Suzanne Somers, the effervescent blonde actor known for playing Chrissy Snow on the television show 含羞草研究社淭hree含羞草研究社檚 Company含羞草研究社� and who became an entrepreneur and New York Times best-selling author, has died. She was 76.
Somers had breast cancer for over 23 years and died Sunday morning, her family said in a statement provided by her longtime publicist, R. Couri Hay. Her husband Alan Hamel, her son Bruce and other immediate family were with her in Palm Springs, California.
含羞草研究社淗er family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th,含羞草研究社� the statement read. 含羞草研究社淚nstead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly.含羞草研究社�
In July, Somers shared on Instagram that her breast cancer had returned.
含羞草研究社淟ike any cancer patient, when you get that dreaded, 含羞草研究社業t含羞草研究社檚 back含羞草研究社� you get a pit in your stomach. Then I put on my battle gear and go to war,含羞草研究社� she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. 含羞草研究社淭his is familiar battleground for me and I含羞草研究社檓 very tough.含羞草研究社�
She was first diagnosed in 2000, and had previously battled skin cancer. Sommers faced some backlash for her reliance on what she含羞草研究社檚 described as a chemical-free and organic lifestyle to combat the cancers. She argued against the use of chemotherapy, in books and on platforms like 含羞草研究社淭he Oprah Winfrey Show,含羞草研究社� which drew criticism from the American Cancer Society.
Somers was born in 1946 in San Bruno, California, to a gardener father and a medical secretary mother. Her childhood, she含羞草研究社檇 later say, was tumultuous. Her father was an alcoholic, and abusive. She married young, at 19, to Bruce Somers, after becoming pregnant with her son Bruce. The couple divorced three years later and she began modeling for 含羞草研究社淭he Anniversary Game含羞草研究社� to support herself. It was during this time that she met Hamel, who she married in 1977.
She began acting in the late 1960s, earning her first credit in the Steve McQueen film 含羞草研究社淏ullitt.含羞草研究社� But the spotlight really hit when she was cast as the blonde driving the white Thunderbird in George Lucas含羞草研究社檚 1973 film 含羞草研究社淎merican Graffiti.含羞草研究社� Her only line was mouthing the words 含羞草研究社淚 love you含羞草研究社� to Richard Dreyfuss含羞草研究社檚 character.
At her audition, Lucas just asked her if she could drive. She later said that moment 含羞草研究社渃hanged her life forever.含羞草研究社�
Somers would later stage a one-woman Broadway show entitled 含羞草研究社淭he Blonde in the Thunderbird,含羞草研究社� about her life, which drew largely scathing reviews.
She appeared in many television shows in the 1970s, including 含羞草研究社淭he Rockford Files,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淢agnum Force含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淭he Six Million Dollar Man,含羞草研究社� but her most famous part came with 含羞草研究社淭hree含羞草研究社檚 Company,含羞草研究社� which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984 含羞草研究社� though her participation ended in 1981.
On 含羞草研究社淭hree含羞草研究社檚 Company,含羞草研究社� she was the ditzy blonde opposite John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt in the roommate comedy. In 1980, after four seasons, she asked for a raise from $30,000 an episode to $150,000 an episode, which would have been comparable to what Ritter was getting paid. Hamel, a former television producer, had encouraged the ask.
含羞草研究社淭he show含羞草研究社檚 response was, 含羞草研究社榃ho do you think you are?含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 Somers told People in 2020. 含羞草研究社淭hey said, 含羞草研究社楯ohn Ritter is the star.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
She was promptly phased out and soon fired; Her character was replaced by two different roommates for the remaining years the show aired. It also led to a rift with her co-stars; They didn含羞草研究社檛 speak for many years. Somers did reconcile with Ritter before his death, and then with DeWitt on her online talk show.
But Somers took the break as an opportunity to pursue new avenues, including a Las Vegas act, hosting a talk show and becoming an entrepreneur. In the 1990s, she also became the spokesperson for the 含羞草研究社淭highMaster.含羞草研究社�
The decade also saw her return to network television in the 1990s, most famously on 含羞草研究社淪tep by Step,含羞草研究社� which aired on ABC含羞草研究社檚 youth-targeted TGIF lineup. The network also aired a biopic of her life, starring her, called 含羞草研究社淜eeping Secrets.含羞草研究社�
Somers was also a prolific author, writing books on aging, menopause, beauty, wellness, sex and cancer.
