October 16, 2023 – Suzanne Somers

We’re starting the week on a sad note. Suzanne Somers passed away yesterday at the age of 76, just a day before her 77th birthday. She was of course known for playing Chrissy Snow on Three’s Company from 1977-1981 as well as Carol Foster Lambert on Step by Step from 1991 to 1998.
She was cast on Three’s Company just a day before the third pilot was to be taped. The president of ABC had seen her on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In the late 60s and early 70s, she also had small parts in several TV shows, like The Rockford Files, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Love Boat, and One Day at a Time. She originally was paid $3500 a week for Three’s Company. It was a huge hit in the ratings, breaking the record for the highest-rated midseason show ever broadcast on TV. When the show started its 5th season in late 1980, Somers demanded a salary increase – and a big one! She wanted to go from $30,000 to $150,000 per episode, plus get 10% of the show’s profits. ABC, however, was only willing to increase her pay by $5,000 per episode. So she finished out the season, however her role was decreased to just 60 seconds per episode.
In the early 90s she was the spokeswoman on a series of informercials for the Thighmaster. It became one of the most recognizable products in informercial history, selling 10 million units to date. She also appeared on the Home Shopping Network throughout the 2000s, and was a contestant on the 20th season of Dancing With The Stars. Over the years, she wrote over 25 books, including 14 best sellers.
In April 2000, Somers was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer, undergoing a lumpectomy and radiation therapy. The cancer returned in July of this year, and she died at her home in Palm Springs on October 15. Learn more here.