Susan Stephen(1931-2000)
- Actress
This pert and perky blonde Londoner was born on July 16, 1931. Susan Rennie Stephen took an interest in acting while still a youth and began performing on stage as an adolescent. She also received early training at a dramatic school.
Susan pursued TV roles as early as her late teens and earned major notice portraying Amy March in the British series Little Women (1950). Following this, she moved into films making her debut with a eye-catching role as the daughter of governor Eric Portman in the Ealing comedy His Excellency (1952). From there she continued with prime parts in such films as the crime drama Stolen Face (1952) and the comedies Treasure Hunt (1952) and Father's Doing Fine (1952).
Susan's demure, slightly elfin loveliness seemed to coincide with the duteous daughters and/or faithful wives she seemed designed to play. The actress was given top billing as a college co-ed in the romantic comedy Fanciulle di lusso (1952) which featured then-husband Lawrence Ward in a lesser role. She followed this with a cluster of dramatic parts, including the femme lead opposite Alan Ladd in Paratrooper (1953); and with second femme leads alongside Alex Nicol in Heat Wave (1954) and Jack Watling in Dangerous Cargo (1954).
Mainly confined to "B" level films, Susan's more noticeable co-star roles occurred in romantic comedies opposite the likes of Dirk Bogarde in Cocktails in the Kitchen (1954) (aka For Better, For Worse) and John Gregson in Value for Money (1955). Later in the decade she appeared in As Long as They're Happy (1955), It's Never Too Late (1956), and the Jennifer Jones version of The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957).
Susan's career began to take a back seat in 1957 when she married her second husband, director Nicolas Roeg. After filming major roles in the rollicking comedy Carry on Nurse (1959), the crime thriller Return of a Stranger (1961) and the low-budgeted courtroom drama The Court Martial of Major Keller (1961), along with TV guest parts on such series as "The Adventures of Robin Hood," and "Stryker of the Yard," Susan gently phased her career out and away from the limelight. Her last on-camera appearance was a lead in the low-budgeted Danzinger film comedy Three Spare Wives (1962).
She and Roeg had four children before divorcing in 1977. He subsequently married Hollywood actress Theresa Russell. Focusing henceforth on her children, very little was heard of Susan until her death was announced at age 68 on April 24, 2000, in Sussex, England.
Susan pursued TV roles as early as her late teens and earned major notice portraying Amy March in the British series Little Women (1950). Following this, she moved into films making her debut with a eye-catching role as the daughter of governor Eric Portman in the Ealing comedy His Excellency (1952). From there she continued with prime parts in such films as the crime drama Stolen Face (1952) and the comedies Treasure Hunt (1952) and Father's Doing Fine (1952).
Susan's demure, slightly elfin loveliness seemed to coincide with the duteous daughters and/or faithful wives she seemed designed to play. The actress was given top billing as a college co-ed in the romantic comedy Fanciulle di lusso (1952) which featured then-husband Lawrence Ward in a lesser role. She followed this with a cluster of dramatic parts, including the femme lead opposite Alan Ladd in Paratrooper (1953); and with second femme leads alongside Alex Nicol in Heat Wave (1954) and Jack Watling in Dangerous Cargo (1954).
Mainly confined to "B" level films, Susan's more noticeable co-star roles occurred in romantic comedies opposite the likes of Dirk Bogarde in Cocktails in the Kitchen (1954) (aka For Better, For Worse) and John Gregson in Value for Money (1955). Later in the decade she appeared in As Long as They're Happy (1955), It's Never Too Late (1956), and the Jennifer Jones version of The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957).
Susan's career began to take a back seat in 1957 when she married her second husband, director Nicolas Roeg. After filming major roles in the rollicking comedy Carry on Nurse (1959), the crime thriller Return of a Stranger (1961) and the low-budgeted courtroom drama The Court Martial of Major Keller (1961), along with TV guest parts on such series as "The Adventures of Robin Hood," and "Stryker of the Yard," Susan gently phased her career out and away from the limelight. Her last on-camera appearance was a lead in the low-budgeted Danzinger film comedy Three Spare Wives (1962).
She and Roeg had four children before divorcing in 1977. He subsequently married Hollywood actress Theresa Russell. Focusing henceforth on her children, very little was heard of Susan until her death was announced at age 68 on April 24, 2000, in Sussex, England.
