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Susan George (actress)

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Susan George
George in 2008
Born
Susan Melody George

(1950-07-26) 26 July 1950 (age 74)
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 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.

Early life

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She was born in Surbiton,[3] Surrey, to Billie and Norman George, with sister, Pamela Anne George. She 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.

Career

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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

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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 (also known as Twinky) 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

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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

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George moved into producing and later returned to England.

Personal life

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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

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1965 Cup Fever Vicky Davis
1966 Davy Jones' Locker Susan Haddock
1967 The Sorcerers Audrey
1967 Billion Dollar Brain Russian girl on train (Uncredited)
1968 Up the Junction Joyce
1968 The Strange Affair 'Fred' March
1969 All Neat in Black Stockings Jill
1969 Twinky Twinky
1970 The Looking Glass War Susan
1970 Spring and Port Wine Hilda Crompton
1970 Eyewitness Pippa
1971 Die Screaming, Marianne Marianne
1971 Fright Amanda
1971 Straw Dogs Amy Sumner
1972 Sonny and Jed Sonny Lester Trigado
1974 Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry Mary Coombs
1975 Mandingo Blanche Maxwell
1975 Out of Season Joanna
1976 A Small Town in Texas Mary Lee Carter
1977 Tintorera Gabriella
1978 Tomorrow Never Comes Janie
1981 Enter the Ninja Mary Ann
1981 Venom Louise Andrews
1982 The House Where Evil Dwells Laura Fletcher
1982 Kiss My Grits Baby
1983 The Jigsaw Man Penelope Kimberley
1986 Lightning, the White Stallion Madame Rene
1989 That Summer of White Roses Ana
2008 In Your Dreams Barbara Wood-Ross
2009 City of Life Constance
2014 Margery Booth: The Spy in the Eagle's Nest Mrs. Ada Booth
2023 1066 Queen Emma

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1963 ITV Television Playhouse Jane Episode: "Adam's Apple"
1963 Swallows and Amazons Kitty Walker All 6 episodes
1963 ITV Television Playhouse Jenny Warren Episode: "December Child"
1965 The Human Jungle Gina McCutcheon Episode: "Heartbeats in a Tin Box"
1966 Weavers Green Barbara Fielding Episode: #1.25
1967 Armchair Theatre Shop Girl Episode: "Compensation Alice"
1967 Theatre 625 Young Barbara Episode: "The Lost Years of Brian Hooper"
1968 Theatre 625 Angela Buck Episode: "The Life Class"
1968 Mystery and Imagination Lucy Weston Episode: "Dracula"
1970 Doctor in the House Jenny Episode: "May The Best Man..."
1970 Tales of Unease Sarah Stone Episode: "Ride, Ride"
1971 The Persuaders! Michelle Devigne Episode: "The Gold Napoleon"
1973 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Anne TV film
1979 Tales of the Unexpected Mary Marney Episode: "Lamb to the Slaughter"
1980 Tales of the Unexpected Mabel Taylor Episode: "Royal Jelly"
1982 Computercide Lisa Korter TV film
1983 Pajama Tops Mrs. Chavinet TV film
1984 Masquerade Megan Episode: "The Defector"
1984 Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense Vicky Duncan Episode: "Czech Mate"
1986 Hotel Barbara Fremont Episode: "Hearts Divided"
1986 Blacke's Magic Maggie Episode: "Wax Poetic"
1988 Jack the Ripper Catherine Eddowes Both episodes
1990 The Castle of Adventure Allie Mannering All 8 episodes
1990 Counterstrike Annette Morley Episode: "The Dealbreaker"
1992 Cluedo Mrs. Peacock 6 episodes
1993 Stay Lucky Samantha Mansfield 4 episodes
1995 Tales of Mystery and Imagination Betty Wilson Episode: "The Black Cat"
1995 The House That Mary Bought Mary Close TV film
2001 EastEnders Margaret Walker 25 episodes

As executive producer

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As miscellaneous crew

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Awards and nominations

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

References

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  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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