Susan George
George in 2008
Born
Susan Melody George

(1950-07-26) 26 July 1950
Surbiton, Surrey, England
OccupationActress
Years active1962–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1984; died 2010)​

Susan Melody George (born 26 July 1950) is an English film and television actress. She is best known for appearing in films such as Straw Dogs (1971) with Dustin Hoffman, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974) with Peter Fonda, and Mandingo (1975) with Ken Norton.[1]

In the early 1970s, George came to be associated with rather provocative, sometimes (as in Straw Dogs) controversial roles and became quite typecast. Cinema writer Leslie Halliwell's rather terse summary of her career was: "British leading lady, former child actress; usually typed as sexpot".[2]

Her lighter side was apparent in some of her TV appearances, such as in an episode ("The Gold Napoleon") of The Persuaders (1971) with Roger Moore and Tony Curtis. In 1988, George marked her film-producing debut with Stealing Heaven.

Biography

She was born in Surbiton,[3] Surrey, and has recalled many holidays at the caravan park in Font-y-Gary in South Wales as a child.[4] She trained at the Stage School, Corona Theatre School and has acted since the age of four.

She appeared in The Dickie Henderson Show in 1962 and started working steadily on television in shows such as ITV Television Playhouse, Swallows and Amazons and Weavers Green.

George had small roles in films such as The Sorcerers (1967) and Up the Junction (1968).

British Stardom

George starred opposite Michael York in The Strange Affair (1968). She starred in All Neat in Black Stockings (1969) then the lead and starring role in Lola in 1969 with Charles Bronson. Other starring roles include: Spring and Port Wine (1970) with James Mason, Eyewitness (1970) with director John Hough, Die Screaming, Marianne (1971) and Fright (1971) for director Peter Collinson.

George's international breakthrough was starring opposite Dustin Hoffman in Straw Dogs (1971) a huge box office hit.[5] When asked in a 2013 interview about working with Hoffman and director Sam Peckinpah in Straw Dogs, George said:

I had a love-hate relationship with Sam, but he was a brilliant director and a genius of his time. Dustin was a generous actor to work with, who could be intense at times, but had a great personality and an incredibly mischievous sense of humour. Making the film was a fantastic experience and one that I cherish to this day.[6]

George went to Europe to appear in Sonny and Jed (1972).

US Career

George received an offer to star in Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974) for director John Hough, which was a big hit. Also popular was Mandingo (1975).

Less seen were Out of Season (1975), A Small Town in Texas (1976), Tintorera (1977) and Tomorrow Never Comes (1978).

George guest starred on television and was in Enter the Ninja (1981), Venom (1981), The House Where Evil Dwells (1982)

Later Career

George moved into producing and later returned to England.

Personal life

Susan George was married to British actor Simon MacCorkindale from 5 October 1984 until his death on 14 October 2010.[7] They did not have any children.[8]

Before her marriage, she had a four-year relationship with American singer Jack Jones,[9] and, circa 1980,[10] spent another four years as the partner of casino manager Derek Webster.[11]

George breeds Arabian horses and has a stud farm called Georgian Arabians.[12]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1965Cup FeverVicky Davis
1966Davy Jones' LockerSusan Haddock
1967The SorcerersAudrey
1967Billion Dollar BrainRussian girl on train(Uncredited)
1968Up the JunctionJoyce
1968The Strange Affair'Fred' March
1969All Neat in Black StockingsJill
1969TwinkyTwinky
1970The Looking Glass WarSusan
1970Spring and Port WineHilda Crompton
1970EyewitnessPippa
1971Die Screaming, MarianneMarianne
1971FrightAmanda
1971Straw DogsAmy Sumner
1972Sonny and JedSonny Lester Trigado
1972Bandera Banditsyoung outlaw
1974Dirty Mary, Crazy LarryMary Coombs
1975MandingoBlanche Maxwell
1975Out of SeasonJoanna
1976A Small Town in TexasMary Lee Carter
1977TintoreraGabriella
1978Tomorrow Never ComesJanie
1981Enter the NinjaMary Ann
1981VenomLouise Andrews
1982The House Where Evil DwellsLaura Fletcher
1982Kiss My GritsBaby
1983The Jigsaw ManPenelope Kimberley
1986Lightning, the White StallionMadame Rene
1989That Summer of White RosesAna
2008In Your DreamsBarbara Wood-Ross
2009City of LifeConstance
2014Margery Booth: The Spy in the Eagle's NestMrs. Ada Booth
20231066Queen Emma

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1963ITV Television PlayhouseJaneEpisode: "Adam's Apple"
1963Swallows and AmazonsKitty WalkerAll 6 episodes
1963ITV Television PlayhouseJenny WarrenEpisode: "December Child"
1965The Human JungleGina McCutcheonEpisode: "Heartbeats in a Tin Box"
1966Weavers GreenBarbara FieldingEpisode: #1.25
1967Armchair TheatreShop GirlEpisode: "Compensation Alice"
1967Theatre 625Young BarbaraEpisode: "The Lost Years of Brian Hooper"
1968Theatre 625Angela BuckEpisode: "The Life Class"
1968Mystery and ImaginationLucy WestonEpisode: "Dracula"
1970Doctor in the HouseJennyEpisode: "May The Best Man..."
1970Tales of UneaseSarah StoneEpisode: "Ride, Ride"
1971The Persuaders!Michelle DevigneEpisode: "The Gold Napoleon"
1973Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeAnneTV film
1979Tales of the UnexpectedMary MarneyEpisode: "Lamb to the Slaughter"
1980Tales of the UnexpectedMabel TaylorEpisode: "Royal Jelly"
1982ComputercideLisa KorterTV film
1983Pajama TopsMrs. ChavinetTV film
1984MasqueradeMeganEpisode: "The Defector"
1984Hammer House of Mystery and SuspenseVicky DuncanEpisode: "Czech Mate"
1986HotelBarbara FremontEpisode: "Hearts Divided"
1986Blacke's MagicMaggieEpisode: "Wax Poetic"
1988Jack the RipperCatherine EddowesBoth episodes
1990The Castle of AdventureAllie ManneringAll 8 episodes
1990CounterstrikeAnnette MorleyEpisode: "The Dealbreaker"
1992CluedoMrs. Peacock6 episodes
1993Stay LuckySamantha Mansfield4 episodes
1995Tales of Mystery and ImaginationBetty WilsonEpisode: "The Black Cat"
1995The House That Mary BoughtMary CloseTV film
2001EastEndersMargaret Walker25 episodes

As executive producer

As miscellaneous crew

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
1983 10th Saturn Awards Best Actress The House Where Evil Dwells Nominated

References

  1. ↑ Paul Brenner (2013). "Mandingo". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013.
  2. ↑ Halliwell, Leslie (1984). Filmgoer's Companion, 8th ed, 1984.
  3. ↑ "Ciaran Brown meets actress Susan George". www.ciaranbrown.com. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  4. ↑ Country life. Country Life, Ltd. 2008. p. 58.
  5. ↑ "ABC's 5 Years of Film Production Profits & Losses". Variety. 31 May 1973. p. 3.
  6. ↑ "Susan George". Classicfilmtvcafe.com.
  7. ↑ "Casualty actor Simon MacCorkindale dies aged 58". BBC News. 15 October 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  8. ↑ "The EastEnder who stole Prince Charles' heart". Daily Mirror. London. 16 June 2001.
  9. ↑ "Jack Jones, Susan George take romance on road", Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 24 July 1975. Accessed 26 August 2014
  10. ↑ "1980 Premiere Xanadu Susan George Derek Editorial Stock Photo - Stock Image".
  11. ↑ "Has Susan found real love at last?", Titbits, 7 May 1986. Accessed 26 August 2014
  12. ↑ "Georgian Arabians".
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