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Suzanne SomersActress, author and businesswoman
Date of Birth: 16.10.1946
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Suzanne Somers: Early Life and Education
- Modeling and Acting Career
- Post-"Three's Company" Era
- "Step by Step" and Beyond
- Business Empire and Broadway Debut
- Health and Personal Life
Suzanne Somers: Early Life and Education
Suzanne Marie Mahoney, known as Suzanne Somers, was born on October 16, 1946, in San Bruno, California, to Frank and Marion Mahoney. She grew up in a strict, Irish Catholic family as the third of four children. Her father's alcoholism and volatile behavior forced her to often seek refuge in the bathroom, contributing to her childhood trauma. Despite her struggles with dyslexia, she joined the drama club at Capuchino High School, where she played Adelaide in Frank Loesser's "Guys and Dolls."
After graduating in June 1964, Somers attended the San Francisco Women's College (also known as Lone Mountain College) to study music. Her time there was cut short when she became pregnant and dropped out in her sophomore year. She married the father of her child, Bruce Somers, in 1965, but the marriage ended three years later.
Modeling and Acting Career
After her divorce, Somers pursued a modeling career and won a game show prize on "The Anniversary Game," hosted by her future husband, Alan Hamel. She began landing small television roles in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including guest appearances on talk shows and a role in the American version of "Lotsa Luck."
Her breakthrough came in 1977 when she joined the cast of the sitcom "Three's Company" as the blonde bombshell Chrissy Snow. However, her time on the show was marked by a high-profile salary dispute, and she was fired after demanding a substantial pay increase.
Post-"Three's Company" Era
Despite the controversy surrounding her departure from "Three's Company," Somers's career continued to thrive. She starred in her own sitcom, "Suzanne Somers Show," and became a spokesperson for the "Thighmaster" exercise device. She released two nude pictorials for "Playboy" magazine in 1980 and 1984.
In 1987, Somers returned to television in the series "She's the Sheriff." She also had numerous guest roles and hosted a self-titled talk show from 1994 to 1995.
"Step by Step" and Beyond
In 1991, Somers landed the lead role in the successful sitcom "Step by Step" alongside Patrick Duffy. The show ran for seven seasons, solidifying her status as a popular television star.
After "Step by Step," Somers pursued other ventures, including hosting the hidden camera show "Candid Camera." She also became an advocate for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, publishing a book on the subject.
Business Empire and Broadway Debut
As a businesswoman, Somers has built a multi-million dollar empire. Through her companies ELO Somers and Port Carling Inc., she sells clothing, diet programs, beauty products, and health supplements through home shopping networks, her website, and a direct sales organization named Suzanne, affiliated with Avon and Tupperware.
In 2005, Somers made her Broadway debut in the one-woman show "The Blonde in the Thunderbird." Despite negative reviews and poor ticket sales, the show ran until July 2005.
Health and Personal Life
In 2001, Somers announced that she had overcome breast cancer through surgery and radiation therapy. She opted for alternative treatments, including mistletoe injections, and has been an advocate for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
Somers has been married to Alan Hamel since 1977. She has one son, Bruce, Jr., from her previous marriage.
Today, Suzanne Somers continues to be an active figure in the entertainment industry and a vocal advocate for women's health and empowerment.
