Susan Dey: The Private and Public Life of 'The Partridge Family' and 'L.A. Law' Star

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It's an age-old familiar classic TV comparable preference scenario:

Mary Ann played by Dawn Wells or Ginger played by Tina Louise on Gilligan's Island? Samantha, played by Elizabeth Montgomery on Bewitched, or Jeannie, played by Barbara Eden on I Dream of Jeannie? Marcia Brady played by Maureen McCormick on The Brady Bunch or Laurie Partridge played by Susan Dey on The Partridge Family?

The competition between each has always been fierce, while Dey later stood out with her portrayal of a second popular weekly TV character: Grace Van Owen on L.A. Law.

A Closer Look

Susan Dey was born on December 10, 1952, in Pekin, Illinois, to Ruth Pyle and Robert Smith Dey. Her mother was a nurse and her father was a newspaper editor for The Standard Star, New Rochelle, New York. In 1961, unfortunately, Pyle passed away when Dey was only 8.

After attending Columbus Elementary School in Thornwood, New York, Dey and her family relocated to Mount Kisco, New York, where, in 1970, she attended Fox Lane High School.

Shortly after, she became interested in modeling, which led to her being cast as Laurie Partridge on The Partridge Family (which originally aired on ABC from 1970 to 1974).

While fellow Partridge stars Shirley Jones and her stepson David Cassidy may have attracted more of the spotlight, Dey garnered a solid amount of attention all her own.

So much so, she was cast in movies such as 1972's Skyjacked, and Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night, released in 1977.

That same year, Dey appeared in a romantic film, First Love, and later portrayed Cindy Fairmont in the 1981 big-screen thriller called Looker.

In 1986, Dey won the starring role in Echo Park, playing a waitress/aspiring actress who eventually works as a stripper.

That same year, she was cast as attorney Grace Van Owen in the TV series, L.A. Law, for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.

Beyond Laurie and Grace

Susan Dey has also made several TV guest appearances in shows like The Rookies, Hawaii Five-0, and The Quest.

In 1992, Dey served as host of Saturday Night Live, which included a satiric skit about The Partridge Family.

Behind the scenes, Dey has also worked as a producer in the ABC movie, Lies & Lullabies, in which she also starred (as a pregnant cocaine addict.

Conclusion

Throughout her diverse career, Susan Dey has received six Golden Globe Award nominations and three Emmy Award nominations.

In recent years, she has retained a low profile, making few public appearances. However, she did speak at the memorial service for David Cassidy, which was held at the Television Academy following his demise in 2017.