Suzy Parker
Cecilia Ann Renee Parker (28 October 1932, Queens, New York - 3 May 2003, Montecito, California) was an American actress and supermodel who became famous under the name Suzy Parker.
Parker was born in Queens, New York and raised in San Antonio, Texas. Her elder sister, Dorian Leigh, introduced Suzy to agent Eileen Ford when she was 15. Parker became the "signature face" of Coco Chanel. She was the first to earn $US 200 per hour and $100,000 per year. Vogue declared her one of the faces of the confident, post-war American woman.
She made her acting debut in Funny Face (1957). Her other credits included Kiss Them for Me (1957), The Best of Everything (1959), Ten North Frederick (1959), Circle of Deception (1960) where she met future husband Bradford Dillman, Chamber of Horrors (1966) and guest spots TV shows such as Tarzan and The Twilight Zone.
She took her third husband Bradford Dillman's name and was known as Suzy Parker Dillman following her marriage. She had four children: Georgia, by second husband Pierre de la Salle and, by Dillman, Dinah, Charles, and Christopher.
She died, aged 70, following a long period of ill health that included respiratory problems, hip surgeries, and diabetes.
Trivia
- The Beatles recorded a song called "Suzy Parker" about her.
- Actress Parker Posey's first name is a tribute to her.