Whatever Happened to Susan Dey and Why Isn't She Part of the Partridge Family Reunion?
Laurie Partridge Won't Be with Her Former Castmates as They Meet Again on the Today Show
Susan Dey will not be joining the rest of her former castmates as the Partridge Family reunites on Tuesday morning on NBC's The Today Show. The Partridge Family's appearance marks the second installment of The Today Show's "Great TV Families reunited" series, which features popular television families reuniting after several decades.
On Monday, the cast from Eight is Enough was featured, but without Adam Rich, who played the lovable Nicholas Bradford on the show. No stated reason was given for Rich's absence, but the former child star has struggled with substance abuse and legal problems after Eight is Enough was canceled.
Unlike Adam Rich, and unlike her television brother Danny Bonaduce, Susan Dey has had, at least in public, a personal life free of the problems that so often plague child stars.
Dey was a big television star (and the object of adolescent lust) during her run as Laurie Partridge and then went on to even bigger stardom in her role as Judge Grace Van Owen on the 1980's hit drama LA Law. While Dey was a popular figure among the boys (and girls) while on The Partridge Family, her role on LA Law made her a darling of the critics.
After her run on LA Law ended in the early 1990's, however, Dey has maintained a relatively low profile. Dey's most recent television role, in fact, came in 2004 when she appeared on two episodes of Third Watch.
For a star who bridged two eras, and did it brilliantly, and for one who seemed to live a scandal free personal life, Susan Dey was an actress that seemed poised to continue acting forever. Beautiful, talented, and even blessed with a show business name, Dey had 'sure thing' written all over her. The fact that she has had no major roles since the demise of LA Law is one of the great mysteries of modern entertainment.
It could be that Susan Dey decided to duck out of the limelight to enjoy life with her husband. It could be that she just got tired of the business. It could be that the offers did not come the way most assumed that they would.
But given her very low profile for nearly twenty years, and given her absence from the Partridge Family reunion on The Today Show, her fans cannot help but wonder whatever happened to Susan Dey.
Source: msnbc.com
Published by Ron Hart
Ron Hart lives in New York. His interests are varied and include sports, politics and great Big Apple restaurants. He is a big baseball fan and enjoys discussing, debating and watching sports. He also enj... View profile
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5 Comments
Post a CommentI would love to see Susan Dey do a guest spot on Grey's Anatomy as a doctor
I took a liking to Susan's acting style as a child on The Partridge Family.I think we were all starving for a woman to be more praticipative in playful aknowledgements of exaggerations in a more laid back way...The whole thing was like a new spin on a situation comedy It was more whimsical and improvizational- like like... a pioneering thing that would keep returnig to her with more involvement in the zany thick of it.
Garrick
I miss Susan. I LOVED her on The Partridge Family and L.A. LAW. I wish there were a way I could talk to her to give her some moral support.
Ah, Ron! You didn't answer the question! It was rhetorical... And I was really wondering what the answer would be.
Hey- I was a BIG Susan Dey fan during her Partridge AND L.A. Law days. She made two movies between these two shows- both were fun to watch but box office bombs (The first was a pretty hot "soft-core flick called "First Love" and the second was an art-house attempt titled "Encino Valley"-or something like that). Dey was actually plagued with a huge eating disorder during her Partridge days- which is why she avoids ANYTHING to do with reunions. Also- David Cassidy revealed in his memoirs that they actually fooled around towards the end of the series- and this public revelation really pissed her off. Plus- she had distain for Bonaduce- he has been truly mean when discussing her over the years. He has called her "humorless" and poked fun at her whenever she has come up during interviews. Dey left "L.A.Law early to star in a sitcom. It was fairly successful for a couple of seasons- but either the network (CBS) thought she wasn't funny enough in the role- or she just didn't like doing th