Susan Blakely

Susan Blakely (born September 7, 1948) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her leading role in the 1976 ABC miniseries, Rich Man, Poor Man, for which she received Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. Blakely also has appeared in films include The Towering Inferno (1974), Report to the Commissioner (1975), Capone (1975), The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979), and Over the Top (1987).

Early life

Blakely was born in Frankfurt, Germany. She is the daughter of American parents Mary Louise, a former art teacher, and Colonel Larry Blakely, a career Army officer. After she attended University of Texas, Blakely moved to New York, while she studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse and later began professional modeling career at Ford Modeling Agency.

Career

Blakely arrived in Hollywood in the early 1970s, and began appearing in supporting roles in films include Savages, The Way We Were, and The Lord's of Flatbush. Her first major role was as Patty Simmons in the 1974 disaster film The Towering Inferno. The following year, she played the female lead roles in films Report to the Commissioner alongside Michael Moriarty, and Capone opposite Ben Gazzara.