At just 18 years old, actress Susan Dey became one of the biggest TV stars of the 1970s.
“The Partridge Family” aired from 1970 to 1974 and showed the life of a musical family living in the fictional city of San Pueblo, California.
Even though Dey had no acting or singing experience, she was cast as Laurie, the older sister. At the time, she was working as a model. The show featured the family traveling to perform in a colorful, refurbished school bus.
From 1970 to 1974, Dey played Laurie Partridge, the caring and smart older sister, one of the main characters on the show.
The show won the hearts of millions of Americans, and even after it lost its top spot on U.S. television, it became popular in the U.K. as well. Audiences across the pond embraced “The Partridge Family,” continuing its fame beyond the U.S.
The success of the show took a toll on the cast. Susan Dey reportedly struggled with an eating disorder, and her weight dropped to just 92 lbs. A TV producer noticed this and confronted her, which led to Dey adopting a healthier eating routine that no longer involved starving herself.
David Cassidy, who played Keith Partridge, also felt intense pressure due to his skyrocketing popularity. In his memoir *C’mon, Get Happy: Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus*, he described the “mass hysteria” that followed his every move.
During the show’s 4-year run, Cassidy became a teen idol, adored by millions of women worldwide, including his co-star Susan Dey, who had a huge crush on him.
It was only after the show ended that Susan Dey and David Cassidy began dating. However, their relationship didn’t last long. Cassidy ended it suddenly and later shared private details about her in his memoir, saying he felt she was too innocent for him.
Although they remained friends for a while after their romance ended, Dey was deeply hurt by the personal things Cassidy revealed about her. She decided she never wanted to see him again and even refused to attend a *Partridge Family* reunion years later.
While starring on *The Partridge Family*, Susan Dey wrote her own book called *Susan Dey’s Secrets on Boys, Beauty and Popularity*.
After the show ended, Dey received many acting offers and appeared in over 20 movies, mostly made for TV, and 15 TV shows. Her performances earned her six Golden Globe and three Emmy nominations.
However, it was her role as Grace Van Owen in *LA Law* that brought her major recognition. She played the Los Angeles County deputy district attorney, who later became a judge, for six years, and this role won her a Golden Globe for Best Actress.
Susan Dey reportedly turned down the role of Sandy in *Grease*. Interestingly, Olivia Newton-John, who eventually played Sandy in the hit musical, had originally been offered the role of Laurie in *The Partridge Family*. According to Worldation.com, Newton-John accepted the part but was later persuaded by her manager not to take it.
Susan Dey was born in 1952 as Susan Hallock Dey and grew up in Westchester County, New York. Her mother was a nurse, and her father worked as an editor for the *Standard-Star* in New Rochelle, New York.
In recent years, Dey has stayed out of the spotlight. She is reportedly enjoying a quiet life in upstate New York, the area where she grew up, alongside her husband, Bernard, to whom she has been married for over 30 years.
After her break-up with Dey proclaimed her love of being in a romantic relationship with older men. She said she liked older men because they had learned exactly how to get what they wanted.
Susan Dey has always been attracted to older men, something she admitted to the press back in 1988.
”I’m attracted to older men simply because they’ve learned how to get what they want,” she said.
Her first husband, Lenny Hirshan, was an agent, and he was 25 years older than Dey. The couple was married from 1976 to 1981 and had one daughter, Sara, born in 1978.
Susan Dey married her current husband, television producer Bernard Sofronski, in 1988. They had a small, private wedding with close family and friends.
In an interview with *Woman’s Own Magazine* in 1988, Dey shared how Sofronski changed her view of love: “Bernie has helped me understand that love involves give and take. I never understood love until I met him. I seem to have more energy, and I’m allowing myself to become more and more me every day. It makes life so much easier when you’re with someone you can trust.”