US actress Suzanne Somers dies aged 76after a long fight with cancer. She passed away early Sunday morning, one day before her 77th birthday.
Suzanne Somers was an actress who was in five seasons of the 1970s TV sitcom Three's Company, a Las Vegas revue show, and the movie American Graffiti. She also wrote two autobiographies, four diet books, and a book of poems, and worked as a spokeswoman for exercise equipment.
Suzanne Somers wearing a black top and black fur coat An American actress best known for her role as Chrissy Snow in "Three's Company," Suzanne Somers has died at the age of 76 after a 23-year fight with breast cancer. She also started her own business and wrote books that were bestsellers in the New York Times. She died in Palm Springs, California, with her family around her. An agent for Somer, R Couri Hay, said that the star died early Sunday morning.
“„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.- R Couri Hay
“„Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family.- R Couri Hay
“„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.- R Couri Hay
The star's husband of 46 years told her that her breast cancer had come back less than three months ago. She was first diagnosed with hyperplasia in her 20s and skin cancer in her 30s, he said. Somers was then diagnosed with it in her 50s.
Somers wrote on Instagram in July that her breast cancer had come back. She had also played Carol Foster Lambert in Step By Step. She wrote:
“„As you know, I had breast cancer two decades ago, and every now and then it pops up again, and I continue to bat it down.- Suzanne Somers
“„I have used the best alternative and conventional treatments to combat it. This is not new territory for me. I know how to put on my battle gear and I’m a fighter.- Suzanne Somers
Her husband Alan Hamel was also praised. She said he had been by her side "every step of the way."
“„I can’t even explain how much he has done for me. If it’s even possible, we are even closer than ever. “My incredible family has been so supportive.- Suzanne Somers
In the late 1960s, Somers started acting. Her first role was in the Steve McQueen movie "Bullitt." For her big break, though, she played the girl driving the white Thunderbird in George Lucas's 1973 movie "American Graffiti." Her only line was to say "I love you" to the character played by Richard Dreyfuss. Later, Somers put on a one-woman Broadway show about her life called "The Blonde in the Thunderbird," which got mostly bad reviews.
In the 1970s, she was in a lot of TV shows, like "The Rockford Files," "Magnum Force," and "The Six Million Dollar Man." But her most famous role was in "Three's Company," which ran on ABC from 1977 to 1984, though she stopped being in it in 1981.
She played Chrissy Snow on "Three's Company," the famous roommate comedy with John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt. Snow was a ditzy blonde, which was a stereotype at the time.
After four seasons, in 1980, she demanded that ABC give her five times her salary and a tenth of the show's profits. ABC drastically cut her part down to just 60 seconds per show and then ended her contract. Somers filed a $2 million lawsuit, saying that all she wanted was the same pay as well-known male sitcom stars.
After that, she was in another hit sitcom called "Step By Step," which played on ABC's TGIF lineup for young adults.
Over the course of the 1980s, Somers worked as a performer in Las Vegas and later as a spokesperson for the workout equipment brand Thighmaster. She also did shows for US soldiers stationed abroad. She said earlier this year that she turned down a part on The View because she didn't want to move from California to New York for the job.
Somers also wrote a lot of books. She wrote about getting older, menopause, beauty, health, sex, and cancer.
An American actress best known for her role as Chrissy Snow in "Three's Company," Suzanne Somers has died at the age of 76 after a 23-year fight with breast cancer. She also started her own business and wrote books that were bestsellers in the New York Times. She died in Palm Springs, California, with her family around her.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, she started out as an actress with small roles on TV shows like "The Love Boat" and "One Day at a Time." In 1977, she got the part of Chrissy Snow in "Three's Company."