Susan Blakely

Susan Blakely (born September 7, 1948) is an American actress. She is best known for her leading role in the 1976 ABC miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man, for which she received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama and an Emmy nomination for Best Actress. Blakely also has appeared in films including The Towering Inferno, Report to the Commissioner (1975), Capone (1975), The Concorde... Airport '79 (1979) and Over the Top (1987).

Early life Susan Blakely was born on September 7, 1948, in Frankfurt, Germany, the daughter of an Army colonel. After she attended University of Texas at El Paso, she moved to New York and studied acting with Warren Robertson, Lee Strasberg and Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse and later studied with Charles Conrad and Warner Loughlin in Los Angeles. She began a professional modeling career in 1967 at the prestigious Ford Modeling Agency appearing in hundreds of commercials.

Career Blakely arrived in Hollywood in the early 1970s, and began appearing in supporting roles in films including Savages, The Way We Were, and The Lords of Flatbush. Her first major role was as Patty Simmons in the 1974 disaster film The Towering Inferno. The following year, she played the female lead roles in films Report to the Commissioner alongside Michael Moriarty, and Capone opposite Ben Gazzara.

Blakely gained wide critical acclaim with her leading role in the 1976 ABC television miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man, based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Irwin Shaw. For her performance, Blakely won that year's Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama and earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. She earned a second Emmy Award nomination the following year when she reprised her role in Rich Man, Poor Man Book II.

Personal life In 1969, Blakely married a lawyer, Todd Merer. They divorced in 1981. Then in 1982, Blakely married media expert, public relations consultant and filmmaker Steve Jaffe. They reside in Beverly Hills, California.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1972 Savages Cecily 1973 The Way We Were Judianne 1974 The Lords of Flatbush Jane Bradshaw 1974 The Towering Inferno Patty Duncan Simmons 1975 Report to the Commissioner Patty Butler 1975 Shampoo Girl on Street Uncredited 1975 Capone Iris Crawford 1979 Dreamer Karen 1979 The Concorde... Airport '79 Maggie Whelan 1987 Over the Top Christina Hawk 1987 The Survivalist Linda Ryan 1989 Dream a Little Dream Cherry Diamond 1989 My Mom's a Werewolf Leslie Shaber 1990 Out of Sight, Out of Mind Alice Lundgren 1992 Russian Holiday Susan Dennison 1994 Seven Sundays Alice 1999 Gut Feeling 2001 Barbara Esmond 2002 Hungry Hearts Barbi Harris 2004 L.A. Twister Vivian 2005 Hate Crime Martha Boyd 2008 Grizzly Park Unhappy Camper 2008 Mating Dance Abby's Mother 2010 The Genesis Code Beverly Truman 2011 Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 Vivian Ashe 2013 Green Briefs Theresa 2017 Displacement Carol Sinclair

Television Year Title Role Notes 1976 Rich Man, Poor Man Julie Prescott MiniseriesGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series DramaNominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie 1976 Rich Man, Poor Man Book II Julie Prescott MiniseriesNominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie 1977 Secrets Andrea Fleming Television film 1980 Make Me an Offer Joyce Windsor Television film 1980 A Cry for Love Polly Harris Television film 1981 The Oklahoma City Dolls Sally Jo Purkey Television film 1981 The Bunker Eva Braun Television film 1983 Will There Really Be a Morning? Frances Farmer Television filmNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film 1984 The Hitchhiker Melody Episode: "Remembering Melody" 1985 Stingray Evelyn Decter Television film 1985 The Love Boat Nicole Phillips 2 episodes 1986 Blood & Orchids Marie Farrell Television film 1986 Annihilator Layla Television film 1986 The Ted Kennedy Jr. Story Joan Kennedy Television film 1987 The Twilight Zone Linda Wolfe Episode: "The Card/The Junction" 1985–1987 Hotel Marion Thorne / Dr. Ann Vargo / Allison 3 episodes 1987 $25,000 Pyramid Herself Part of a 6 celebrity charity tournament week; aired September 21, 1987 to September 25, 1987 1987 Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery Patricia Erdain Television film 1988 Broken Angel Catherine Coburn Television film 1988 April Morning Sarah Cooper Television film 1988 Hiroshima Maiden Betty Bennett Television film 1988 Ladykillers Lilah Corbett Television film 1988 In the Heat of the Night Claudia Merrill Episode: "The Family Secret" 1990 The Incident Billie Television film 1990 Falcon Crest Anne Bowen 3 episodes 1990 Dead Reckoning Alex Barnard Television film 1990 Murder Times Seven Gert Kiley Television film 1991 And the Sea Will Tell Gail Bugliosi Television film 1991 Blackmail Lucinda Television film 1991 Wildflower Ada Guthrie Television film 1992 Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore Billie Television film 1992 Intruders Leigh Holland Miniseries 1993 No Child of Mine Peggy Young Television film 1994 Walker, Texas Ranger Meredith Clancy Episode: "Deadly Vision" 1994 The True Story of the Menendez Murders Leslie Abramson Television film 1989–1994 Murder, She Wrote Various 4 episodes 1995 Step by Step Pam Marshall Episode: "She Came in Through the Bedroom Window" 1995-2000 Diagnosis: Murder Various 2 episodes 1996 Co-ed Call Girl Teri Halbert Television film 1996 Color Me Perfect Dr. Linda Ryan Television film 1998 Broken Silence: A Moment of Truth Movie Margaret Carlyle Television film 1998 7th Heaven Elizabeth Brown Episode: "And a Nice Chianti" 2000 Chain of Command Meg Danforth Television film 2000 The Perfect Nanny Dr. Julia Bruning Television film 2000 Her Married Lover Laura Mannhart Television film 2001 Baywatch Hawaii Madam Pele/The Hitchhiker/The Tour Guide Episode: "The Return Of Jessie" 2001 A Mother's Testimony Donna Mulroney Television film 2001 Strong Medicine Camille Cantrell Episode: "Rebirth" 2005 The Perfect Neighbor Jeannie Costigan Television film 2006 Cold Case Mollie Felice Episode: "Baby Blues" 2007 Side Order of Life Margot McIntyre 3 episodes 2007 Nip/Tuck Valerie Farrell Episode: "Everett Poe" 2008 Murder 101: New Age Camilla Meera Television film 2008 Two and a Half Men Angie 2 episodes 2010 Brothers & Sisters Celia Calmartin Episode: "Faking It" 2009, 2011 Southland Linda Sherman 2 episodes 2012 Cougar Town Betsy Episode: "Ways to Be Wicked" 2013 The Perfect Boyfriend Clara Television film2017NCISDr. Cadence Darwin Episode: "Exit Strategy"2017Crazy Ex-GirlfriendGigi Plimpton Episode: "Josh Is Irrelevant." 2017–2018 This Is Us Anne Recurring role