Susan Tyrrell


Susan Tyrrell was an American character actress. Tyrrell's career began in theater in New York City in the 1960s in Broadway and off Broadway productions. Her first film was Shoot Out. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Oma in John Huston's Fat City. In 1978, Tyrrell received the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Andy Warhol's Bad. Her New York Times obituary described her as "a whiskey-voiced character actress talent for playing the downtrodden, outré, and grotesque."

Early life

Tyrrell was born in San Francisco, California, to a British mother, Gillian ; and an American father, John Belding Creamer. Her mother was a socialite and member of the diplomatic corps in China and the Philippines during the 1930s and 1940s. Her father John was an agent with the William Morris Agency who represented Leo Carrillo, Loretta Young, Ed Wynn, and Carole Lombard.
Tyrell spent her childhood in New Canaan, Connecticut. She was a poor student and as a teenager became estranged from her mother. Through her father's connections, Tyrrell was employed in the theatrical production of Time Out for Ginger starring Art Carney in New York City. Her father also persuaded Look magazine to follow her as she toured with the show, but died shortly afterwards.

Career

Tyrrell made her Broadway debut in 1965 as a replacement performer in the comedy Cactus Flower. In 1968, as a member of the Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center, she was in the cast of King Lear and revivals of The Time of Your Life and Camino Real. Off-Broadway, Tyrrell appeared in the 1967 premiere of Lanford Wilson's The Rimers of Eldritch and a 1979 production of Father's Day at The American Place Theatre.
Tyrrell's television debut was in Mr. Novak and her film debut was in Shoot Out. Tyrrell was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Oma in John Huston's Fat City. In 1976, she played a psychotic bimbo in I Never Promised You A Rose Garden. In 1978, the actress won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Bad.
Later, Tyrrell starred as Queen Doris in the indie Forbidden Zone. She sang the film's song, "Witch's Egg". A year later, she portrayed Vera in Tales of Ordinary Madness. From 1981 to 1982, Tyrrell starred as Gretchen Feester, in the ABC's short-lived situation comedy series Open All Night. She then had a starring role in the exploitation horror film Night Warning.
In 1983 Tyrrell played Solly, in the sexploitation film Angel and its 1984 sequel, Avenging Angel. Then followed roles in the adventure film Flesh+Blood, the Vincent Price anthology horror film From a Whisper to a Scream, the animated feature film The Chipmunk Adventure, and Big Top Pee-wee followed. Tyrrell took a supporting role in John Waters' Cry-Baby.
In 1992, Tyrrell performed her own one-woman show, Susan Tyrrell: My Rotten Life, a Bitter Operetta. In the late 1990s, Tyrrell had roles in the Tales from the Crypt episode, "Comes the Dawn" ; the animated series Extreme Ghostbusters ; and the psychological thriller film Buddy Boy.
In the 2000s, Tyrrell appeared in Bob Dylan's Masked and Anonymous, and The Devil's Due at Midnight. Her final appearance was in the 2012 independent film Kid-Thing.

Personal life

Tyrrell suffered from essential thrombocytosis, a disease of the blood. In early 2000, her disease was complicated by bilateral below knee amputations. That year, Johnny Depp hosted a benefit at the Viper Room to help defray Tyrrell's medical bills. Megan Mullally, Jack Black, and Chloe Webb attended.
In 2008, Tyrell moved to Austin, Texas, to be closer to her niece. In January 2012, Tyrrell wrote in her journal, "I demand my death be joyful and I never return again." She died on June 16, 2012, in Austin. She was cremated and her ashes scattered.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1971The SteagleLouise
1971Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to MeJack
1971Shoot OutAlma
1972Fat CityOma Lee GreerNew York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
1974Catch My SoulEmilia
1974Zandy's BrideMaria Cordova
1974To Kill the KingMaggie Van Birchard
1976The Killer Inside MeJoyce Lakeland
1977Andy Warhol's BadMary AikenSaturn Award for Best Supporting Actress
1977WizardsNarratorVoice, Uncredited
1977Islands in the StreamLil
1977I Never Promised You a Rose GardenLee
1977September 30, 1955Melba Lou
1977Another Man, Another ChanceAlice
1978Loose ShoesBoobies
1979RacquetMiss Baxter
1980Forbidden ZoneQueen Doris of the Sixth Dimension / Ruth Henderson
1981Subway RidersEleanor Langley
1981Night WarningCheryl Roberts
1981Tales of Ordinary MadnessVera
1982Liar's MoonLora Mae Bouvier
1982Fast-WalkingEvie
1983Fire and IceJulianaVoice
1984AngelSolly Mosler
1984The KillersSusu, Second Ragpicker
1985Avenging AngelSolly Mosler
1985Flesh+BloodCeline
1986The Christmas StarSara
1987The Chipmunk AdventureClaudia FurschteinVoice
1987From a Whisper to a ScreamBeth Chandler
1987The UnderachieversMrs. Grant
1988TapeheadsNikki Morton
1988Big Top Pee-weeMidge Montana
1989Far from HomeAgnes Reed
1990RockulaChuck the Bartender
1990Cry-BabyRamona Rickettes
1991MotoramaBartender
1992Susan Tyrrell: My Rotten Life, a Bitter OperettaThe Woman
1995The DemolitionistMayor Eleanor Grimbaum
1995Digital ManMildred Hodges
1995PowderMaxine
1997Mrs. B
1997Pink as the Day She Was BornLana
1998Relax...It's Just SexAlicia Pillsbury
1999Buddy BoySal
1999Swap Meet
2003Masked and AnonymousElla the Fortune Teller
2008The Boneyard CollectionHigh Priestess
2012Kid-ThingEstherVoice,

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1964Mr. NovakPhyllis FreuchenEpisode: "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt"
1971BonanzaMrs. Jill ConwayEpisode: "Fallen Woman"
1975BarettaPamela / JennyEpisode: "Double Image"
1976Starsky and HutchAnnie / Isabelle OatesEpisode: "The Collector"
1978KojakMary TorinoEpisode: "In Full Command"
1981-1982Open All NightGretchen Feester13 episodes
1992WingsSconset SalEpisode: "Marriage, Italian Style"
1995Tales from the CryptMonaEpisode: "Comes the Dawn"
1997Extreme GhostbustersAchiraVoice, Episodes: "Darkness at Noon, Part 1", "Darkness at Noon, Part 2"

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
1967The Rimers of EldritchPatsy JohnsonCherry Lane Theatre
1968Cactus FlowerBotticelli's Springtime

Toni 		Broadway
1968A Cry for PlayersJennyBroadway
1969King LearEnsembleBroadway
1969Invitation to a BeheadingMartheThe Public Theater
1969A Cry of PlayersJennyBroadway
1969The Time of Your LifeKitty DuvalBroadway
1970Camino RealEsmeraldaRepertory Theater of Lincoln Center
1979Father's DayLouiseThe American Place Theatre
1992Susan Tyrrell: My Rotten Life, a Bitter OperettaThe Woman
1997The Joy of Going Somewhere DefinitePatsy, Older Woman, WaitressCenter Theatre Group

Awards and nominations

Source: