Remembering Suzanne Somers: from 'Three's Company' to Thighmaster and bestselling books

Born October 16th, 1946, Somers died one day shy of her 77th birthday on October 15, 2023. According to her publicist, she died peacefully at home with her husband and son by her side.

The actress had been married to Bruce Somers from 1965 to 1968. Their son Bruce Jr. was born in November 1965 when Suzanne was 19 years old.

Somers worked as a prize model on the game show which was hosted by Alan Hamel. The couple were married in 1977 and formed a blended family with Somers’ son and Hamel’s son and daughter.

Before landing the iconic role on ‘Three’s Company,’ Somers had many guest appearances on television shows in the 1970s including ‘The Love Boat’ and ‘Starsky and Hutch.’

She skillfully played the role of Chrissy Snow, the dim-witted yet loveable blonde roommate, from 1977-1981.

As the popularity of ‘Three’s Company’ grew, Somers made the request to be paid the same rate per episode as her co-star John Ritter. At the time, she was making $30,000 per episode while Ritter was being paid $150,000 per episode.

After being fired from ‘Three’s Company,’ Somers sued the ABC network for 2 million dollars in damages. An arbitrator did not decide in her favour and she only received $30,000.

Despite this setback in her career, Somers used her talents to continue acting but also expand her career and earning power through other avenues.

You cannot remember the popular 1990s exercise equipment, designed to target the thighs, without associating Somers with the successful advertising campaign.

Somers again enjoyed longevity on the television screen with the popular Friday night sitcom which ran from 1991-1998. Somers played the character of ‘Carol,’ a busy single mother and beautician.

The talk show aired on the Lifetime Network for one season with 13 episodes. Somers featured a variety of guests and discussed health and wellness topics.

Somers wrote over 27 books with 14 of them bestsellers. Her topics of interest ranged from exercise, aging, cancer, weight loss, and wellness.

Her last book entitled, ‘Two’s Company,‘ is an autobiographical account of her lasting 50 year love story and business partnership with her husband Alan Hamel.

Somers was partnered with professional dancer Tony Dovolani in ‘Dancing with the Stars’. They were eliminated from the show after week five, placing 9th in the 20th season.

Prior to this diagnosis, Somers had already dealt with other forms of cancer including malignant melanoma and uterine hyperplasia. Her b r e a s t cancer was initially treated with surgery and radiation.

Sadly, the illness was found to have recurred in July of 2023. A few months later, Suzanne Somers died. She left behind a legacy in her work and business empire and will be remembered for her resilience in her decades-long journey with cancer.