| Susan Anton | |
|---|---|
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| Born | October 12, 1950 Oak Glen, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Spouse(s) | Jeff Lester (m. 1992–present) |
| Official website | |
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Susan Ellen Anton (b. Susan Ellen Anton, October 12, 1950, Oak Glen, California)[1] is an American actress and singer.
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Life and career
Youth
She attended Yucaipa High School in Yucaipa, California, and graduated in 1968. After high school, Anton attended San Bernardino Valley College. She first experienced fame by winning the Miss California contest in 1969. She was second runner-up in the Miss America pageant that year.
Career
By the mid-1970s, Anton developed a following for her commercials for Muriel Cigars, where she provocatively sang, "Let Muriel turn you on / That is my desire / Muriel lights a flame in me / Where there's Muriel smoke, there's fire".[2] Later in the 1970s, she was frequently seen and heard in television, print and radio ads for the Perfect Sleeper mattress by Serta. In these ads, she announced her name and sang the company's jingle.
In 1978, ABC gave her and country singer Mel Tillis a summertime variety series, Mel and Susan Together, produced by the Osmond Brothers. The pairing of Anton and Tillis was an unlikely one: he was popular in country music circles but hardly a national household name while Susan was barely known at all. The show disappeared after four weeks; nevertheless, she was later chosen as one of Time magazine's "Most Promising Faces of 1979."
She later starred in her own variety show, Presenting Susan Anton, one of three serials in the Cliffhangers series, and in the films Goldengirl, Spring Fever and Cannonball Run II. She also recorded music, her biggest hit being "Killin' Time" in 1980, a duet with country singer Fred Knoblock. The record made Top 10 on the country charts and hit #28 on Billboard's Hot 100. In 1990, Anton appeared on the TV comedy series Night Court in an episode called "The Talk Show" where she played talk show producer Margo Hunter.
Anton was the host of the successful "Great Radio City Music Hall Spectacular" show at the Flamingo Hilton in Las Vegas for over 5,000 performances until July 31, 2000. She was then replaced by Dorothy Hamill and the show was discontinued soon after. She also appeared in the Las Vegas company of the musical Hairspray and on Broadway in The Will Rogers Follies, Hurlyburly and All Shook Up.
She had a recurring role on the TV series Baywatch from 1992 to 1994[3] and has appeared as herself on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (2006), The Larry Sanders Show (1993) and It's Garry Shandling's Show (1987), as well as in several films.
Personal life
She dated English film and TV star Dudley Moore with much being made of their height difference. He was 5 feet 2.5 inches (1.59m) tall and she is 5 feet 11 inches (1.80m) tall. Anton married television actor Jeff Lester on August 15, 1992, her second marriage. She currently resides in Las Vegas.
Cultural reference
In the Simpsons episode, "I Am Furious Yellow", Krusty the Clown sees how good "Angry Dad" is on the Internet, he thinks of a way to compete and tells his secretary to "book that animal who always chomps on my groin", the secretary replies: "Susan Anton?"
In the Golden Girls episode Blanche likens herself to Susan Anton, as the only other woman who could understand what is like to be a devastatingly gorgeous woman.
Also, in the episode Diamond in the Rough Blanche gets a special deal for the charity ball which the girls are organizing by telling the manager she is Susan Anton's sister.
Blanche: Oh, girls, this time I have really done it! Thanks to me, the hospital charity banquet is going to be held at the Versailles Room of the Bedford Hotel!
Dorothy: Blanche, the committee is on a budget!
Blanche: I know it, but don't worry, I worked out a special deal!
Rose: But we can't afford that room!
Blanche: I know it, but don't worry, I worked out a special deal! I told the manager, if he let us have that room, I would persuade my sister to sing for free in his piano bar!
Rose: You mean your sister Virginia?
Blanche: No, I mean my sister, Miss Susan Anton!
Dorothy: Blanche, how could you tell such a lie?
Blanche: He didn't believe me for a minute! He told me I was much too attractive to be related to her. But he gave us the room anyhow because he said he liked my moxie!
Sophia: And I bet you liked showing it to him!
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | One Night | Varese |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | CAN Country | ||
| 1980 | "Killin' Time" (with Fred Knoblock) | 10 | 28 | 39 |
References
External links
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