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Susan Anspach
Stage and film actress from the United States

Susan Anspach

The basics

Quick Facts

Intro
Stage and film actress from the United States
Gender
Female
Place of birth
New York City, New York, USA
Place of death
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA
Age
75 years
Family
Children:
Caleb Goddard
Education
The Catholic University of America
William Cullen Bryant High School
Instruments:
The details (from wikipedia)

Biography

Susan Florence Anspach (ONS-bok ; November 23, 1942 – April 2, 2018) was an American stage, film and television actress who had roles in films during the 1970s and 1980s such as Five Easy Pieces (1970), Play It Again, Sam (1972), Blume in Love (1973), Montenegro (1981), Blue Monkey (1987), and Blood Red (1989).

Early life

Anspach was born and raised in Queens, New York City. Her mother was Gertrude (née Kehoe), a secretary and former singer of Scottish and Irish ancestry. Her father was Renald Anspach, a World War II Army veteran and later factory worker, who was of German-Jewish and English descent. The couple met at the 1939 New York World's Fair. Anspach's grandfather had disapproved of the marriage and disowned his son. Anspach was raised by her great aunt until Anspach was six, when her aunt died. She went back to live with her parents in what grew to be an abusive home; she ran away at age 15. With the help of a Roman Catholic organization, she moved in with a family in Harlem.

Anspach graduated from William Cullen Bryant High School in Long Island City in 1960. She received a full scholarship to the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. She studied music and drama. Anspach made her professional debut in Thornton Wilder's one-act play Pullman Car Hiawatha at a summer theater in Maryland. After college, she moved back to New York City.

Career

Anspach starred in several Broadway and off-Broadway shows, including as the female lead (Sheila) in the musical Hair. The musical ran for 45 performances at the Cheetah Theatre. She was in a play with Al Pacino while at the Actors Studio.She starred off-Broadway in 1965 in A View from the Bridge with Robert Duvall, Jon Voight, and Dustin Hoffman.

Anspach first came to prominence in the 1970 film Five Easy Pieces, directed by Bob Rafelson and starring Jack Nicholson. Vincent Canby of The New York Times called her "one of America's most charming and talented actresses". She followed this with a supporting role in Woody Allen's Play It Again, Sam (1972) and a more prominent role in Paul Mazursky's romantic comedy Blume in Love (1973), alongside George Segal and Kris Kristofferson.

Anspach originally was cast in the role of country singer Barbara Jean in the 1975 film Nashville, but her salary request exceeded the ensemble film's budget; she was replaced by Ronee Blakley.

In her film career, Anspach starred in 19 features and eight television movies and also was featured in two series, The Yellow Rose and The Slap Maxwell Story (with Dabney Coleman). She guest-starred in the NBC romantic anthology series Love Story in 1973, in the episode "All My Tomorrows".

Personal life

Anspach was raised in the Catholic faith of her mother. She said that the church and her psychoanalyst were her "parents" for close to 10 years of her youth.

Anspach had a daughter, Catherine Curry (born October 15, 1968) with fellow Hair cast member Steve Curry. She had a son, Caleb Goddard (born September 26, 1970), whom she claimed was fathered by actor Jack Nicholson. She married actor Mark Goddard in June 1970 and divorced him in October 1978. Goddard adopted both children.

Anspach married musician Sherwood Ball (son of musician-entrepreneur Ernie Ball) in 1982 and divorced him in 1988.

Activism

Anspach marched with United Farm Workers head Cesar Chavez. She protested against the racist apartheid system of South Africa. Anspach also advocated for human rights in Central America.

Death

Anspach died from heart failure on April 2, 2018, aged 75, in her Los Angeles home.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1970The LandlordSusan EndersDirected by Hal Ashby
Five Easy PiecesCatherine Van OostDirected, produced, and story by Bob Rafelson
1972Play It Again, SamNancy
1973Blume in LoveNina BlumeDirected, written, and produced by Paul Mazursky
1978The Big FixLila
1979RunningJanetSports drama film directed by Steven Hilliard Stern
1981The Devil and Max DevlinPenny HartFantasy–comedy film directed by Steven Hilliard Stern
GasJane BeardsleyCanadian comedy film directed by Les Rose
MontenegroMarilyn Jordan
  • Swedish black comedy film by Serbian director Dušan Makavejev
  • Also known as Montenegro – Or Pigs and Pearls
1984MisunderstoodLily
1987Blue MonkeyDr. Judith GlassHorror film directed by William Fruet
Heaven and EarthKaren McKeon
1988Into the FireRosalind WinfieldThriller film directred by Graeme Campbell
1989The Rutanga TapesKate Simpson
Blood RedWidowDrama film directed by Peter Masterson
Back to BackMadeline Hix
2009Wild About HarryMarthaDrama film directed by Gwen Wynne and co-written by Wynne & Mary Beth Fielder
2011InversionEdna Boswell(final film role)

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1964The NursesHarriet Ravensel
  • Episode: "So Some Girls Play the Cello" (S 3:Ep 10)
  • Also known as The Doctors and the Nurses
1965The Patty Duke ShowSusanEpisode: "Will the Real Sammy Davis Please Hang Up?" (S 2:Ep 25)
The DefendersJackie DowlingEpisode: "A Matter of Law and Disorder" (S 4:Ep 26)
The Patty Duke ShowSusanEpisode: "Cathy, the Rebel" (S 2:Ep 31)
The NursesLeora
  • Episode: "The Heroine" (S 3:Ep 29)
  • Also known as The Doctors and the Nurses
1966The Journey of the Fifth HorseMiss Gruboy / ElizavetaMade-for-TV-Movie directed by Larry Arrick and Earl Dawson
1969Judd, for the DefenseNan DawesEpisode: "Runaway" (S 2:Ep 23)
1973Love StoryLee McKinleyEpisode: "All My Tomorrows" (S 1:Ep 2)
1975For the Use of the HallTerryMade-for-TV-Movie directed by Lee Grant
1976McMillan & WifeLt. Kit BooneEpisode: "Point of Law" (S 5:Ep 7)
I Want to Keep My Baby!Donna Jo MartelliMade-for-TV-Movie directed by Jerry Thorpe
The Secret Life of John ChapmanWilma
1977Rosetti and RyanBeverly DresdenEpisode: "Men Who Love Women" (Pilot)
Mad BullChristina SebastianiMade-for-TV-Movie directed by Walter Doniger and Len Steckler
1979The Last GiraffeBetty Leslie-Melville
  • Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Jack Couffer
  • Based on Raising Daisy Rothschild by Leslie-Melville
1980Portrait of an EscortJordan WestMade-for-TV-Movie directed by Steven Hilliard Stern
1982The First TimeLucy DillonMade-for-TV-Movie directed by Noel Nosseck
1982Deadly EncounterChris ButlerMade-for-TV-Movie directed by William A. Graham
1984Gone Are the DayesPhyllis DayeMade-for-TV-Movie directed by Gabrielle Beaumont
1989Murder, She WroteLois FrickseyEpisode: "Dead Letter" (S 6:Ep 6)
2002Dancing at the Harvest MoonJuliaMade-for-TV-Movie directed Bobby Roth
The contents of this page are sourced from Wikipedia article. The contents are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
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