Suzanne Savoy is an American

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

and

voice artist Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...

best known for playing Victoria Robertson in Steven Soderbergh's Cinemax series ''

The Knick ''The Knick'' is an American medical period drama television series on Cinemax created by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler and directed by Steven Soderbergh. The series follows Dr. John W. Thackery (Clive Owen) and the staff at a fictionalized ve ...

'' and DNC Chairwoman Patricia Whittaker in '' House of Cards'', and for her one-woman touring show ''Je Christine

about late-Medieval author Christine de Pizan. She appears in and does

voice-overs Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non-diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations. ...

for many commercials, and has roles ranging from minor to starring in both film and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...

. Savoy appears on the ''Breaking Bad'' fan site as lawyer Perry Trivedi in the award-winning prequel series, ''Better Call Saul''.

Early life

Suzanne Hélène Savoy was born in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington (Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christin ...

, the daughter of Jean Dawson Savoy and Prew Savoy. The family relocated to the town of Iberville in the province of Québec, Canada, when she was five years old. She and her sister Jeanette ("Jeanie") were weekly boarders at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Montreal while their younger sister Alexis remained in Iberville to be schooled in French. Summer vacations and holidays were spent at the shore in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, with their maternal grandparents, Ella and Ralph Dawson. Savoy attended

CEGEP A CEGEP ( or ; ), also written cégep, CÉGEP and cegep, is a publicly funded college providing technical, academic, vocational or a mix of programs; they are exclusive to the province of Quebec's education system. A loanword from French, i ...

at Sir George Williams University, since renamed

Concordia University Concordia University (French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the th ...

Design Work

A graduate of National Theatre School of Canada's Design Program, her set design for Goldoni's ''The Boors'' was selected by the head of the program, designer François Barbeau, to be displayed at the 1975

Prague Quadrennial Held in Prague once every four years since 1967, the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space or Prague Quadrennial is the world's largest event in the field of scenography, consisting of a competitive presentation of contemporary work in ...

of Performance Design and Space. Savoy has designed and/or built costumes and puppets for various theaters in Canada and the United States, including the Groupe Nouvel'Aire in Montreal, Persephone Theatre in Saskatoon, Gryphon Theatre in Ontario, and NYC's The Shakespeare Project and Bloodstone Theatrical.

Performing career

Savoy began her acting career after moving to

Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...

in her late twenties. She studied at The Royal National Theatre of Great Britain and various other schools and colleges including the University of Houston as a guest of the Director of UH's School of Theatre, Dr. Sidney Berger. She quickly established herself as a full-time working actor in Texas through her voice-over and commercial work as well as supporting and starring roles in film, co-starring and principal roles on TV, and stage work at venues such as regional theaters The

Dallas Theater Center The Dallas Theater Center is a major regional theater in Dallas, Texas, United States. It produces classic, contemporary and new plays and was the 2017 Tony Award recipient for Best Regional Theater. Dallas Theater Center produces its original w ...

and The

Alley Theatre The Alley Theatre is a Tony Award-winning theatre company in Houston, Texas. It is the oldest professional theatre company in Texas and the third oldest resident theatre in the United States. Alley Theatre productions have played on Broadway at L ...

, at The Houston Shakespeare Festiva

Stages Repertory Theatre and Main Street Theater in Houston. In 1986 she co-founded Mercury Studio, which provided on-camera training for Houston actors until 2005. Having moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

in 1995 with her daughter following divorce, Suzanne became a mainstay of Scott Cargle's The Shakespeare Project, which toured NYC's parks and public spaces. She variously performed, designed sets and costumes, built puppets, and created and ran TSP's education division over a period of nine years. In 2005, Suzanne moved to

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Harl ...

and continued her work appearing in and doing voice-overs in numerous national commercials. She has performed on a number of New York stages;

Metropolitan Playhouse The Metropolitan Playhouse is a resident producing theater in New York City's East Village. Founded in 1992, the theater is devoted to presenting plays that explore American culture and history, including seldom-produced, "lost" American plays an ...

's production of Sinclair Lewis' Dodsworth, in which she appeared as Edith Cortright, received an Aggie Award for Best Ensemble. After a hiatus from film and TV while raising her daughter, she resumed work in those media. In 2013, Savoy was cast as DNC Chairwoman Patti Whittaker in the first season of the Netflix series ''House of Cards.'' Two days after she wrapped, she began receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatments for stage four colorectal cancer. Given a clean bill of health less than a year later, she was cast as matriarch Victoria Robertson in

Steven Soderbergh Steven Andrew Soderbergh (; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. A pioneer of modern independent cinema, Soderbergh is an acclaimed and prolific filmmaker. Soderbergh's direct ...

's ''

,'' which shot for two seasons. Savoy subsequently appeared in Seasons 4 and 5 of ''House of Cards.'' While her home base is in Harlem, she also spends time in Los Angeles for work and visiting her daughter, who now resides in LA and works as a screenwriter and directo

Comedy and Improv

Savoy studied at NYC's Upright Citizen's Brigade and went on to co-found indy teams Lascivious Jones, Tonya, and Wasp. Actress and comedian Nicole Byer was a teammate and co-founder of Lascivious Jones. Savoy appeared in TV roles for ''The Onion'' and ''UCB Comedy Shorts,'' and has worked repeatedly in sketches on ''Last Week Tonight With John Oliver.''

One-Woman Show

''Je Christine

is a 90-minute live presentation of the life and works of France's first professional female author,

Christine de Pizan Christine de Pizan or Pisan (), born Cristina da Pizzano (September 1364 – c. 1430), was an Italian poet and court writer for King Charles VI of France and several French dukes. Christine de Pizan served as a court writer in medieval Franc ...

. Savoy translated de Pizan's works from 14th/15th-Century French manuscripts and created and performs the piece at universities, libraries, museums, and other non-traditional venues. Long-time collaborato
Bill Burford
who co-founded Mercury Studio with Savoy, directed the show.

Music

Savoy and band-mate Joe Silver formed the duo ''Bespoke,

which hosted a bi-monthly open mic night for ukulelists at Grill on the Hill in Harlem; they also founded and hosted the Uke Rumble variety nights at Parkside Lounge on Houston Street in NYC. ''Bespoke'' performed covers and original songs on acoustic and electric uke. Joe Silver died in July 2020 of glioblastoma.

Covid Relief Program

In March 2020 when Covid19 forced libraries to close their doors to the public, Lewes Public Library in lower Delaware contacted Savoy to create an online program to help relieve the isolation of their adult membership, mostly retirees. ''Lunchtime Short Story Readings for Adults'' has been a popular regular event curated, produced, directed, and hosted by Ms. Savoy twice weekly throughout the duration of the pandemic. Attendees from around the world listen, discuss, and chat in a non-political forum. A virtual “Catbird Seat Award” is presented at the end of each reading to one or more attendees for arbitrary reasons of merit, along with “five hundred ‘library dollars’ to spend at the library of their choice.�

Personal life

Savoy was married to James Black (actor and interim Artistic Director of The Alley Theatre) for seven years; they have one daughter, screenwriter/director Bonnie Savoy Black. Suzanne Savoy works bi-coastally, lives in Manhattan, and owns a second home in lower Delaware, close to her sisters' families.

Filmography

Television Roles

* '' For Life (TV series), For Life'' - Judge Gina Sorensen, 5 episodes, (2020) * ''

SMILF ''SMILF'' is an American sitcom starring, created, written, and directed by Frankie Shaw. It was based on her short film of the same title. The series premiered on Showtime on November 5, 2017. The series' name, SMILF, is a play on the term " MI ...

'' - Mrs. Waterstein, "Surrogate Mothers Inspire Loving Families" (2019) * ''

NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to: Law enforcement * National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom * Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...

'' - Rachel Brentwood, "Beneath the Surface" (2018) * ''

Better Call Saul ''Better Call Saul'' is an American crime and legal drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, '' Breaking Bad'', and serves as a ...

'' - Perry Trivedi, recurring (2016, 2018) * ''

Red Oaks The genus ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many large genera, is divided into subgenera and sections. Traditionally, the genus ''Quercus'' was divided into the two subgenera '' ...

'' - Adelaide, "Old Flames" (2016) * '' Last Week Tonight With John Oliver'' - Executive, Reporter #3, Mother (2014-2016) * '' I Love You...But I Lied'' - Lydia, "Cougar/Hired" (2015) * ''

How to Get Away With Murder ''How to Get Away with Murder'' is an American legal thriller television series that premiered on American Broadcasting Company, ABC on September 25, 2014, and concluded on May 14, 2020. The series was created by Peter Nowalk, and produced by Sh ...

'' - Judge Kathy Powell, Pilot (2014) *''

'' - Victoria Robertson, recurring (2014-2015) *'' House of Cards'' - Patricia Whittaker, recurring (2013 - 2018) *''

Boardwalk Empire ''Boardwalk Empire'' is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter and broadcast on the premium cable channel HBO. The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s ...

'' - Mrs. Pendergast, "Resolution" (2012) *''

30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', ta ...

'' - Maternity Photographer, " ¡Qué Sopresa!" (2011) *UCB Comedy Originals - Mom, "Trip Tips: Family Holiday Guilt Trips (2009) *

Onion News Network ''Onion News Network'' is a parody television news show that ran for two seasons of ten episodes each, both during 2011, on the Independent Film Channel. History In March 2007, ''The Onion'' launched ''The Onion News Network'', a daily web v ...

- Countess Stephania Isabella De Uster, "Bad Boy Fencing Star Implicated in Yet Another Jewel Heist (2009) *''

Six Degrees Six degrees may refer to: *Six degrees of separation, the theory that anyone on earth can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries *Six degrees of freedom, motion in t ...

'' - Woman Passenger, "Ray's Back" (2007) *''

Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United St ...

'' - Elaine, "20-Something Girls vs. 30-Something Women" (1998) *'' Heaven Help Us: The Belles' Farewell'' - Sandra (1994) *''

The Fire Next Time ''The Fire Next Time'' is a 1963 non-fiction book by James Baldwin, containing two essays: "My Dungeon Shook: Letter to my Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation" and "Down at the Cross: Letter from a Region of My Mind". The ...

'' - Jackie (1993; TV movie) *''

Dangerous Curves (TV series) ''Dangerous Curves'' is an American television series that aired on CBS as part of its late night umbrella series lineup, '' Crimetime After Primetime''. The private detective series premiered in February 1992 and ran through May 1993, airing t ...

'' - Suzie Aames, "Let Us Prey" (1993) *''

Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the T ...

'' - Cathy Sant, "Storm Warning" (1993) *'' Trial: The Price of Passion'' - Melissa Mills (1992; TV movie) *'' Finding the Way Home'' - Sandy Mittelmann (1991; TV movie) *'' In Broad Daylight'' - News Reporter (1991; TV movie) *''

America's Most Wanted ''America's Most Wanted'' (often abbreviated as ''AMW'') is an American Television show, television program whose first run was produced by 20th Television, and second run is under the Fox Entertainment#Fox Alternative Entertainment, Fox Alter ...

'' - Joy Aylor (1991) *'' Jailbirds'' - Grace (1991; TV movie) *'' Miller & Muller'' - Bonnie Miller, Title Role, Mini-series, 8 Episodes (1991) *'' Little Girl Lost'' - Dr. Deborah Meewsen (1988; TV movie)

Movie Roles

* '' The Upside'' - Charlotte (2017) * ''

Louder Than Bombs ''Louder Than Bombs'' is a compilation album by English rock band the Smiths, released as a double album in March 1987 by their American record company, Sire Records. It peaked at number 62 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 album chart. Popular de ...

'' - Documentary Voice-over, uncredited (2015) * '' Freeheld'' - Town Clerk (2015) * ''Honey Flood'' - Lady Pamela (2016) * ''The Undiscovered Country'' - Kathy (2017) *'' The Cloud'' - Carmen Rosenthal (2014) * '' Detention (2013/III)'' - Teacher (2013) *'' An Inappropriate Affect'' - Dr. Regina Larose (2013) *''

Safe A safe (also called a strongbox or coffer) is a secure Lock (security device), lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or fire. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face being removable or hinged to form ...

'' - Furious Woman (2012) *''

The Best and the Brightest ''The Best and the Brightest'' (1972) is an account by journalist David Halberstam of the origins of the Vietnam War published by Random House. The focus of the book is on the foreign policy crafted by academics and intellectuals who were in Pr ...

'' - Chapin Headmistress (2010) *'' Dare'' - Deirdre Walker (2009) *''

The Sixth Sense ''The Sixth Sense'' is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It stars Bruce Willis as a child psychologist whose patient ( Haley Joel Osment) claims he can see and talk to the dead. Released ...

'' - Social Worker, deleted scene (1999) *'' Zero Woman: Dangerous Game'' - Rei (English dub) (1998) *'' The Bondage Master'' - Rumi (English dub) (1998) *''Beautiful Killing Machine'' - Dr. Kyoko Hakami (English dub) (1996) *'' Close Your Eyes and Hold Me - Hanabusa (English dub) (1996) *'' The Man with the Perfect Swing'' - Susan Lombardo (1995) *'' Zero Woman: Final Mission'' - Rei (English dub) (1995) *'' Beautiful Beast'' - Mei Fan (English dub) (1995) *''On Board Amtrak'' (Amtrak promotional film) - Suzan Peterson (1994) *'' The Trust'' - Alice Graham Baker (1993) *''

Shadow Force ''Shadow Force'' is a documentary television miniseries that aired on the History channel in 2008. It follows a team of real-life mercenaries doing contracts given to them by the countries of Liberia, Kenya, and the Congo. The team consists ...

'' - Waitress (1992) *''

Hard Promises ''Hard Promises'' is the fourth studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released on May 5, 1981 on Backstreet Records. History Its original working title was ''Benmont's Revenge'', referring to the band's keyboard player, Benmont Tench ...

'' - Gameshow Wife (1991) *''

Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...

'' - Dodd's Wife (1991) *''

I Come in Peace ''I Come in Peace'' (released under the alternative title ''Dark Angel'') is a 1990 American science fiction action film directed by Craig R. Baxley, and starring Dolph Lundgren, Brian Benben, Betsy Brantley and Matthias Hues. The film was r ...

'' - Policewoman (1990) *'' The Cellar'' - Emily Cashen (1989) *''

Cohen and Tate ''Cohen and Tate'' (also known as ''Cohen & Tate'') is a 1989 American thriller film written and directed by Eric Red and starring Roy Scheider, Adam Baldwin and Harley Cross. It was Red's feature film debut. The film is considered as a cinemati ...

'' - Martha Knight (1988) *''Into the Spider's Web'' - The Spider Lady (1988) *'' Vasectomy: A Delicate Matter'' - Jackie (1986) *'' The American Way'' - Brunette (1986)

Voice Roles

Anime Roles

*'' Agent Aika'' - Nena Hargen *''

Alien from the Darkness is a space hentai OVA influenced by the Alien (franchise), ''Alien'' franchise,Jonathan Clements, Helen McCarthy. The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917. — Revised and Expanded Edition. — Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridg ...

'' - Captain Sara *''

Alien Nine is a Japanese manga series by Hitoshi Tomizawa, which was later adapted into an original video animation (OVA) series by J.C.Staff. The manga was serialized in Akita Shoten's ''Young Champion'' magazine, spanning 3 volumes. In 2003, Tomiza ...

'' - Principal *'' Angel Sanctuary'' - Alexiel *''

Animation Runner Kuromi is an OVA anime film produced by Yumeta Company; part 1 in 2001 and part 2 in 2004. It is a parody of the anime production business itself. It was released on DVD in North America by Central Park Media Central Park Media, often abbrevi ...

'' - Hamako Shihonmatsu *''

Descendants of Darkness is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoko Matsushita. The story revolves around shinigami. These Guardians of Death work for '' Enma Daiō'', the king of the dead, sorting out the expected and unexpected arrivals to the Under ...

'' - Maria's Mother (Ep. 3-4) *'' Garzey's Wing'' - Rumiko *'' Geobreeders: Breakthrough'' - Ayumi Narusawa, Beauty Bakeneko *''

Hyper Speed GranDoll is an anime OVA about a high school girl who discovers that she is really part of a royal lineage of aliens from a distant planet. The anime was released in the United States by Central Park Media. This anime is part Sci-Fi and part Magica ...

'' - Miki Amagi *'' Maze'' - Rapier *''

Midnight Panther is the name of a hentai manga created by Yu Asagiri, which later spawned an OVA. Both manga and anime were licensed by Anime 18. Plot Taking place in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world, this is the story about three beautiful, young female ...

'' - Sonya *'' Photon: The Idiot Adventures'' - Aho Furnace, Keyne Aqua, Operator *''

RG Veda is a manga created by Clamp, consisting of ten volumes in all. It was first published in Japan in 1989 as Clamp's debut manga. The story features elements of Vedic mythology; the title itself is pronounced ''Rigveda'', the name of one of ...

'' - Kuyoh *''

Shamanic Princess is a six episode OVA series developed by the Princess Project creative collective and produced by Animate Film in association with Triangle Staff starting in June 1996 and continuing over a two-year period. Central Park Media licensed the s ...

'' - Lena, Princess (Ep. 6) *''Sins of the Sisters'' - Rika *''Spy of Darkness'' - Vanessa

Video Game Roles

*'' Crusader: No Remorse'' - Maj. Jo Anne Vargas

References

External links

Official Website
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Savoy, Suzanne American actresses Living people Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women