Susan George (actress)
Susan Melody George (born 26 July 1950) is an English film and television actress.
Susan George | |
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George in October 2008 | |
Born | Susan Melody George 26 July 1950 London, UK |
Occupation | Actress, producer |
Years active | 1962–present |
Spouse(s) | (his death) |
Early life
She was born in Surbiton[1] and has recalled many holidays at the caravan park in Font-y-Gary in South Wales as a child.[2] She trained at the Stage School, Corona Theatre School and has acted since the age of four.
Acting
She is best known for such films as Straw Dogs (1971) with Dustin Hoffman, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974) with Peter Fonda and Mandingo (1975) with Ken Norton.[3]
When asked in a 2013 interview about working with Hoffman and director Sam Peckinpah in Straw Dogs, George said:
I had a love-hate relationship with Sam, but he was a brilliant director and a genius of his time. Dustin was a generous actor to work with, who could be intense at times, but had a great personality and an incredibly mischievous sense of humour. Making the film was a fantastic experience and one that I cherish to this day.[4]
In the early 1970s, George came to be associated with rather provocative, sometimes (as in Straw Dogs) controversial roles and became quite typecast. Cinema writer Leslie Halliwell's rather terse summary of her career was: "British leading lady, former child actress; usually typed as sexpot".[5]
Her lighter side was apparent in some of her TV appearances, such as in an episode ("The Gold Napoleon") of The Persuaders (1971) with Roger Moore and Tony Curtis. In 1988, George marked her film-producing debut with Stealing Heaven.
Personal life
Susan George was married to British actor Simon MacCorkindale from 5 October 1984 until his death on 14 October 2010.[6] They did not have any children.[7]
Before her marriage, she had a four-year relationship with American singer Jack Jones,[8] and later spent another four years as the partner of casino manager Derek Webster.[9]
George breeds Arabian horses and has a stud farm called Georgian Arabians.[10]
Filmography
Film
- Cup Fever (1965) – Vicky (child)
- Davy Jones' Locker (1966) - Susan Haddock
- Billion Dollar Brain (1967) – Russian girl on train
- The Sorcerers (1967) – Audrey
- The Strange Affair (1968) – 'Fred' March
- Up the Junction (1968) – Joyce
- All Neat in Black Stockings (1968) – Jill
- Twinky (a.k.a. Lola) (1969) – Lola/'Twinky' (Sybil)
- The Looking Glass War (1970) - Susan
- Eyewitness (1970) – Pippa
- Spring and Port Wine (1970) – Hilda Crompton
- Straw Dogs (1971) – Amy Sumner
- Die Screaming, Marianne (1971) – Marianne
- Fright (1971) – Amanda
- Sonny and Jed (1972) – Sonny
- Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974) – Mary Coombs
- Out of Season (1975) – Joanna (a.k.a. Winter Rates)
- Mandingo (1975) – Blanche Maxwell
- A Small Town in Texas (1976) – Mary Lee Carter
- Tintorera (1977) – Gabriella
- Tomorrow Never Comes (1978) – Janie
- Enter the Ninja (1981) – Mary Ann Landers
- Venom (1981) – Louise Andrews
- The House Where Evil Dwells (1982) – Laura Fletcher
- Kiss My Grits (1982) – Baby (a.k.a. Summer Heat)
- The Jigsaw Man (1983) – Penelope Kimberley (opposite Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier)
- Lightning, the White Stallion (1986) – Madame Rene
- Djavolji raj (1989) – Ana (a.k.a. That Summer of White Roses)
- In Your Dreams (2008) - Barbara Wood-Ross
- City of Life (2009) - Constance
Television
- Swallows and Amazons (1963) TV series – Kitty Walker
- The Human Jungle (1965) TV episode "Heartbeats in a Tin Box" – Gina McCutcheon
- Weavers Green (1966) TV series
- Dracula (1968) (TV) – Lucy Weston
- Doctor in the House (TV series) (1970) -(episode "May The Best Man...", 1970) – Jenny
- The Persuaders! (1971) (TV) (episode "The Gold Napoleon", 1971) - – Michelle Devigne
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1973) (TV) – Anne
- Tales of the Unexpected (TV) (episode "Lamb to the Slaughter", 1979) – Mary Marney
- Tales of the Unexpected (TV) (episode "Royal Jelly", 1980) – Mabel Taylor
- Computercide (1982) (TV) – Lisa Korter (a.k.a. The Final Eye)
- Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense (TV) (episode "Czech Mate", 1984) – Vicky Duncan
- Pajama Tops (1984) (TV) – Mrs. Chavinet
- Jack the Ripper (1988) (TV) – Catherine Eddowes
- Stay Lucky (1989) TV series – Samantha Mansfield (1993)
- The Castle of Adventure (1990) (TV) – Allie Mannering
- Cluedo (1990) TV series – Mrs. Peacock (IV; Series 3; 1992)
- The House That Mary Bought (1995) (TV) – Mary Close
- EastEnders (2001) (TV) – Margaret Walker
- The Real Marigold Hotel (2018) - herself
As executive producer
- Stealing Heaven (1988)
- Djavolji raj (1989)
- The House That Mary Bought (1995) (TV)
As miscellaneous crew
- Jackie Brown (1997) (very special thanks)
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1983 | 10th Saturn Awards | Best Actress | The House Where Evil Dwells | Nominated |
References
- "Ciaran Brown meets actress Susan George". www.ciaranbrown.com. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- Country life. Country Life, Ltd. 2008. p. 58.
- "Mandingo". The New York Times.
- "Susan George". Classicfilmtvcafe.com.
- Halliwell, Leslie (1984). Filmgoer's Companion, 8th ed, 1984.
- "Casualty actor Simon MacCorkindale dies aged 58". BBC News. 15 October 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
- "The EastEnder who stole Prince Charles' heart". Daily Mirror. London. 16 June 2001.
- "Jack Jones, Susan George take romance on road", Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 24 July 1975. Accessed 26 August 2014
- "Has Susan found real love at last?", Titbits, 7 May 1986. Accessed 26 August 2014
- "Georgian Arabians".