Sunny Sue Johnson (September 21, 1953 – June 19, 1984) was an American actress. She played figure skater Jeanie in the 1983 film ''

Flashdance ''Flashdance'' is a 1983 American romantic drama dance film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Jennifer Beals as a passionate young dancer who aspires to become a professional ballerina (Alex), alongside Michael Nouri playing her boyfriend ...

''. Johnson died from

brain hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...

at the age of 30.

Career

Johnson first appeared in the television series ''

Baretta ''Baretta'' is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a revised and milder version of a 1973–1974 ABC series, ''Toma'', starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey poli ...

''. She also appeared in an episode of ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by ...

''. She also had roles in the films ''

The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" is a Southern Gothic murder ballad, written in 1972 by songwriter Bobby Russell and first recorded by his then wife, singer, comedian, and actress Vicki Lawrence. Lawrence's version, from her 1973 alb ...

'' and the spoof ''

Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype ''Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype'' is a 1980 American comedy-drama horror romance film directed by Charles B. Griffith, starring Oliver Reed and Sunny Johnson. Plot The film is a reversal of Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born R ...

'' with the English actor

Oliver Reed Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 – 2 May 1999) was an English actor known for his well-to-do, macho image and "hellraiser" lifestyle. After making his first significant screen appearances in Hammer Horror films in the early 1960s, his ...

. She appears briefly in the film ''

Animal House ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Peter Riegert, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas H ...

'' as Fawn Liebowitz's sorority housemate at the girl's college during the road trip sequence, and is listed in the film's credits as 'Otter's Co-ed'.

Death

On the night of June 18, 1984, Johnson was found unconscious in the home she shared with her boyfriend,

Archie Hahn Charles Archibald Hahn (September 14, 1880 – January 21, 1955) was an American track athlete and is widely regarded as one of the best sprinters of the early 20th century. He is the first athlete to win both the 100m and 200m race at the sam ...

. She was taken to

UCLA Medical Center Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (also commonly referred to as ''UCLA Medical Center'', "RRMC" or "Ronald Reagan") is a hospital located on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United ...

, where doctors discovered that she had suffered a

. She remained on

life support Life support comprises the treatments and techniques performed in an emergency in order to support life after the failure of one or more vital organs. Healthcare providers and emergency medical technicians are generally certified to perform basic ...

until the following day when she was declared clinically dead. Without any hope of her mental recovery, her family agreed to take her off of life support. Johnson was 30 years old.

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Sunny 1953 births 1984 deaths 20th-century American actresses American film actresses American television actresses Actresses from Bakersfield, California