Susan Ruttan
{{Short description|American actress (born 1948)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Susan Ruttan
| image = Susan Ruttan in Common Census Viral Vignette.jpg
| caption = Ruttan in Common Census short film, 2020
| imagesize =
| birth_name = Susan Diane Dunsrud
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|09|16}}
| birth_place = Oregon City, Oregon, U.S.
| occupation = Actress
| years_active = 1981–present
| spouse = {{plainlist|
- {{marriage|Mel Ruttan|1967|1970|end=d.}}
- {{marriage|Joseph Warbis|1990|1993|reason=divorced}}
}}
| children = 1
}}
Susan Diane Ruttan (née Dunsrud; born September 16, 1948) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Roxanne Melman on L.A. Law (1986–1993), for which she was nominated four times for a Primetime Emmy Award.
Life and career
Ruttan was born in Oregon City, Oregon, the daughter of Helen Manis, a nurse, and Daryl Dunrud, a logger.[http://www.filmreference.com/film/81/Susan-Ruttan.html Profile], filmreference.com; accessed April 26, 2016. She graduated from University of Oregon and University of California, Santa Cruz.{{cite web|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/person/susan-ruttan/biography.html|title=Susan Ruttan- Biography|publisher=Yahoo!|accessdate=2013-04-14}}
Ruttan played Roxanne Melman on L.A. Law from 1986 to 1993. She reprised the role in 2002 for a TV reunion, L.A. Law: The Movie. She earned four nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in show.{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/susan-ruttan|title=Susan Ruttan at Emmys.com|accessdate=2013-04-14}}
Ruttan first attracted significant attention playing the scheming wife of George Jefferson's dry-cleaning archrival, Gil Cunningham, on The Jeffersons. Other television appearances included episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, AfterMash, Bosom Buddies, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Remington Steele, Yes, Dear, Newhart and Gilmore Girls. Buffy creator Joss Whedon cast numerous show alumni in 2008's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, including Ruttan who appeared briefly in a non-speaking role.
Ruttan had a small comedic role in the teen comedy feature film Bad Manners (aka: Growing Pains) (1984), and the 1990 romantic comedy Funny About Love starring Gene Wilder. She played convicted killer Genene Jones in the television movie Deadly Medicine (1991). She has also appeared in an episode of Hannah Montana ("Promma Mia"). Her most dramatic role to date was in the 2004 remake of Helter Skelter, in which she played the mother of Linda Kasabian. In 2009, she appeared in the movie, Prayers for Bobby.
Personal life
Ruttan has been married twice. Her first marriage, to Mel Ruttan in 1967, ended with his death in a motorcycle accident three years later. She kept his surname as her professional name. Her second marriage, to Joe Warbis, lasted from 1990 to 1993. She is the mother of Jackson Ruttan (born May 19, 1993), whom she adopted. {{citation needed|date=February 2014}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 1988
|Miriam | |
| 1990
|Claire | |
| 1998
|Mrs. O'Brian | |
| 1998
|Lela | |
| 2004
|{{sortname|The|Sure Hand of God|nolink=1}} |Lucy Trotter | |
| 2008
|Lorraine Parker | |
| 2009
|Rose | |
| 2009
|Maggie | |
| 2014
|{{sortname|The|Quota|nolink=1}} |Lucy |Short |
| 2015
|Come Simi |Jeannie | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 1981
|Esther Crane |"What Price Glory?" |
| 1981
|Helen |"Sugar and Spice" |
| 1983
|Sister Mary Elizabeth |"Oh, Promise Me" |
| 1983
|Mrs. Estep |TV film |
| 1983
|After George |Marge |TV short |
| 1983
|Doris Gardena |"September of '53/Together Again" |
| 1984
|Robin |TV film |
| 1984
|Katherine Zawicki Shub |"A Hero", "Have Yourself a Very Degrading Christmas" |
| 1984
|Rita |"The Scandal" |
| 1984
|Miss Livermore |"Lofty Steele" |
| 1984
|Margie |TV film |
| 1984
|Sarah |"Georgie's Girl" |
| 1985
|Kicks |Rosemary |TV film |
| 1985
|{{sortname|The|Jeffersons}} |Mrs. Cunningham |"That Blasted Cunningham" |
| 1985
|Do You Remember Love |Julie Myers |TV film |
| 1985
|Jane |"A Horse Is Not a Home" |
| 1985
|{{interlanguage link|Murder: By Reason of Insanity|es}} |Judge M. Tyson |TV film |
| 1985
|Mrs. Blake |"Wheels of Justice: Part 1" |
| 1986
|Under the Influence |Ms. Morgan |TV film |
| 1986
|{{sortname|The|New Leave It to Beaver}} |Mrs. Livermore |"Heavy Metal", "A Day in Mayfield" |
| 1986–93
|Roxanne Melman |Main role |
| 1987
|Bay Cove |Debbi McGwin |TV film |
| 1988
|Take My Daughters, Please |Courtney |TV film |
| 1989
|Sandra Thompson |TV film |
| 1990
|Ms. Morales |"Malcolm Takes a Shot" |
| 1990
|{{sortname|A|Quiet Little Neighborhood, a Perfect Little Murder|nolink=1}} |Judy Hecker |TV film |
| 1990
|Mrs. Zavala |TV film |
| 1991
|{{sortname|A|Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story}} |Carol Blankenship |TV film |
| 1991
|Genene Jones |TV film |
| 1992–96
|Arlene Reed |TV films |
| 1993
|Without Warning: Terror in the Towers |Anne Marie Tesoriero |TV film |
| 1993
|{{sortname|The|Mommies|The Mommies (TV series)}} |Anne |"Much I Do About Nothing" |
| 1994
|Joanne Peters |"Cassie's Choice" |
| 1995
|Marilyn Craig |"Pledges" |
| 1995
|Stefanie Dale |"Mitigating Circumstances" |
| 1995
|Family Values |Melody Huck |TV film |
| 1996–97
|Linda Fortin |"Higher Powers", "Verdicts" |
| 1997
|Madge Jaynes |TV film |
| 1997–98
|Nectarine Stites |"It's My Nana and I'll Cry If I Want To", "Oh, How They Danced: Parts 1 "1 & 2" |
| 1998
|Life of the Party: The Pamela Harriman Story |Janet |TV film |
| 1998
|{{sortname|The|Love Boat: The Next Wave}} |Doris Werner |"All Aboard" |
| 1999
|Cathy |"Citizen Solomon" |
| 2000
|Dr. Grace Tarpon |"The Lottery" |
| 2000
|{{sortname|The|Ultimate Christmas Present}} |TV film |
| 2000
|Joy Ferrara |"Citizen Shame", "Ur-ine Trouble", "Are You There God? It's Me Ann-Margret" |
| 2001
|Lyla Myles |"Romeo and Juliet Must Die – Well, Maybe Just Juliet" |
| 2001
|Bed & Breakfast Wife |"The Road Trip to Harvard" |
| 2001
|Marietta Pryor |"Blinded by the White" |
| 2001
|Aunt Betty |"Guess Who's Not Coming to Dinner" |
| 2002
|Doris Kroeger |"Gone" |
| 2002
|Mrs. Finn |"The Crazy-Girl Episode" |
| 2002
|Roxanne Melman |TV film |
| 2002
|{{sortname|The|Agency|The Agency (2001 TV series)}} |Mrs. Barnes |"Home Grown" |
| 2004
|{{sortname|The|Division}} |Mrs. Evans |"Book of Memories" |
| 2004
|Mrs. Kasabian |TV film |
| 2004
|Mrs. Moreland |"American Dreamers" |
| 2005
|Dr. Offenbach |"Differentials" |
| 2005
|Monk |Mrs. Ledsky |"Mr. Monk and Little Monk" |
| 2005
|Jeanie Biddle |"Truly, Madly, Deeply" |
| 2006
|{{sortname|The|Legend of Butch & Sundance}} |Mrs. Place |TV film |
| 2009
|Betty Lambert |TV film |
| 2009
|Nora |"Nothing to Fear" |
| 2009
|Mrs. Blakelock |"Thrilled to Death" |
| 2009
|Mrs. Pike |"Ghosts" |
| 2009
|Grandma |"Promma Mia" |
| 2009
|Dolores Kramer |"Yielding" |
| 2009–10
|{{sortname|The|Forgotten|The Forgotten (TV series)}} |Horsemama |"Railroad Jane", "Patient John" |
| 2011
|Mrs. Swork |"Disarm" |
| 2013
|Mrs. Dobbs |"Futuredrama", "Weekend in Vegas" |
| 2015
|Carole |"Heirlooms" |
| 2015
|Ada |"The Bite Club" |
| 2015
|Betty Frame |"Clear and Wesen Danger" |
| 2018
|Patricia McClain |Netflix Series |
| 2018
|Mom |Lucy |3 episodes |
| 2019
|Linda Maxsome |"The One" |
| 2020
|Mrs. Clark |"On a Dead Guy's Bench" |
| 2021
|Nurse Nun |"Cancelled" |
| 2022
|Patient |"Hot and Bothered" |
| 2024
|Gladys Montrose |Recurring role |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0711880|Susan Ruttan}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruttan, Susan}}
Category:Actresses from Oregon
Category:American film actresses
Category:American television actresses
Category:People from Oregon City, Oregon
Category:20th-century American actresses
Category:21st-century American actresses