Susan Blakely (born September 7, 1948) is a Golden Globe-winning German-born American film actress for her leading role in Universal and ABC Television's ground-breaking mini-series, Rich Man, Poor Man, which aired in 1976. She was a highly successful commercial model before becoming a full-time actress which she continues to this day.
Blakely was born in Frankfurt, Germany. She is the daughter of Weezie, a former art teacher, and Colonel Larry Blakely, a career Army officer. Her first career break came while she was living in El Paso, Texas, where her father was stationed at Fort Bliss. Around 1967, a photograph of Blakely posed poolside in a black and white "op art" swimsuit was used by a local TV station, KELP-TV (now KVIA-TV), on its ID slide that ran during breaks between shows. Her blond "California girl" good looks were exactly what was in demand at the time, and she was easily able to secure sponsorship for a national modeling competition, which she won. The prize was a year's contract with the Ford Modeling Agency in New York. Her first appearance on a cover was for a hairstyle magazine.
In 1982, Blakely married media consultant and media crisis management expert Steve
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