cover of a small book.

Becoming Laurie Partridge

In 1970, Susan was chosen to play Laurie Partridge in the TV series The Partridge Family. She was 17 years old and had never acted before. The show was very popular and ran until 1974. She also voiced Laurie Partridge for two episodes of the cartoon series, Partridge Family 2200 A.D.. In 1977, she returned to TV in a sitcom called Loves Me, Loves Me Not. This show was not on for very long.

Movies and Drama Roles

Susan Dey's first movie role was in the 1972 film Skyjacked, which starred Charlton Heston. In 1977, she acted in a TV movie called Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night. She played a young mother who was having a difficult time. Also in 1977, Susan starred with William Katt in the movie First Love. She also appeared in an episode of the TV show Barnaby Jones.

In 1981, Susan co-starred with Albert Finney in the science-fiction movie Looker. This film was written and directed by Michael Crichton. She had a main role in the 1986 movie Echo Park. In this film, she played a waitress and actress who took a job delivering singing telegrams.

Success on L.A. Law

From 1986 to 1992, Susan Dey starred in the popular TV show L.A. Law. She played Grace Van Owen, a deputy district attorney who later became a judge. For this role, she won a Golden Globe Award in 1988 for Best Actress in a Drama Series. She was also nominated for this award for the next four years. Susan was also nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1987, 1988, and 1989.

Dey at the 1990 Emmy Awards.

Later Career and Writing

In 1992, Susan hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live. Later that year, she co-starred in the sitcom Love & War. She left the show in 1993. In 1993, Susan produced and starred in a TV movie called Lies & Lullabies.

Susan Dey also wrote a book in 1972. It was called Susan Dey's Secrets on Boys, Beauty and Popularity.

Personal Life

During the time she was working on The Partridge Family, Susan Dey had feelings for her co-star David Cassidy. They had a relationship after the show ended. However, David Cassidy ended it because he did not feel the same way. In 1994, David Cassidy wrote about their relationship in his autobiography. This led to Susan no longer keeping in touch with him.

Susan Dey was married to Leonard "Lenny" Hirshan from 1976 to 1981. They have one daughter together. Since 1988, Susan has been married to television producer Bernard Sofronski.

She is a board member at a support center at UCLA Medical Center. She also helped narrate a documentary about important issues with her former L.A. Law co-star Corbin Bernsen.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

See also

In Spanish: Susan Dey para niños