Susan Tyrrell (born Susan Jillian Creamer; March 18, 1945 – June 16, 2012) 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 (1971). She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Oma in John Huston's Fat City (1972). In 1978, Tyrrell received the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Andy Warhol's Bad (1977). Her New York Times obituary described her as "a whiskey-voiced character actress (with) talent for playing the downtrodden, outré, and grotesque."

Early life Tyrrell was born in San Francisco, California, to a British mother, Gillian (née Tyrrell; 1913–2012),Gillian-Tyrrell-Hoyt-100 salemnews.com obituaries, accessed August 17, 2014 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.

Tyrrell 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 (1963) starring Art Carney in New York City. Her father also persuaded Look magazine to follow her as she toured with the show, but he 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 (1969) and Camino Real (1970). Off-Broadway, Tyrrell appeared in the 1967 premiere of Lanford Wilson's The Rimers of Eldritch and a 1979 production of Father's Day (play) at The American Place Theatre.

Tyrrell's television debut was in Mr. Novak (1964) and her film debut was in Shoot Out (1971). Tyrrell was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Oma in John Huston's Fat City (1972). In 1976, she played a psychotic character in I Never Promised You A Rose Garden. In 1978, she won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Jed Johnson's Bad (1977).

Later, Tyrrell starred as Queen Doris in the indie Forbidden Zone (1980). She sang the film's song, "Witch's Egg". A year later, she portrayed Vera in Tales of Ordinary Madness (1981). 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 Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1981).

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 (1987), the animated feature film The Chipmunk Adventure (1987), and Big Top Pee-wee (the 1988 sequel to 1985's Pee-wee's Big Adventure). Tyrrell took a supporting role in John Waters' Cry-Baby (1990).

In 1992, she guest starred on an episode of Wings "Marriage Italian Style" and she 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" (1995), the animated series Extreme Ghostbusters (1997), and the psychological thriller film Buddy Boy (1999).

In the 2000s, Tyrrell appeared in Bob Dylan's Masked and Anonymous (2003) and The Devil's Due at Midnight (2004). Her final appearance was in the 2012 independent film Kid-Thing.

Personal life Tyrrell moved to New York City in the early 1960s to focus on theater work, for the first time meeting and socializing with openly LGBT people. The artistic crowd of "New York freaks" she associated with included "Andy Warhol people", among them Candy Darling, with whom Tyrrell had a relationship and shared an apartment.

In the mid-1970s, Tyrrell had a two-year relationship with actor Hervé Villechaize and shared a home with him in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles.

Tyrrell had two brief marriages and no children. In 1981 she told an interviewer that she had decided on tubal ligation surgery, "to ensure that no actors come out of me."

Tyrrell suffered from essential thrombocytosis, a disease of the blood. In early 2000, her disease necessitated 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, Tyrrell 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 were scattered.

Filmography

Film

Year TitleRole Notes1971The SteagleLouiseBeen Down So Long It Looks Like Up to MeJackShoot OutAlma1972Fat CityOma Lee GreerNew York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress (2nd place)National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress (2nd place)Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress1974Catch My SoulEmiliaZandy's BrideMaria CordovaTo Kill the KingMaggie Van Birchard1976The Killer Inside MeJoyce Lakeland1977Andy Warhol's BadMary AikenSaturn Award for Best Supporting ActressWizardsNarratorVoice, UncreditedIslands in the StreamLilI Never Promised You a Rose GardenLeeSeptember 30, 1955Melba LouAnother Man, Another ChanceAlice1978Loose ShoesBoobies1979RacquetMiss Baxter1980Forbidden Zone Queen Doris of the Sixth Dimension / Ruth Henderson1981Document of the Dead NarratorVoiceSubway RidersEleanor LangleyButcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker / Night Warning Cheryl Roberts (Aunt Cheryl)Tales of Ordinary MadnessVera1982Liar's Moon Lora Mae BouvierFast-WalkingEvie1983Fire and IceJulianaVoice1984AngelSolly MoslerThe KillersSusu, Second Ragpicker1985Avenging AngelSolly Mosler Flesh and BloodCeline1986The Christmas StarSara1987The Chipmunk AdventureClaudia FurschteinVoiceFrom a Whisper to a ScreamBeth ChandlerThe UnderachieversMrs. Grant1988TapeheadsNikki MortonBig Top Pee-weeMidge Montana1989Far from HomeAgnes Reed1990RockulaChuck the BartenderCry-BabyRamona Rickettes1991MotoramaBartender1992Susan Tyrrell: My Rotten Life, a Bitter OperettaThe Woman1995The DemolitionistMayor Eleanor GrimbaumDigital ManMildred HodgesPowderMaxine1997Poison Ivy: The New SeductionMrs. BPink as the Day She Was BornLana1998Relax...It's Just SexAlicia Pillsbury1999Buddy BoySalSwap Meet2003Masked and AnonymousElla the Fortune Teller2008The Boneyard CollectionHigh Priestess2012Kid-ThingEstherVoiceFinal film role

Television

Year TitleRole Notes1964Mr. Novak Phyllis FreuchenEpisode: "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt"1964 The Patty Duke Show Sue Ellen Episode: "The Tycoons"1971 BonanzaMrs. Jill ConwayEpisode: "Fallen Woman"1975BarettaPamela / JennyEpisode: "Double Image"1976Starsky and HutchAnnie / Isabelle OatesEpisode: "The Collector" 1978KojakMary TorinoEpisode: "In Full Command" Lady of the House Helen Proctor TV movie1981–1982Open All NightGretchen Feester13 episodes1986If Tomorrow ComesBertha1 episode1987 The Hitchhiker Doris Episode: "In the Name of Love"1988Windmills of the GodsNeusa Muñoz Angel2 episodes1991 Shades of LA Rita Episode: "Send Up the Clowns"1992WingsSconset SalEpisode: "Marriage, Italian Style" (as Susan Tyrell)1995Tales from the Crypt MonaEpisode: "Comes the Dawn"1997Extreme Ghostbusters AchiraVoiceEpisodes: "Darkness at Noon, Part 1", "Darkness at Noon, Part 2"

Theatre

Year TitleRole Notes1967The Rimers of EldritchPatsy JohnsonCherry Lane Theatre1968Cactus FlowerBotticelli's Springtime [Replacement] Toni (Understudy) [Replacement]Broadway1968A Cry for Players JennyBroadway1969King LearEnsemble BroadwayInvitation to a BeheadingMarthe The Public TheaterA Cry of PlayersJennyBroadwayThe Time of Your LifeKitty DuvalBroadway1970Camino RealEsmeralda Repertory Theater of Lincoln Center1979Father's Day (play)Louise The American Place Theatre1992Susan Tyrrell: My Rotten Life, a Bitter OperettaThe Woman1997The Joy of Going Somewhere Definite Patsy, Older Woman, WaitressCenter Theatre Group

Awards and nominations YearWorkAward Category Result1973Fat CityNSFC AwardBest Supporting ActressNYFCC AwardBest Supporting ActressAcademy AwardBest Supporting Actress1978Andy Warhol's BadSaturn AwardBest Supporting Actress

References

External links