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Suzanne PleshetteActress of stage, screen and television
Date of Birth: 31.01.1937
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Suzanne Pleshette: A Life on Stage, Screen, and Television
- Broadway and Film Success
- Television Stardom
- Later Career and Health Battles
- Legacy and Honors
Suzanne Pleshette: A Life on Stage, Screen, and Television
Early Life and CareerSuzanne Pleshette was born on January 31, 1937, in Brooklyn, New York, to Jewish parents. Her mother, Geraldine (née Kaplan), was a dancer and performer who used the stage name Geraldine Rivers. Her father, Eugene Pleshette, was a theater manager and executive director of the Paramount Theater in Brooklyn.
Pleshette attended the Manhattan High School of Performing Arts and enrolled at Syracuse University for one semester before transferring to Finch College. Critics described her physicality and demeanor as saucy, even sardonic, with a vibrant voice that reflected her spirited nature.
Broadway and Film Success
Pleshette's acting career began on stage. She made her Broadway debut in 1957 in Meyer Levin's "Compulsion," an adaptation of his novel inspired by the Leopold and Loeb trial. Two years later, she starred in the comedy "Golden Fleecing" opposite Tom Poston, who would later become her third husband. In February 1961, she replaced Anne Bancroft, performing opposite 14-year-old Patty Duke in "The Miracle Worker."
Pleshette began appearing in films, including "The Geisha Boy" as Sergeant Person, "Roman Holiday" as Prudence Bell, and Ralph Nelson's drama "Lilies of the Field," where she played Martha Webster. She portrayed Jean Green in Delmer Daves' "Youngblood Hawke," but she is best remembered as schoolteacher Annie Hayworth in Alfred Hitchcock's classic film "The Birds," in which she starred alongside Tippi Hedren.
Pleshette later provided the voices of the witch Yubaba and her twin sister Zeniba in the English dub of Hayao Miyazaki's Academy Award-winning Japanese animated film "Spirited Away." She also voiced Zira, the leader of the outcast pride in the Disney sequel "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride."
Television Stardom
Pleshette began working in television, with guest roles in series such as "Playhouse 90," "Have Gun — Will Travel," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Ben Casey," "Wagon Train," and "Dr. Kildare," for which she earned an Emmy nomination. She had numerous recurring roles in 1960s series, including "Route 66," "The Fugitive," "The Invaders," "The F.B.I.," and "The Name of the Game."
Pleshette landed her most enduring role as a regular on "The Bob Newhart Show" (1972-1978), appearing in all six seasons. For her portrayal of Emily Hartley in the show, she received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She reprised the role of Hartley in the unforgettable series finale of the sitcom "Newhart," in which Bob Newhart awakens next to Emily Hartley in the bedroom set from "The Bob Newhart Show."
Later Career and Health Battles
Her sitcom "Suzanne Pleshette Is Maggie Briggs," launched in 1984, was canceled after seven episodes. In 1989, Pleshette played Christina Broderick in the NBC drama series "Nightingales," which ran for one season. In 1990, she portrayed Manhattan hotel magnate Leona Helmsley in the television film "The Queen of Mean," which garnered her Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Pleshette also starred alongside Hal Linden in the 1994 sitcom "The Boys Are Back."
She played Mark Feuerstein's grandmother, Claire Arnold, in the sitcom "Good Morning, Miami," and Katie Sagal's mother in the ABC sitcom "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" following the death of John Ritter. Her last role was as Karen Walker's (played by Megan Mullally) mother, Lois Whitley, in three episodes of "Will & Grace."
Pleshette was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2006. Despite treatment, she suffered a pulmonary infection and pneumonia, which required a longer hospitalization. She attended the reunion of the "The Bob Newhart Show" cast in September 2007, appearing in a wheelchair and raising concerns about her health. However, she declared herself "cancer-free."
Legacy and Honors
Pleshette died of respiratory failure at her Los Angeles home on January 19, 2008. She was posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 31, 2008. In the 22nd season of "Entertainment Tonight," close friend Marcia Wallace announced that she would attend the ceremony on Pleshette's behalf. The late actress received the 2,355th star on the Walk of Fame. Bob Newhart, Arte Johnson, and Marcia Wallace paid tribute to Pleshette's accomplishments posthumously.
Pleshette was a versatile performer who left an unforgettable mark on the American entertainment landscape. Her vibrant personality, sharp wit, and memorable roles continue to entertain and inspire audiences to this day.
