Actress Susan Dey rose to prominence on television in the 1970s at the age of barely 18.
From 1970 to 1974, the television series “The Partridge Family” chronicled the lives of a musical family residing in the made-up city of San Pueblo, California.
Dey, who was a model at the time, was chosen for the ABC TV hit role of Laurie, the elder sister, whose singing family traveled to gigs in a remodeled psychedelic school bus. Laurie had no prior acting or singing experience.
Dey portrayed the wise and kind Laurie Partridge, the protagonist of The Partridge Family, from 1970 to 1974.
Millions of Americans fell in love with the show, and even after it lost its position as the nation’s most popular television program, it continued to gain popularity abroad by airing in the United Kingdom.
The cast suffered as a result of its fame; Dey was rumored to have had an eating disorder and to have plummeted to 92 pounds. A TV producer called her out on this, which led to her starting a new, healthy eating regimen that didn’t require starving herself.
According to his memoir C’mon, Get Happy: Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus, David Cassidy, who played Keith on the program, experienced extreme pressure due to his growing popularity, with “mass hysteria” surrounding his every move.
Over the course of the 4-year run of the show, Cassidy rose to fame as a teen idol and caught the interest of millions of women worldwide, including Susan Dey, his co-star, who developed a serious crush on the singing sensation.
They didn’t start dating until after the show, but their relationship was brief as Cassidy ended it suddenly and later revealed personal information about her in his memoir, including his opinion that she was too naive for him.
Even though the pair remained friends after their affair ended, Dey was offended by personal information Cassidy disclosed about him and vowed never to see him again. Years later, he even declined to go to a Partridge family reunion.
While starring in “The Partridge Family,” Dey penned her own book, “Susan Dey’s Secrets on Boys, Beauty, and Popularity.”
Following the finale of the popular show, Dey received a plethora of requests to act and went on to feature in over 20 TV movies (mainly TV dramas), for which she received nominations for three Emmys and six Golden Globes.
However, it was her portrayal of Grace Van Owen in “LA Law” that ultimately brought her a Best Actress Golden Globe. For six years, she portrayed the Los Angeles County deputy district attorney, who went on to become a judge.
According to Worldation.com, Susan Dey reportedly turned down the role of Sandy in the hit musical Grease. This is an odd coincidence since Olivia Newton-John, who played Sandy in the hit musical, had been offered and accepted the role of Laurie in “The Partridge Family,” but her manager convinced her not to accept it.
Dey was raised in Westchester County, New York, and was born Susan Hallock Dey in 1952. Her father was an editor for the Standard-Star in New Rochelle, New York, and her mother was a nurse.
Dey has avoided the spotlight for the past ten years and is said to be content with her life in upstate New York, her hometown, together with her husband of more than thirty years, Bernard.
Dey declared her fondness for being in intimate relationships with older guys after her breakup. She claimed that the reason she liked older men was that they knew just how to achieve their goals.
Susan Dey acknowledged to the media in 1988 that she had always been drawn to older guys.
She remarked, “I’m drawn to older men just because they know how to achieve their goals.”
Lenny Hirshan, her first husband, was an agent and 25 years Dey’s senior. Sara, the couple’s only child, was born in 1978. They were wed from 1976 to 1981.
In 1988, Susan tied the knot with her present spouse, television producer Bernard Sofronski. Family and friends were present at the modest, private ceremony where they tied the knot.
“Bernie has aided me in seeing that love is a reciprocal relationship. Love was beyond my comprehension till I met him. I feel like I have more energy and that every day I’m letting myself grow into my true self. Being with someone you can trust makes life so much easier,” she stated in an interview with Woman’s Own Magazine in 1988.
