Susan Richardson
| Susan Richardson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 11, 1952 Coatesville, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Occupation | Actress, nursing home caregiver |
| Years active | 1973–99 |
| Spouse(s) | Michael Virden (1978–85) |
Susan Richardson (born March 11, 1952) is a retired American actress, best known for her role as Susan Bradford on the television series Eight is Enough, which she played from 1977 to 1981.
Early life
Born in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, Richardson first started acting in plays in high school. She graduated from Coatesville Area Senior High School in 1969, and moved to Hollywood in 1971.
Career
Initially, Richardson played bit roles in feature films American Graffiti and A Star Is Born, and she guest-starred on the television series Happy Days and The Streets of San Francisco. Shortly before her 25th birthday, about six years after moving to the West Coast, Richardson was picked to play the fourth-oldest child in the Bradford family on Eight is Enough.
In her Eight Is Enough heyday, Richardson appeared in two installments of Battle of the Network Stars (May 1979 and December 1980), as well as numerous appearances on The $20,000 Pyramid, Password Plus, and Match Game, in addition to a one-hour All-Star episode of Family Feud in 1978 and a three-episode celebrity tournament on the daytime version in May 1979.
After Eight Is Enough was canceled, she started a band called Harmony.
As of 2000 Richardson was working as a caregiver at a retirement home in Pennsylvania.
Personal life
On March 15, 1978, Richardson married Michael Virden, and shortly thereafter became pregnant, which was also written into Eight Is Enough. She gave birth to their daughter, Sarah, on March 27, 1980.
After her pregnancy, a rumor was spread that Richardson would lose her job if she did not shed her pregnancy weight; she had gained 90 lb (41 kg). Finding it very difficult to slim down by normal means, she started using cocaine as a weight-loss aid, and became addicted. (She later overcame her habit.)
After Eight Is Enough, Richardson battled addiction to morphine following a debilitating tailbone injury.
In January 2013, The Huffington Post published a report from a National Enquirer interview with Richardson. She reported she had experienced extremely hard times, living in an unheated trailer with a rotting floor in Wagontown, Pennsylvania, not far from her hometown of Coatesville. Richardson said she had developed diabetes, suffered three mini-strokes, had lost 60 lb (27 kg), and had also lost her teeth as the result of a digestive condition.[1]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | American Graffiti | Judy | |
| 1974 | Nakia | Nancy | Episode: "A Matter of Choice" |
| 1975 | Streets of San Francisco, TheThe Streets of San Francisco | Marlene Hollander | Episode "The Programming of Charlie Blake" |
| 1975 | Happy Days | Carol Danson | Episode: "Fonzie Joins the Band" |
| 1976 | A Star Is Born | Groupie | |
| 1977 | McLean Stevenson Show, TheThe McLean Stevenson Show | Sharlene | Episode: "The Great Rift" |
| 1977–81 | Eight Is Enough | Susan Bradford Stockwell | 112 episodes |
| 1979 | Runaways, TheThe Runaways | Kathleen Randolph | Episode: "Screams in the Night" |
| 1981 | Love Boat, TheThe Love Boat | Emily Parker | 1 episode |
| 1982 | Fantasy Island | Ellen | Episode: "The Magic Camera/Mata Hari/Valerie" |
| 1982 | CHiPs | Snow Pink | Episode: "Battle of the Bands" |
| 1982 | One Day at a Time | Eloise | Episodes: "The Honeymoon Is Over", "First Things First" |
| 1987 | Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion | Susan Bradford | TV movie |
| 1989 | Eight Is Enough Wedding, AnAn Eight Is Enough Wedding | Susan Bradford | TV movie |
References
- ↑ "Susan Richardson Broke: 'Eight Is Enough' Star Sick, Living In A 'Rotting' Trailer". The Huffington Post. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
External links
- Biography at EightisEnough.com
- Susan Richardson at the Internet Movie Database
- Susan Richardson on Facebook