Susan Strasberg

Background and acting career

Strasberg was born in New York City, New York, to theatre director and drama coach Lee Strasberg of the Actors Studio and former actress Paula Strasberg. Her brother, John, is an acting coach. Her parents were both from Jewish families who emigrated from Europe.

Strasberg attended the Professional Children's School, and then spent time at both The High School of Music & Art and the High School of Performing Arts. After a widely praised performance as a teenager in Picnic, Strasberg originated the title role in the Broadway production of The Diary of Anne Frank and was nominated for a Tony Award at the age of 18. Strasberg became the youngest actress to star on Broadway with her name above the marquee title. In 1955, she appeared twice on the cover of Life (July 11, 1955 issue; November 11, 1955 issue) and soon after on the cover of Newsweek (December 19, 1955 issue). She later starred in the Italian Holocaust film Kapò which was nominated for an Academy Award as best foreign film of 1960.

From the 1960s through the 1980s, she guest-starred in such television series as The Virginian, The Invaders, Bonanza, The F.B.I., Breaking Point, Burke's Law, The Streets of San Francisco, Night Gallery, McCloud, Alias Smith & Jones, The Big Valley, Remington Steele, and The Rockford Files (twice, as Deborah Ryder and as Karen Stiles, Rockford's ex-girlfriend). She lived in Italy in the early 1960s, where she was often called 'La Strasberg'. In 1993, she was a jury member for the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival. Susan also starred in an episode of " Mannix "

Writing

Strasberg wrote two best-selling books. Bittersweet was an autobiography in which she wrote about her tumultuous relationships with her parents and with actors Richard Burton and Christopher Jones, as well as with her own daughter's struggles with a heart defect. Marilyn and Me: Sisters, Rivals, Friends was about Strasberg's friendship with Marilyn Monroe, whom she called a "surrogate sister" and a "member" of the Strasberg family for many years. Strasberg was working on a third book about her personal spiritual journey at the time of her death entitled Confessions of a New Age Heretic.

Personal life

Before her marriage, Strasberg had relationships with Warren Beatty, Cary Grant, and Richard Burton.

On September 25, 1965, Strasberg married actor Christopher Jones, with whom she had appeared in an episode of The Legend of Jesse James. Their daughter, Jennifer Robin, was born six months later. The couple divorced in 1968.

Death

In the mid 1990s, Strasberg was diagnosed with breast cancer. She died of the disease at her home in New York City on January 21, 1999, at the age of 60.