Suzanne Somers Discusses her "Three's Company" Firing on "The Rosie Show" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 03-15-2012, 02:36 PM

Suzanne Somers: Chauvinism Led To My Firing from "Three's Company" (VIDEO)
3/15/12

Suzanne Somers took the nation by storm as the delightfully ditzy Chrissy Snow when "Three's Company" debuted in 1977. While John Ritter was the star of the show, Somers quickly became the breakout fan favorite while playing Chrissy, and it may well have been what led to her dismissal after five seasons.

She talked about her experiences on "The Rosie Show".

So how did you first get the job?

Fred Silverman was watching me one day with Carson, said that they were looking for a girl for "Three's Company". That's how it happened...

and thank god for you saying that the women characters should be payed as much as the men characters.

Well, yeah.

Was that such as extraordinary thing in the '70s and '80s... people were like 'How dare she?!' because you demanded equality.

It was so portrayed as greed, and I really couldn't get work in television. That's why I went into night clubs. I was persona non grata everywhere and I thought 'What did I do so wrong to get fired?'

I never missed a day of work. I was never late. I was cheerful. I learned all my lines...

You were also the breakout star.

I was the breakout.

I think the producers were very chauvinistic, when I had Joyce on my show a couple of weeks ago we were talking about the chauvinism of the producers. They had decided that John was the star of the show, which he was, but did they know that The Fonz was going to breakout?

You know Chrissy Snow broke out, and the public spoke.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0..._1346677.html?

catlover79 · 03-15-2012, 03:58 PM

Will she ever give it a rest???

Mr. Television · 03-15-2012, 04:46 PM

John was the star. There would have been no show without him. Everyone else on the show could have been replaced.

catlover79 · 03-15-2012, 04:50 PM

Yup, I totally agree.

*Pleasant Tomorrow* · 03-15-2012, 06:25 PM

Everyone knows that Beau Bridges could've replaced John.*

Anyway, I'm going to paste what I replied with to Chris Mann's page on Facebook because I'm lazy.

I'm so tired of her crap. I'm sick of people who know none of the details feeding her lies by giving her a medium by which to share them. Are Rosie and whoever the hell asking Joyce for her point of view? No, because she has nothing to promote or whore out. That's all this is. She won't shut up about it until the day she dies.

JK, she won't die. She'll live forever on the blood of fetuses and skin grafts from the butts of newborns. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and inject hormones into a piece of cake so it'll last longer. It works for Suzanne, it works for cows, it'll work for cake.

*John has often cited Beau Bridges as a possible replacement. This was an inside joke of the cast. I know, because I was there.**

**I was not there.

Mr. Television · 03-15-2012, 06:33 PM

What Suzanne should have said was, "It's over. It's time to move on."

*Pleasant Tomorrow* · 03-15-2012, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

What Suzanne should have said was, "It's over. It's time to move on."

Saying something like that wouldn't garner her any attention, though.

Mr. Television · 03-15-2012, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Pleasant Tomorrow*

Saying something like that wouldn't garner her any attention, though.

The thing is, nobody cares about what on way back then. If it hadn't been for her feud with Joyce, this would have been dead a long time ago. I think the media just likes controversy. Maybe you're right and she loves the publicity. I have no idea why anyone would want to go on Rosie's show. She's wrong though. She was a breakout star but she was never in the Fonzie league. I could never see her taking over the show if John Ritter had left. I think she was most popular before they dumbed her character down and made her child like. She wanted money like Alan Alda and Carroll O'Connor but they were the stars of their shows.

catlover79 · 03-15-2012, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Pleasant Tomorrow*

Saying something like that wouldn't garner her any attention, though.

We all know that's the main thing she AND her husband/manager Alan Hamel feed on.

Janice · 03-15-2012, 10:46 PM

Suzanne and her husband got greedy and overplayed their hands and lost. Now, she's rewriting history. Chauvinism had nothing to do with this. I bet the Ropers were paid equally. Suzanne got paid what supporting stars got paid in that time.

She was getting paid $30 grand an episode, but wanted an increase to $150 grand an episode, and 10% of the show's profit's. She had everyone and everything in an uproar; friendships ruined, the show was never the same. Now she wants to portray herself as a trailblazer.

catlover79 · 03-15-2012, 11:01 PM

How much is 1980's $150K today with inflation? I'm not good at that kind of thing. Plus, didn't she also want part ownership of the show or something? If John Ritter wasn't getting any of that, no way was she going to - no matter what. She still doesn't get it.

Mr. Television · 03-15-2012, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

How much is 1980's $150K today with inflation? I'm not good at that kind of thing. Plus, didn't she also want part ownership of the show or something? If John Ritter wasn't getting any of that, no way was she going to - no matter what. She still doesn't get it.

I think I read that in the contracts that her and Joyce had to have the same amount of money and John got more. I don't remember how much more. So if she got a raise, all of them would have to.

catlover79 · 03-15-2012, 11:30 PM

Thanks. I wonder how much Jenilee Harrison and Priscilla Barnes made after Suzanne left, compared to Joyce.

Mr. Television · 03-15-2012, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

Thanks. I wonder how much Jenilee Harrison and Priscilla Barnes made after Suzanne left, compared to Joyce.

I don't know but I'd be shocked if Jenilee got as much as Joyce. lol

Jack Gomez · 03-16-2012, 12:42 AM

When she says she wanted to be paid what the men were being paid, she keeps leaving out the fact that she wanted Carrol O'Connor type money. Richard Kline brought this up on Chris Mann's Retroality show. The "man" on Three's Company was John Ritter and he wasn't making that type of money. So she didn't want Ritter's salary she wanted way more.

She and her goofy manager husband must have thought she was the star.

Has her husband ever managed anyone other than his wife?

I do give her credit for coming out of that mess and making a fortune selling every type of knick knack piece of crap on HSN she can think of, but enough already with the lies about her departure from Three's Company.

03-15-2012, 02:36 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,039	Suzanne Somers Discusses her "Three's Company" Firing on "The Rosie Show" *Suzanne Somers: Chauvinism Led To My Firing from "Three's Company" (VIDEO)* 3/15/12 Suzanne Somers took the nation by storm as the delightfully ditzy Chrissy Snow when "Three's Company" debuted in 1977. While John Ritter was the star of the show, Somers quickly became the breakout fan favorite while playing Chrissy, and it may well have been what led to her dismissal after five seasons. She talked about her experiences on "The Rosie Show". So how did you first get the job? Fred Silverman was watching me one day with Carson, said that they were looking for a girl for "Three's Company". That's how it happened... and thank god for you saying that the women characters should be payed as much as the men characters. Well, yeah. Was that such as extraordinary thing in the '70s and '80s... people were like 'How dare she?!' because you demanded equality. It was so portrayed as greed, and I really couldn't get work in television. That's why I went into night clubs. I was persona non grata everywhere and I thought 'What did I do so wrong to get fired?' I never missed a day of work. I was never late. I was cheerful. I learned all my lines... You were also the breakout star. I was the breakout. I think the producers were very chauvinistic, when I had Joyce on my show a couple of weeks ago we were talking about the chauvinism of the producers. They had decided that John was the star of the show, which he was, but did they know that The Fonz was going to breakout? You know Chrissy Snow broke out, and the public spoke. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0..._1346677.html? Attached Images

03-15-2012, 03:58 PM	#2
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Will she ever give it a rest???
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

03-15-2012, 04:46 PM	#3
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,128	John was the star. There would have been no show without him. Everyone else on the show could have been replaced.
	__________________ Sonny

03-15-2012, 06:25 PM	#5
Pleasant Tomorrow Member Forum Addict Join Date: Feb 19, 2003 Location: New York Posts: 69,525	Everyone knows that Beau Bridges could've replaced John.* Anyway, I'm going to paste what I replied with to Chris Mann's page on Facebook because I'm lazy. I'm so tired of her crap. I'm sick of people who know none of the details feeding her lies by giving her a medium by which to share them. Are Rosie and whoever the hell asking Joyce for her point of view? No, because she has nothing to promote or whore out. That's all this is. She won't shut up about it until the day she dies. JK, she won't die. She'll live forever on the blood of fetuses and skin grafts from the butts of newborns. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and inject hormones into a piece of cake so it'll last longer. It works for Suzanne, it works for cows, it'll work for cake. John has often cited Beau Bridges as a possible replacement. This was an inside joke of the cast. I know, because I was there.* **I was not there.
	__________________ my name is ashlee Welcome! Everything is fine.

03-15-2012, 04:50 PM	#4
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Yup, I totally agree.

03-15-2012, 06:33 PM	#6
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,128	What Suzanne should have said was, "It's over. It's time to move on."

03-15-2012, 10:46 PM	#10
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	Suzanne and her husband got greedy and overplayed their hands and lost. Now, she's rewriting history. Chauvinism had nothing to do with this. I bet the Ropers were paid equally. Suzanne got paid what supporting stars got paid in that time. She was getting paid $30 grand an episode, but wanted an increase to $150 grand an episode, and 10% of the show's profit's. She had everyone and everything in an uproar; friendships ruined, the show was never the same. Now she wants to portray herself as a trailblazer.

03-15-2012, 11:01 PM	#11
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	How much is 1980's $150K today with inflation? I'm not good at that kind of thing. Plus, didn't she also want part ownership of the show or something? If John Ritter wasn't getting any of that, no way was she going to - no matter what. She still doesn't get it.

03-15-2012, 11:30 PM	#13
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Thanks. I wonder how much Jenilee Harrison and Priscilla Barnes made after Suzanne left, compared to Joyce.

03-16-2012, 12:42 AM	#15
Jack Gomez Felipe's son Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 18, 2003 Posts: 614	When she says she wanted to be paid what the men were being paid, she keeps leaving out the fact that she wanted Carrol O'Connor type money. Richard Kline brought this up on Chris Mann's Retroality show. The "man" on Three's Company was John Ritter and he wasn't making that type of money. So she didn't want Ritter's salary she wanted way more. She and her goofy manager husband must have thought she was the star. Has her husband ever managed anyone other than his wife? I do give her credit for coming out of that mess and making a fortune selling every type of knick knack piece of crap on HSN she can think of, but enough already with the lies about her departure from Three's Company.