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Susan Elizabeth Strasberg (May 22, 1938 – January 21, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Thought to be the next Hepburn-type ingenue, she was nominated for a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
at age 18, playing the title role in '' The Diary of Anne Frank''. She appeared on the covers of ''
LIFE Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
'' and ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'' in 1955. A close friend of
Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...
, she wrote two best-selling tell-all books. Her later career primarily consisted of slasher and
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
s, followed by TV roles, by the 1980s.


Biography


Early life

Strasberg was born in New York City to
theatre director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...
and drama coach
Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American acting coach and actor. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed ...
of the
Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights located on West 44th Street in Hell's Kitchen in New York City. The studio is best known for its work refining and teaching method actin ...
and former actress Paula Strasberg. Her brother,
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
, is an acting coach. Her father was born in what is now Ukraine, and her mother in New York City. They were both from Jewish families who emigrated from Europe. Strasberg attended the
Professional Children's School The Professional Children's School (PCS) is a not-for-profit, college-preparatory school geared toward working and aspiring child actors and dancers in grades four through twelve. The school was founded in New York City in 1914 to provide an ac ...
, and then spent time at both
The High School of Music & Art The High School of Music & Art, informally known as Music & Art (or M&A), was a public specialized high school located at 443-465 West 135th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York, from 1936 until 1984. In 1961, Music & Art and the High Sc ...
and the
High School of Performing Arts The High School of Performing Arts (informally known as "PA") was a public alternative high school established in 1947 and located at 120 West 46th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, from 1948 to 1984. In 1961, the school was ...
. She also did some modelling.Vallance, Tom
"Culture: Obituary: Susan Strasberg,"
''The Independent'' (24 January 1999).


Early roles

At age 14, Strasberg appeared off-Broadway in ''Maya'' in 1953, which ran seven performances. Her TV debut was in "Catch a Falling Star", an episode of '' Goodyear Playhouse'' directed by
Delbert Mann Delbert Martin Mann Jr. (January 30, 1920 – November 11, 2007) was an American television and film director. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film '' Marty'' (1955), adapted from a 1953 teleplay which he had also directed. ...
the same year. She was in ''
Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'' for '' Kraft Theatre'' (1954), playing Juliet, and episodes of ''
General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...
'' and '' Omnibus''. She had a regular role in a short-lived sitcom, '' The Marriage'', playing the daughter of Hume Cronyn and
Jessica Tandy Jessie Alice Tandy (7 June 1909 – 11 September 1994) was a British actress. An icon in the film industry, she appeared in over 100 stage productions and had more than 60 roles in film and TV, receiving an Academy Award, four Tony Awards, a BAF ...
. It was the first network show broadcast in color. Strasberg made her film debut in '' The Cobweb'' (1955). She followed it with a widely praised performance as a teenager in ''
Picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors (Al fresco dining, ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event su ...
'' (1955), playing the younger sister of
Kim Novak Marilyn Pauline "Kim" Novak (born February 13, 1933) is an American retired actress and painter. Her contributions to cinema have been honored with two Golden Globe Awards, an Honorary Golden Bear, a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, and a s ...
. Kim Stanley played the role on Broadway but was too old for film. Joshua Logan, the director, wrote Strasberg's "incipient beauty and spirit seemed just right for me."


''The Diary of Anne Frank''

Strasberg originated the title role in the Broadway production of '' The Diary of Anne Frank'', directed by
Garson Kanin Garson Kanin (November 24, 1912 – March 13, 1999) was an American writer and director of plays and films. Early life Garson Kanin was born in Rochester, New York; his Jewish family later relocated to Detroit then to New York City. He at ...
, which ran for 717 performances from 1955 to 1957.
Brooks Atkinson Justin Brooks Atkinson (November 28, 1894 – January 14, 1984) was an American theater critic. He worked for ''The New York Times'' from 1922 to 1960. In his obituary, the ''Times'' called him "the theater's most influential reviewer of his ...
wrote that she was "a slender, enchanting young lady with a heart-shaped face, a pair of burning eyes, and the soul of an actress." Strasberg was nominated for a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
at the age of 18 and became the youngest actress to star on Broadway with her name above the marquee title. In 1955 she appeared twice on the cover of ''
Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
'' (July 11, 1955 issue; November 11, 1955 issue) and soon after on the cover of ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'' (December 19, 1955 issue). During her run on the show she did '' The Cradle Song'' with
Helen Hayes Helen Hayes MacArthur (; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress. Often referred to as the "First Lady of American Theatre", she was the second person and first woman to win EGOT, the EGOT (an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and ...
on TV. The success of the play led to numerous film offers. She decided on the lead in '' Stage Struck'' (1958), directed by
Sidney Lumet Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. Lumet started his career in theatre before moving to film, where he gained a reputation for making realistic and gritty New York City, New York dramas w ...
. It was a remake of ''
Morning Glory Morning glory (also written as morning-glory) is the common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, whose taxonomy and systematics remain in flux. These species are distributed across numerous genus, gene ...
'' (1933) with
Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...
. According to one obituary, "It had seemed as if the beautiful, dark-haired actress might have an impact equal to that made by
Jean Simmons Jean Merilyn Simmons (31 January 1929 – 22 January 2010) was a British actress and singer. One of J. Arthur Rank's "well-spoken young starlets", she appeared predominantly in films, beginning with those made in Britain during and after the ...
and Audrey Hepburn as ingenues." Strasberg was not cast in the
George Stevens George Cooper Stevens (December 18, 1904 – March 8, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for ''A Place in the Sun (1951 film), A Place in the Sun'' (1951) ...
film version of ''Anne Frank''. Several reasons have been suggested for this: that Stevens did not want to deal with the influence of Strasberg's mother, Paula, and that Stevens saw Strasberg at the end of the play's run when her performance had become tired. Strasberg did not test for the role. Strasberg's next appearance on Broadway was in '' Time Remembered'' (1957–58) by
Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; ; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist and screenwriter whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ...
with Richard Burton and
Helen Hayes Helen Hayes MacArthur (; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress. Often referred to as the "First Lady of American Theatre", she was the second person and first woman to win EGOT, the EGOT (an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and ...
. It was another success and ran for 248 performances. Strasberg continued to guest star on TV shows like '' Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'', ''
Play of the Week Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...
'' (a production of ''
The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' () is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Pu ...
'' with Hayes), and '' Our American Heritage''. She was in the cast of the
New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama, and the New York City Center 55th Street Theater) is a performing arts center at 131 West 55th Street (Manhattan), 55th Street between Sixth Avenue, Six ...
production of
William Saroyan William Saroyan (; August 31, 1908 – May 18, 1981) was an Armenian-American novelist, playwright, and short story writer. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940, and in 1943 won the Academy Award for Best Story for the film ''The ...
's '' The Time of Your Life'' that played at the Brussels World Fair in 1958. It was filmed for '' Armchair Theatre''. Strasberg appeared in Sean O'Casey's '' The Shadow of a Gunman'' (1958–59) for Jack Garfein alongside members of the Actors Studio; it ran for 52 performances.
Brooks Atkinson Justin Brooks Atkinson (November 28, 1894 – January 14, 1984) was an American theater critic. He worked for ''The New York Times'' from 1922 to 1960. In his obituary, the ''Times'' called him "the theater's most influential reviewer of his ...
said she had "willowy freshness". In 1959 she toured with Franchot Tone in '' Caesar and Cleopatra''.


Italy

She went to Europe to star in the Italian–Yugoslav Holocaust film '' Kapò'' (1960), which was nominated for an Academy Award as its year's Best Foreign Language Film. Strasberg based herself in Italy for the next few years. "I wanted to see what it was like when I was alone", she said. In Rome, the Teatro Tordinona has dedicated a hall in her memory. She traveled to England to make '' Scream of Fear'' (1961) for Hammer Films, and in Italy did '' Disorder'' (1962) with Louis Jourdan and the Hollywood film '' Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man'' (1962).


Return to US

Strasberg returned to the US to appear on Broadway in ''
The Lady of the Camellias ''The Lady of the Camellias'' (), sometimes called ''Camille'' in English, is a novel by Alexandre Dumas fils, Alexandre Dumas ''fils''. First published in 1848 and subsequently Theatrical adaptation, adapted by Dumas for the Drama, stage, the pl ...
'' (1963), directed by
Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (; 12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019) was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post–World War II e ...
. The director said Strasberg had the qualities of being "romantic, cynical, classical, contemporary." The show only ran for 13 performances. Strasberg began to concentrate on television, guest-starring on '' Dr Kildare'', '' Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'', '' Breaking Point'', '' Burke's Law'', and '' The Rogues''. She made '' The High Bright Sun'' (1965) in England then went back to TV: '' Run for Your Life'', '' The Legend of Jesse James'' (starring Christopher Jones, who became her husband), '' The Big Valley'' and '' The Invaders''. She made '' Chubasco'' (1967) with Jones, and did some counterculture movies: '' The Trip'' (1967) for
Roger Corman Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...
, as the wife of
Peter Fonda Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He was a two-time Academy Award nominee, both for acting and screenwriting, and a two-time Golden Globe Award winner for his a ...
, and '' Psych-Out'' (1968) with
Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...
. She also did '' The Name of the Game Is Kill!'' (1968), '' The Brotherhood'' (1968) and '' The Sisters'' (1969).


Late 1960s and 1970s

In the late 1960s & 1970s Strasberg did mostly TV: '' The Big Valley''; '' The Virginian''; ''
Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...
''; ''
Lancer A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by India, Egypt, China, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...
''; '' The Name of the Game''; ''
Premiere A premiere, also spelled première, (from , ) is the debut (first public presentation) of a work, i.e. play, film, dance, musical composition, or even a performer in that work. History Raymond F. Betts attributes the introduction of the ...
''; '' The F.B.I.''; '' CBS Playhouse''; '' Marcus Welby, M.D.''; '' The Streets of San Francisco''; ''
Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, '' The Twilight Zon ...
''; '' The Young Lawyers''; '' McCloud''; '' Alias Smith & Jones''; ''
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 ...
''; '' Assignment Vienna''; '' The Wide World of Mystery''; '' The Evil Touch''; '' Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law''; ''
The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner, aired on NBC from September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator Jim Rockford, with Noah Beery Jr. in th ...
'' (twice); and ''
Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that originally aired for eight seasons on CBS from September 16, 1967, to March 13, 1975. The show was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer ...
''. "I did mediocre things because that way I didn't have to test myself", she said later. "I had a tremendous need not to shame my father." She did occasional TV movies like '' Hauser's Memory'' (1970), '' Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones'' (1971) and '' ...And Millions Die!'' (1973) and the occasional feature like '' Ternos Caçadores'' (1970), '' The Legend of Hillbilly John'' (1972), and
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...
' '' The Other Side of the Wind'' (ultimately released in 2018). Strasberg had a regular role on the series '' Toma'' (1974). She guested on '' Police Surgeon'', '' McMillan & Wife'', '' Petrocelli'', ''
Ellery Queen Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1928 by the American detective fiction writers Frederic Dannay (1905–1982) and Manfred Bennington Lee (1905–1971). It is also the name of their main fictional detective, a mystery writer in New York City ...
'', '' Kate McShane'', '' Medical Story'', '' Bronk'', and ''
Harry O ''Harry O'', sometimes spelled ''Harry-O'', is an American private detective series that aired for two seasons on ABC from 1974 to 1976. The series starred David Janssen, and Jerry Thorpe was executive producer. ''Harry O'' followed the broad ...
''. Strasberg had the lead in '' So Evil, My Sister'' (1974) and was in '' Mystery at Malibu'' (1976), '' Sammy Somebody'' (1976), '' SST: Death Flight'' (1977), '' Rollercoaster'' (1977), '' The Manitou'' (1977),'' Tre soldi e la donna di classe'' (1977), '' In Praise of Older Women'' (1978), '' The Immigrants'' (1978), and '' Beggarman, Thief'' (1979). In 1976 she appeared in a short film directed by
Lee Grant Lee Grant (born Lyova Haskell Rosenthal; October 31, during the mid-1920s) is an American actress, documentarian, and director. In a career spanning over seven decades, she won an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Directors Guil ...
called ''The Stronger'', based on a play by
August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (; ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than 60 pla ...
, which she said reignited her passion for acting. In 1980 she published a memoir, ''Bittersweet'', because she said her career was "stalled. . . . It seemed totally untenable to me, acting for 25 years—I had played Juliet, Cleopatra, and Anne Frank—and there I was, sitting in Hollywood just waiting for somebody to want me."


1980s

In the 1980s Strasberg's credits included '' Bloody Birthday'' (1981); ''
The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1977, to May 24, 1986. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series pre ...
''; '' Mazes and Monsters'' (1982); '' Sweet Sixteen'' (1983); '' The Returning'' (1983); '' The New Mike Hammer''; '' Tales of the Unexpected''; '' Tales from the Darkside''; '' The Delta Force'' (1986); '' Remington Steele''; '' Hot Shots''; ''
Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...
''; '' Cagney & Lacey''; and '' The Runnin' Kind'' (1989). "I love acting", she said in 1983. "I mean, I can't quite conceive of not doing it. But it's less important to me since I started writing, because I really like writing. And I really enjoy, I love lecturing and speaking and having that kind of contact with people too." Her last performances included the biopic ''
Schweitzer Schweitzer is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965), German theologian, musician, physician, and medical missionary, winner of the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize * Anton Schweitzer (1735–1787), German op ...
'' (1990), the action movie ''
Prime Suspect ''Prime Suspect'' is a British police procedural television series devised by Lynda La Plante. Broadcast on ITV between 1991 and 2006, it stars Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, one of the first female Detective Chief Inspectors in Greater Lo ...
'' (1990) with Frank Stallone and '' Il giardino dei ciliegi'' (1992). In 1993 she was a jury member for the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival.


Writing

Strasberg wrote two best-selling books. ''Bittersweet'' was an autobiography in which she wrote about her tumultuous relationships with her parents and with actors
Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...
and Christopher Jones, as well as with her own daughter's struggles with a heart defect. She received a $100,000 advance for it and sold paperback rights for $300,000. ''Marilyn and Me: Sisters, Rivals, Friends'' (1992) was about Strasberg's friendship with
Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...
, whom she called a "surrogate sister" and a "member" of the Strasberg family for many years. Strasberg was working on a third book about her personal spiritual journey at the time of her death entitled ''Confessions of a New Age Heretic''.


Personal life

Before her marriage, Strasberg had relationships with
Bobby Driscoll Robert Cletus Driscoll (March 3, 1937 – March 30, 1968) was an American actor who performed on film and television from 1943 to 1960. He starred in some of the The Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios' best-known live-action pict ...
,
Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memor ...
,
Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...
, and
Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...
. On September 25, 1965, in
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, Strasberg married actor Christopher Jones, with whom she had appeared in an episode of '' The Legend of Jesse James''. Their daughter, Jennifer Robin, was born six months later. The couple divorced in 1968 due to her husband's mental instability. Jennifer was born with a congenital birth defect, which Strasberg blamed on her and Jones's drug-taking.


Death

In the mid-1990s Strasberg was diagnosed with
breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...
. Although believed to be in remission, she died of the disease at her home in New York City on January 21, 1999, at age 60.


Filmography and television

* '' The Cobweb'' (1955) as Sue Brett * ''
Picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors (Al fresco dining, ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event su ...
'' (1955) as Millie Owens * ''1955 Motion Picture Theatre Celebration'' (1955) (short subject) * '' Stage Struck'' (1958) as Eva Lovelace * '' Kapò'' (1960) as Edith, alias Nicole Niepas * '' Scream of Fear'' (1961) as Penny Appleby * '' Disorder'' (1962) as Isabella * '' Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man'' (1962) as Rosanna * '' The Shortest Day'' (1962) (uncredited) * '' The High Bright Sun'' (1965) as Juno Kozani * '' The Invaders'', "Quantity Unknown" (Season 1: Episode 8, 1967) as Diane Oberly * '' The Big Valley'' (1967, Episode: "Night in a Small Town") as Sally * '' The F.B.I.'' (1967, Episode: "The Executioners") as Chris Roland * '' Chubasco'' (1968) as Bunny * '' The Trip'' (1967) as Sally Groves * '' Psych-Out'' (1968) as Jenny Davis * '' The Name of the Game Is Kill!'' (1968) as Mickey Terry * ''
Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...
'' (1968, Episode: "A Severe Case Of Matrimony") as Rosalita * '' The Brotherhood'' (1968) as Emma Ginetta * ''The Sisters'' (1969) as Martha * ''Sweet Hunters'' (1969) as Lis * '' The Virginian'' (1970, Episode: "Crooked Corner") as Clara Hansch * ''McCloud'' (1970) as Lorraine / Annette Bardege * ''
Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, '' The Twilight Zon ...
'' (1971–1973, 2 episodes) as Sheila Trent / Ruth Asquith (segment "Midnight Never Ends") * '' The Sixth Sense (TV series)'' (1972: Once Upon a Chilling") * ''The Legend of Hillbilly John'' (1972) as Polly Wiltse * ''
Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...
'' (1973) as Elizabeth Lavenza * '' Toma'' (1973) as Patty Toma (series regular; 23 episodes) * '' And Millions Will Die'' (1973) as Heather Kessler * ''
The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner, aired on NBC from September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator Jim Rockford, with Noah Beery Jr. in th ...
'' (1974, Episode: "The Countess") as Deborah Ryder * '' So Evil, My Sister'' (1974) as Brenda * '' McMillan and Wife'' (1974) as Virginia Ryan * ''Sammy Somebody'' (1976) * ''The Rockford Files'' (1976, Episode: "A Bad Deal In The Valley") as Karen Stiles * ''The Stronger'' (1976, Short) * '' Rollercoaster'' (1977) as Fran * ''Tre soldi e la donna di classe'' (1977) * '' The Manitou'' (1978) as Karen Tandy * '' In Praise of Older Women'' (1978) as Bobbie * '' The Immigrants'' (1978) as Sarah Levy * ''
$weepstake$ ''Sweepstakes'', stylized as ''$weepstake$'', is an American anthology television series that aired in the United States on NBC during the 1978-79 United States network television schedule#Tuesday, 1978–-79 television season. It depicts the liv ...
'' (1979, Episode: "Roscoe, Elizabeth, and the M.C.") as Beverly * '' Beggarman, Thief'' (1979) as Ida Cohen * ''Acting: Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio'' (1981, Documentary) * '' Bloody Birthday'' (1981) as Miss Viola Davis * '' Mazes and Monsters'' (1982) as Meg * '' Sweet Sixteen'' (1983) as Joanne Morgan * ''The Returning'' (1983) as Sybil Ophir * '' Tales of the Unexpected'' (1984–1985, TV Series) as Roberta Elton / Madame Myra * '' Tales from the Darkside'' (1985) as artist Kate in episode "Effect and Cause" * '' The Delta Force'' (1986) as Debra Levine (Passenger) * ''Remembering Marilyn'' (1987, Documentary) * ''
Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...
'' (1987, Episode: "The Days Dwindle Down") as Dorothy Hearn Davis * ''Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend'' (1987, Documentary) * '' The Runnin' Kind'' (1989) as Carol Curtis * ''Prime Suspect'' (1989) as Dr. Celia Warren * ' (1990) as Helene Schweitzer * ''The Cherry Orchard'' (1992) as Livia * '' Love, Marilyn'' (2012, Documentary) * '' The Other Side of the Wind'' (2018; shot between 1970 and 1976) as Juliette Riche


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * *
John Strasberg Studios
* video, 6 min. {{DEFAULTSORT:Strasberg, Susan 1938 births 1999 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from New York City American expatriates in Italy American film actresses 20th-century American memoirists American stage actresses American television actresses Deaths from breast cancer in New York (state) Jewish American actresses Jewish American memoirists American women memoirists 20th-century American women writers Jewish women writers The High School of Music & Art alumni 20th-century American Jews American people of Polish-Jewish descent