Susan Dey Bio
Susan Hallock Dey (born December 10, 1952) is an American retired actress whose television work defined two of the most popular series of the late twentieth century. She is widely recognized for playing Laurie Partridge on the musical sitcom The Partridge Family from 1970 to 1974, and for her long-running role as Los Angeles deputy district attorney Grace Van Owen on the drama L.A. Law from 1986 to 1992. A three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee and a six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Dey earned the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series for L.A. Law in 1988.
Beyond her acting career, Dey has worked as a model, producer, and author, and she has been a public advocate on social issues. Her professional life began in modeling during the late 1960s and stretched across more than three decades before she stepped away from on-camera work.
Early Life and Background
Susan Hallock Dey was born on December 10, 1952, in Pekin, Illinois, to Robert Smith Dey and Ruth Pyle (née Doremus) Dey. Her mother worked as a nurse, and the family later moved to the New York suburbs, where Dey spent most of her childhood. Her mother died in 1961, when Susan was eight years old, a loss that shaped her formative years.
After the move, Dey attended Columbus Elementary School in Thornwood, New York, and later settled in Mount Kisco, New York. She graduated from Fox Lane High School in 1970, the same year she was cast in her first major television role. Growing up in suburban New York, she was surrounded by a household that encouraged her early interest in performance and the arts.
During her teenage years, Dey began modeling, and her first professional break came with the cover of an educational booklet titled Getting to Know Yourself. The assignment introduced her to the entertainment industry and set the stage for her transition from print work to on-screen acting.
Path to Acting
Dey’s entry into acting came unexpectedly. With no formal training, she auditioned for the role of Laurie Partridge on The Partridge Family at the age of 17 and won the part, launching one of the most-watched sitcoms of the early 1970s. The series paired her with Shirley Jones, David Cassidy, and the rest of the fictional Partridge family, blending comedy with musical performances that became a cultural touchstone.
While working on the series, Dey also explored other creative outlets. In 1972, she published Susan Dey’s Secrets on Boys, Beauty and Popularity, a guidebook for teen readers. She also began taking on small film and television parts, including a brief appearance in the 1972 airline thriller Skyjacked, marking her first feature-film credit alongside Charlton Heston.
After The Partridge Family ended in 1974, Dey briefly reprised Laurie Partridge for two episodes of the animated spinoff Partridge Family 2200 A.D. before being replaced. She returned to weekly network television in 1977 with the short-lived sitcom Loves Me, Loves Me Not, and continued to build her résumé with made-for-television movies such as Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night and First Love, the latter co-starring William Katt.
Susan Dey Career
Early Career (1970–1977)
Dey’s early career was anchored by The Partridge Family, which ran from 1970 to 1974 and made her a household name. The role earned her widespread recognition as Laurie Partridge, the eldest child of a musical family, and produced a string of hit singles performed by the fictional band. The show also gave her early opportunities to work with seasoned performers like Shirley Jones, who later wrote in her memoir that Dey was the only cast member who consistently refused to take part in Partridge Family reunions.
Alongside the series, Dey took on dramatic projects to stretch beyond the sitcom format. Her 1977 made-for-television movie Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night showed her in a serious role as a troubled young mother, demonstrating a range that would later attract the attention of drama producers. She also appeared in the 1977 Barnaby Jones episode Testament of Power, signaling her gradual move into more mature material.
Breakthrough (1977–1992)
Dey’s film work continued with the 1981 science-fiction feature Looker, written and directed by Michael Crichton and co-starring Albert Finney. The thriller paired her with major Hollywood talent and gave her visibility beyond television. In 1986, she took a leading role in Echo Park, playing a struggling waitress-actress who takes on jobs as a stripper delivering singing telegrams, further broadening her film profile.
Her most significant professional turning point came in 1986, when she was cast as Grace Van Owen on the Steven Bochco drama L.A. Law. The character, a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney who later becomes a judge, was a central part of the ensemble through 1992. The role earned Dey a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series in 1988 and brought her three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, in 1987, 1988, and 1989.
Notable Works and Milestones
Dey’s signature performances remain her two defining television roles, Laurie Partridge on The Partridge Family and Grace Van Owen on L.A. Law. Her Golden Globe win in 1988 stands as the crowning achievement of her career, recognizing the dramatic depth she brought to L.A. Law. She also made a notable appearance hosting Saturday Night Live in 1992, further underlining her status in television.
Susan Dey Award Nominations
Susan Dey received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her work on L.A. Law, in 1987, 1988, and 1989. Across her career, she was also a six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, with nods spanning her time on The Partridge Family and L.A. Law. These nominations reflect a sustained critical recognition that ran from her early sitcom work through her dramatic prime.
Susan Dey Awards Won
Dey won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama for her performance on L.A. Law in 1988. The award was the headline honor of her career and remains the most-cited achievement in her list of accolades. Her additional Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, while not wins, established her as a consistent critical presence in television drama during the late 1980s.
Susan Dey Family
Susan Hallock Dey was the daughter of Robert Smith Dey and Ruth Pyle (née Doremus) Dey, a nurse who died in 1961. Dey grew up in the New York suburbs with her parents before launching her acting career as a teenager.
Personal Life
During the run of The Partridge Family, Dey developed romantic feelings for co-star David Cassidy. They briefly pursued a relationship after the series ended, but Cassidy ended the romance, and details of their time together later appeared in his 1994 autobiography C’mon, Get Happy … Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus. Dey was married to talent agent Leonard Hirshan from 1976 to 1981, and the couple had one daughter.
Since 1988, Dey has been married to television producer Bernard Sofronski. Off-screen, she has served on the board of the Rape Treatment Center at UCLA Medical Center and co-narrated a documentary on campus rape with former L.A. Law co-star Corbin Bernsen. She has also spoken publicly about her struggle with anorexia during the run of The Partridge Family.