Susan Flannery is a name that has spread across decades of American television. Whether it is through her breastplays as a young actress in day time dramas or even her work behind the camera, she has made a heavy impression in the world of soap operas and television. However, she has recently come back to the news again, moving and going into a new phase of existence. In this paper, you will familiarize yourself with the life, career, and legacy of Susan Flannery in a comprehensible and easy to read manner. We will also examine her childhood life, her most well known appearances, awards, her decisions in her later life, and how she is remembered by the fans.
Who Is Susan Flannery?
Susan Flannery was born on July 31, 1939 (or 1943) in Jersey City, New Jersey. She went to high school in Manhattan and she then enrolled in Stephens College that was in Missouri where she studied theater and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Then she went on to graduate study in ASU in theater arts. Flannery had wide interests. She was a licensed pilot and she loved cooking and traveling.
Susan Flannery biography
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Susan Flannery |
| Date of Birth | July 31, 1939 (some sources list 1943) |
| Place of Birth | Jersey City, New Jersey, USA |
| Education | BFA in Theatre, Stephens College (Missouri); Graduate studies at Arizona State University |
| Profession | Actress, Television Director |
| Years Active | 1963 – 2012 |
| Famous Roles | Dr. Laura Spencer Horton (Days of Our Lives), Stephanie Forrester (The Bold and the Beautiful) |
| Major Awards | 4× Daytime Emmy Awards, 1× Golden Globe Award |
| Film Highlights | The Towering Inferno (1974), The Moneychangers (1976) |
| Directing Credits | The Bold and the Beautiful, Guiding Light, Venice: The Series, The Fosters |
| Personal Life | Mother to daughter Blaise; long-term partner writer Rita Mae Brown |
| Recent News (2025) | Moved from Los Angeles to Australia to live near her daughter and grandchildren |
| Legacy | Iconic soap opera actress, award-winning performer, and advocate for actors’ rights in television |
Acting Career of Susan Flannery.
Early Roles and the Rise Flannery began by taking minor television roles. She featured in shows such as Burke law, Slattery people, Death valley days and the voyage to bottom of the sea.
In 1966, she was cast in one of the biggest parts of Dr. Laura Spencer Horton in the daytime drama Days of Our Lives. She played that role until 1975.
This was a result of her performance in Days of Our Lives and received her a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress.
Susan Flannery Networth
Susan Flannery networth is $9 million.
The shift to Film and Television Movies.
In 1974 she starred in the disaster movie The Towering inferno. The part earned her a Golden Globe of the New Star of the Year- Actress. She also appeared in Television miniseries and films including the Moneychangers, Women in White, Anatomy of a Seduction and even in Dallas. She was nominated to receive a Primetime Emmy Award because of her work in The Moneychangers. The Bold and the Beautiful and What Makes her.
Stephanie Forrester in the CBS
Perhaps her most popular performance is as Stephanie Forrester in the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. She appeared on the show since its inception in 1987 until 2012. During her time in The Bold and the Beautiful, she also directed number of episodes which indicates she has talents in other aspects other than acting.
As Stephanie, she became one of the key mothers of the Forrester family plot with numerous dramatic conflicts and arcs. That role saw Flannery win several Daytime Emmy Awards in the years 2000, 2002 and 2003. When she chose to quit the show, the writers killed her character in the narrative as a result of lung cancer. In 2018 (not appearing), she was briefly featured in The Bold and the Beautiful, in a voice cameo role.
Rewards, Honors, and Effect.
Awards and Honors The following is a table which highlights some of the greatest awards and nominations Susan Flannery received in her career:
1975 Daytime Emmy -Outstanding Lead Actress Days of Our Lives (Laura Spencer Horton) Won.
1975 Golden Globe -New Star of the Year The Towering Inferno Wired Winner.
1977 Primetime Emmy, Lead Actress, Limited Series The Moneychangers Nominated.
2000 Daytime Emmy -Outstanding Lead Actress The Bold and the Beautiful (Stephanie) Won.
2002 Daytime Emmy Award – Outstanding Lead Actress The Bold and the Beautiful Won.
2003 Daytime Emmy – Lead Actress, Outstanding The Bold and the Beautiful Won.
In addition to the awards, she also was given the #1 position in the list of Top 50 Soap Actresses of All Time by We Love Soaps in 2010.
Impact on the Soap Opera Genre.
Susan Flannery was able to change the way characters in long running soap operas develop. Her powerful matriarchal role as Stephanie was a precedent in soap intrigue and domination. She had also proposed the actors rights in respect to foreign residuals and cable rights by being part of actor unions.
Her experience as a director was also indicative of how actors could move to the opposite side of the camera and create storylines on the production end.
Personal Life and Later Years.
Family and Personal Relationships.Susan Flannery gave birth to a daughter called Blaise. She was long-term with writer Rita Mae Brown.
Flannery has led a secret life, which is why in interviews and biographies she is characterized as nice, straightforward, and ardent.
Recent move: United States to Australia.
This was affirmed in 2025 when Susan Flannery was to move out of Los Angeles to Australia. Among the reasons behind the relocation is that her daughter and grandchildren reside in Australia where Flannery wants to be near them. Her B&B co-star, Katherine Kelly Lang, and other fellow soap opera actors hosted an event to say goodbye, and updates on the move were shared.
It is a very major move in her lifelong due to the fact that she was leaving her long time nest of the U.S. entertainment avenue. Moreover, she claimed that she would not be back to the show even after quitting The Bold and the Beautiful: I do not look back.
Legacy of Susan Flannery
The career of Susan Flannery has been long and fruitful in the history of television, and the soap opera genre. She demonstrated that even a soap actor could direct, and she continued her idea of the strong female characters. Her Stephanie Forrester performance is timeless, and the reader of her fictional struggles, charisma, and heart continue to recall her with dramatic conflicts.
Her relocation to Australia later in life demonstrates the commitment to the family and the readiness to accept the changes. Although she is not currently working, her presence can be felt in her work and impact on actors and writers in the world of soap operas.
Her career urges the performers and the audiences alike to look beyond the melodrama aspects of the characters in the soap opera as components of human lives complete with arcs, development, downfall and influences.
Summary
Susan Flannery started as a humble television actress and graduated into one of the most prominent faces in the daytime drama. She had established two big names in Days of our Lives and the Bold and the Beautiful, namely, Laura Horton and Stephanie Forrester. In the process, she received Emmy and Golden Globe awards, proved to be a talented director behind the camera, and championed the rights of actresses.
Within the last few years, she has taken a back seat on acting and relocated to Australia to be near the family, marking the end of a significant period in the entertainment industry of the United States of America. Her performances, her creative work, and the influence on the soap world make her legacy survive. To the television enthusiasts and television history buffs, the story of Susan Flannery is an eye opener on perseverance, reinventing, and following one course of action.
FAQs
1.Who is Susan Flannery and her most notable thing?
Susan Flannery is one of the American actors and film directors who are known well in her works as Laura Horton, in Days of our lives and Stephanie Forrester in The Bold and the Beautiful.
2.What is the number of Daytime Emmy awards that Susan Flannery won?
She was also a winner of several Daytime Emmy Awards such as her acting in Days of Our Lives (1975) and The Bold and the Beautiful (2000, 2002, 2003).
3.Has Susan Flannery directed any episodes of television?
The Bold and the Beautiful, Venice: The Series, Guiding Light, and The Fosters are some of the shows she has directed.
4.Why would Susan Flannery relocate to Australia?
She is moving to Australia to stay close to her adopted daughter and grandchildren who are located in Australia.
5.Will Susan Flannery ever go back to The Bold and the Beautiful?
She has publicly indicated that she has no plans of making a comeback to the show, other than her minor voice appearance in 2018.
