Susan Tyrrell was born of the fringe of show business. Through her father’s connections as a talent agent for the mighty William Morris Agency, young Susan was able to land auditions and roles in Broadway and off-Broadway productions. She appeared in a wide range of plays from broad comedy to Shakespeare to period pieces to brooding drama. She dabbled in television, nabbing guest roles on both sitcoms and dramas.
She made her motion picture debut in the 1971 Western Shoot Out opposite Gregory Peck. Just a year later saw her role in John Huston’s Fat City give her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Susan opted for grittier roles, often portraying psychotics, prostitutes, and various other unsavory characters. Her most notable (and notorious) role was that of wild “Queen Doris” in Richard Elfman’s indie cult classic Forbidden Zone. Along the way, Susan did some voice acting and even co-starred in a short-lived sitcom called Open All Night that lasted all of ten episodes.
Susan was closely associated with Andy Warhol and his entourage. She had a short relationship with Warhol disciple Candy Darling before diving into a two-year relationship with actor Hervé Villechaize. After two short failed marriages, Susan had her tubes tied to ensure, as she put it, “no actors come out of me.” Susan was diagnosed with a rare chronic blood disease and underwent two, below-the-knee amputations in 2000. Actor Johnny Depp, a self-professed fan of Susan’s work, organized a benefit to help with Susan’s medical expenses.
Susan moved to Austin, Texas in 2008, to live with a niece, her only family. Four years later, she passed away, writing in a personal journal: “I demand my death be joyful and I never return again.” Susan was 67 years old.