Susan Richardson
Born
Occupation(s)Actress, nursing home caregiver, author and illustrator of children's books
Years active1973–99
Known forSusan Bradford in Eight Is Enough
Spouse
Michael Virden
(m. 1978; div. 1985)
Children1

Susan Richardson is a retired American actress, best known for her role as Susan Bradford on the television series Eight Is Enough, which she played from 1977 to 1981.

Early life

Born in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, Richardson first started acting in plays in high school. She graduated from Coatesville Area Senior High School in Coatesville, Pennsylvania in 1969, and moved to Hollywood in 1971.

Career

Initially, Richardson played bit roles in feature films American Graffiti (1973) and A Star Is Born (1976), and she guest-starred on the television series Happy Days and The Streets of San Francisco. Shortly before her 25th birthday, about six years after moving to the West Coast, Richardson was picked to play the fourth-oldest child in the Bradford family on Eight is Enough.

In her Eight Is Enough heyday, Richardson appeared in two installments of Battle of the Network Stars (May 1979 and December 1980), as well as numerous appearances on The $20,000 Pyramid, Password Plus, and Match Game, in addition to a one-hour All-Star episode of Family Feud in 1978 and a three-episode celebrity tournament on the daytime version in May 1979.

Personal life

On March 15, 1978, Richardson married Michael Virden, and shortly thereafter became pregnant, which was also written into Eight Is Enough. She gave birth to their daughter, Sarah, on February 27, 1980. After her pregnancy, a rumor was spread that Richardson would lose her job if she did not shed her pregnancy weight; she had gained 90 lb (41 kg). Finding it very difficult to slim down by normal means, she started using cocaine.[1]

In December 1987, Richardson claimed that she was held captive in South Korea.[2]

In January 2013, The Huffington Post published a report from a National Enquirer interview with Richardson. She reported she had experienced extremely hard times, living in an unheated trailer with a rotting floor in Wagontown, Pennsylvania, not far from her hometown of Coatesville. Richardson said she had developed diabetes, suffered three mini-strokes, had lost 60 lb (27 kg), and lost her teeth as the result of a digestive condition.[3]

Filmography

Film and television
Year Title Role Notes
1973 American Graffiti Judy
1974 Nakia Nancy Episode: "A Matter of Choice"
1975 The Streets of San Francisco Marlene Hollander Episode "The Programming of Charlie Blake"
1975 Happy Days Carol Danson Episode: "Fonzie Joins the Band"
1976 A Star Is Born Groupie
1977 The McLean Stevenson Show Sharlene Episode: "The Great Rift"
1977–81 Eight Is Enough Susan Bradford Stockwell 112 episodes
1979 The Runaways Kathleen Randolph Episode: "Screams in the Night"
1981 The Love Boat Emily Parker Episode: "He's My Brother/Zeke and Zelda/Teach Me Tonight"
1982 Fantasy Island Ellen Episode: "The Magic Camera/Mata Hari/Valerie"
1982 CHiPs Snow Pink Episode: "Battle of the Bands"
1982 One Day at a Time Eloise Episodes: "The Honeymoon Is Over", "First Things First"
1987 Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion Susan Bradford TV movie
1987 Soldiers of Innocence Sister Elizabeth
1989 An Eight Is Enough Wedding Susan Bradford TV movie

References

  1. Lavitt, John (2017-06-13). "Eight Was Too Much: The Tragic Legacy of a Hit Sitcom". The Fix. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  2. "'Eight is Enough' Actress Says She Was Captive of Filmmakers in South Korea". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  3. "Susan Richardson Broke: 'Eight Is Enough' Star Sick, Living In A 'Rotting' Trailer". The Huffington Post. January 31, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
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