Suzanne Somers, the actress who shined on the small screen on “Three’s Company” and one of television’s most iconic fitness pitchwomen, died at 76, according to a statement from her longtime publicist R. Couri Hay.
Hay wrote in the statement on behalf of the actress’ family, “Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th. She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years.” The statement said Somers “was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family.” The statement added, “Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th. Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly.”
Somers revealed a recurrence of breast cancer in July. She wrote on Instagram, “Since I’ve been taking time off from work, many of you have asked for more details about my health. As you know, I had breast cancer two decades ago, and every now and then, it pops up again, and I continue to bat it down. This is not new territory for me. I know how to put on my battle gear, and I’m a fighter.” She was first diagnosed with the disease in 2001, she revealed in an interview with Larry King.
Somers’ multifaceted career spanned decades, but she was best known as Chrissy Snow on the hit sitcom “Three’s Company” that ran through the late 70s and early 80s. She also wrote multiple books, including bestsellers “Sexy Forever,” “Knockout,” and “Ageless.” She hosted her talk show and became a wellness entrepreneur, mainly built on the success of her famous partnership with ThighMaster, turning her into a fitness icon. Somers started acting in the early 1960s with uncredited film roles. In 1973, she earned her first on-screen credit as “blonde in a T-Bird” in George Lucas’s film “American Graffiti.”
Throughout the early ’70s, Somers appeared in various TV shows, including “One Day at a Time,” “The Love Boat” and “Starsky and Hutch” before landing her breakout role as Snow. Starring alongside the late John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt, Somers played the buoyant typing receptionist for five seasons between 1977 and 1981. The sitcom was a huge success and catapulted Somers into stardom. Her time on “Three’s Company” ended in 1981 after Somers had asked producers for a raise to match Ritter’s salary the year prior.
She became a popular entertainer in Las Vegas after her exit from the sitcom. In 1987, Somers was named Las Vegas Female Entertainer of the Year alongside Frank Sinatra. In 1991, that scripted TV magic Somers found in “Three’s Company” struck again, as the actress landed the role of Carol Foster Lambert in the family-friendly ABC sitcom “Step by Step.” Somers appeared as Lambert on the show until 1998.
She also hosted her popular namesake morning talk show, “The Suzanne Show,” on Lifetime, covering emerging health and wellness trends. Please keep Suzanne Somers’ family in your prayers during these challenging times.