Person Biography:
Suzanne Smithers was born into a family of four girls, raised in the affluent San Fernando Valley suburb of Woodland Hills, just north of Los Angeles, California. Her father, an attorney, provided a comfortable upbringing. Smithers's artistic inclinations were nurtured during her studies at Taft High School, where she was involved in art. However, a life-changing event occurred when she was involved in an automobile accident, which left a permanent scar on her chin.
In her early twenties, Smithers was featured in a Newsweek article, where she was photographed riding a friend's motorcycle, capturing a carefree moment that made the cover of the March 21, 1966 issue. This exposure led to commercial work, which she continued while pursuing her art studies at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia.
As a working actress, Smithers landed the role of Bailey Quarters in the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978),a Midwestern radio station comedy. Following the show's conclusion, she continued to work on occasion. In 1987, she married actor James Brolin, becoming a stepmother to his two sons and later giving birth to a daughter with him. Unfortunately, the couple's marriage ended in 1995.
