Susan Richardson
| Susan Richardson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 11, 1952 Bath, Maine, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, nursing home caregiver, promising author and illustrator of children's books |
| Years active | 1973–99 |
| Spouse(s) | Michael Virden (m. 1978; div. 1985) |
Susan Richardson (born March 11, 1952) is a retired American actress, best known for her role as Susan Bradford on the television series Eight is Enough, which she played from 1977 to 1981.
Born in Bath, Maine, Richardson first started acting in plays in high school. She graduated from Coatesville Area Senior High School in 1969, and moved to Hollywood in 1971.
Initially, Richardson played bit roles in feature films American Graffiti and A Star Is Born, and she guest-starred on the television series Happy Days and The Streets of San Francisco. Shortly before her 25th birthday, about six years after moving to the West Coast, Richardson was picked to play the fourth-oldest child in the Bradford family on Eight is Enough.
In her Eight Is Enough heyday, Richardson appeared in two installments of Battle of the Network Stars (May 1979 and December 1980), as well as numerous appearances on The $20,000 Pyramid, Password Plus, and Match Game, in addition to a one-hour All-Star episode of Family Feud in 1978 and a three-episode celebrity tournament on the daytime version in May 1979.
On March 15, 1978, Richardson married Michael Virden, and shortly thereafter became pregnant, which was also written into Eight Is Enough. She gave birth to their daughter, Sarah, on February 27, 1980. After her pregnancy, a rumor was spread that Richardson would lose her job if she did not shed her pregnancy weight; she had gained 90 lb (41 kg). Finding it very difficult to slim down by normal means, she started using cocaine. After Eight Is Enough, Richardson suffered a debilitating tailbone injury after doing a concert.
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