Susan Blakely - Actor Profile

Susan Blakely

Acting
Freshness: Jan 20, 2026
50Total Films
8.0 Highest Rated
Born: Sep 7, 1948
Birth Place: Frankfurt, Germany

About Susan Blakely

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Susan Blakely is an American film actress and actress, who has mainly played supporting roles. She is best known for her leading role in the 1976 miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man, for which she received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. Blakely also has appeared in films including The Towering Inferno, Report to the Commissioner, Capone, The Concorde ... Airport '79, and Over the Top. Blakely arrived in Hollywood in the early 1970s, and began appearing in supporting roles in films including Savages, The Way We Were, and The Lords of Flatbush. Her first major role was as Patty Simmons in the 1974 disaster film The Towering Inferno. The following year, she played the female lead roles in films Report to the Commissioner alongside Michael Moriarty, and Capone opposite Ben Gazzara. Blakely gained wide critical acclaim with her leading role in the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man, based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Irwin Shaw. For her performance, Blakely won that year's Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama and earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. She earned a second Emmy Award nomination the following year when she reprised her role in Rich Man, Poor Man Book II. After her television success, she played leading roles in two movies in 1979: the disaster film The Concorde ... Airport '79 opposite Alain Delon, and the sport drama Dreamer with Tim Matheson. During 1980s and 1990s, Blakely played leading roles in many made-for-television movies. She portrayed Frances Farmer in the 1982 film based on Farmer's autobiography, Will There Really Be a Morning?, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film. She played Eva Braun opposite Anthony Hopkins in the Adolf Hitler biographical film The Bunker, and Joan Kennedy in The Ted Kennedy Jr. Story. She appeared in such feature films as Over the Top, My Mom's a Werewolf, and Hate Crime. She recently guest-starred on This Is Us and NCIS and in past years on Hotel, The Twilight Zone, Falcon Crest, Murder, She Wrote, Nip/Tuck, Brothers & Sisters, Southland, and Cougar Town. Description above from the Wikipedia article Susan Blakely, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Career Statistics & Market Influence

Analyzing the cinematic journey of Susan Blakely reveals a career defined by diverse artistic exploration. With a total of 50 major appearances, the actor has established a significant footprint in global cinema.

Genre Dominance: Drama

The majority of Susan Blakely's filmography leans towards the Drama genre. Audience data suggests that viewers respond most favorably to this persona, though their versatility has allowed for successful crossovers into other categories.

The "Box Office" Signature

With a 24% Success Ratio (movies rated above 6.5), Susan Blakely remains a reliable draw for studios. Their peak performance was recorded in Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery, which continues to be the benchmark for their career rating-wise.

Best Susan Blakely Movies Ranked

Must-watch hits from Susan Blakely's career based on audience ratings.

Complete Filmography & Success Status

Tracking the career evolution and box office verdicts of Susan Blakely.

YearMovieCharacterSuccessMore
2016 Displacement Carol Sinclair Flop Similar →
2013 The Perfect Boyfriend Clara Flop Similar →
2011 Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 Vivian Ashe Average Similar →
2008 Mating Dance Abby's mother Average Similar →
2008 Grizzly Park Unhappy Camper Flop Similar →
2008 Murder 101: The Locked Room Mystery Camilla Meera Hit Similar →
2005 The Perfect Neighbor Jeannie Costigan Flop Similar →
2005 Hate Crime Martha Boyd Average Similar →
2004 L.A. Twister Vivian Flop Similar →
2002 Hungry Hearts Barbi Harris Hit Similar →
2001 A Mother's Testimony Donna Mulroney Flop Similar →
2000 Crash Point Zero Barbara Esmond Flop Similar →
2000 Chain of Command Meg Danforth Flop Similar →
2000 The Perfect Nanny Dr. Julia Bruning Average Similar →
1998 Race Against Fear Margaret Carlyle Average Similar →
1996 Color Me Perfect Dr. Linda Ryan Flop Similar →
1996 Co-ed Call Girl Teri Halbert Flop Similar →
1995 Seven Sundays Alice Hit Similar →
1994 Honor Thy Father and Mother: The True Story of the Menendez Murders Leslie Abramson Super Hit Similar →
1993 No Child of Mine Peggy Young Flop Similar →
1992 Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore Billie Cobb Average Similar →
1992 Russian Holiday Susan Dennison Flop Similar →
1991 Wildflower Ada Guthrie Average Similar →
1991 Blackmail Lucinda Flop Similar →
1991 And the Sea Will Tell Gail Bugliosi Average Similar →
1990 Out of Sight, Out of Mind Alice Lundgren Flop Similar →
1990 The Incident Billie Average Similar →
1989 My Mom's a Werewolf Leslie Shaber Flop Similar →
1989 Dream a Little Dream Cherry Diamond Average Similar →
1988 Hiroshima Maiden Betty Bennett Hit Similar →
1988 April Morning Sarah Cooper Average Similar →
1988 Broken Angel Catherine Coburn Hit Similar →
1987 Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery Patricia Erdain Super Hit Similar →
1987 Over the Top Christina Hawk Average Similar →
1986 Annihilator Layla Flop Similar →
1986 Blood & Orchids Marie Farrell Hit Similar →
1985 Stingray Evelyn Decter Average Similar →
1985 International Airport Jeanne Roberts Flop Similar →
1983 Will There Really Be a Morning? Frances Farmer Hit Similar →
1981 The Bunker Eva Braun Average Similar →
1980 Make Me an Offer Joyce Windsor Flop Similar →
1979 The Concorde... Airport '79 Maggie Whelan Flop Similar →
1979 Dreamer Karen Lee Flop Similar →
1975 Capone Iris Crawford Average Similar →
1975 Shampoo Girl on Street (uncredited) Average Similar →
1975 Report to the Commissioner Patty Butler Hit Similar →
1974 The Towering Inferno Patty Hit Similar →
1974 The Lords of Flatbush Jane Bradshaw Average Similar →
1973 The Way We Were Judianne Hit Similar →
1972 Savages Cecily, a Debutante Flop Similar →

Susan Blakely - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best movie of Susan Blakely?

According to audience ratings, the best movie starring Susan Blakely is "Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery" with a rating of 8.0/10.

How many movies has Susan Blakely acted in?

Susan Blakely has been featured in at least 50 major films throughout their career.

What are some other popular movies by Susan Blakely?

Other notable films include "Honor Thy Father and Mother: The True Story of the Menendez Murders", "The Towering Inferno", and "Murder 101: The Locked Room Mystery".