Famous for her iconic role as Chrissy Snow in “Three’s Company,” beloved actress Suzanne Somers has died at the age of 76.
Suzanne Somers, an American actress best known for her role as Chrissy Snow in “Three’s Company,” has died after a 23-year battle with breast cancer.
She died in Palm Springs, California, surrounded by her family.
“Her family gathered to celebrate what would have been her 77th birthday on October 16,” the statement read. “Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life and thank the millions of fans and followers who loved her so much.”
Early Acting Career
But real attention came when she was cast as the blonde driving a white Thunderbird in George Lucas’s 1973 film “American Graffiti.” Her only line was to mutter “I love you” to Richard Dreyfuss’s character. Somers later staged a one-woman Broadway show called “The Blonde in the Thunderbird,” about her life, which received harsh criticism.
She appeared in several television shows in the 1970s, including “The Rockford Files,” “Magnum Force,” and “The Six Million Dollar Man,” but her most famous role was on “Three’s Company,” which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984 — although her run ended in 1981.
“Three’s Company”: The Iconic Role That Shaped Suzanne’s Career
In “Three’s Company,” she played Chrissy Snow, the dumb blonde (a stereotype of the era) alongside John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt in the hit comedy Roommate. “It was really intellectual to create her,” she told CBS News in 2020. “How do I make her likeable and lovable… dumb blondes are annoying. I gave her a moral code. I imagined that was the childhood I wanted to have.”
In 1980, after four seasons, she insisted that ABC give her a fivefold raise and give her 10% of the show’s revenue. “The reaction of the show was, ‘Who do you think you are?’” Somers told People in 2020. “They said, ‘John Ritter is the star.’”
ABC drastically reduced her role to just 60 seconds per episode and eventually terminated her contract. Somers sued for $2 million, claiming she just wanted to be paid on par with popular male sitcom actors. She then went on to star in another successful sitcom, “Step By Step,” which aired on ABC’s teen programming block TGIF. Somers is also a prolific author of books on aging, menopause, beauty, health, sex, and cancer.
