Fans Haven’t Seen This ‘Partridge Family’ Star in Decades — Here’s Why originally appeared on Parade.
Susan Dey captured America’s heart as the beloved Laurie Partridge on The Partridge Family in the 1970s. However, it’s been over two decades since the beloved actress quietly vanished from Hollywood — and fans desperately want an update.
While millions of viewers watched the musical family across television screens, behind the scenes, Dey’s journey was far more complicated. The pressure of growing up in the public eye took a toll on the star.
“[You] feel like an adult but you are not an adult,” Dey revealed to The Washington Post, describing the challenges of stardom at such a young age.
This dynamic led to serious consequences for the actress. Dey developed an eating disorder during the show’s run, she later told the Post. When The Partridge Family ended in 1974, Dey faced a familiar hurdle for many child stars — being typecast.
Rather than letting these setbacks define her career, Dey pushed through, and landed a role in 1978’s Little Women miniseries. Starring alongside fellow ’70s TV icon Eve Plumb, Dey played Jo March, successfully showing her range in drama.
Her next big role came with L.A. Law in 1986. As district attorney Grace Van Owen, she showcased her acting chops across eight seasons, appearing in 126 episodes — surpassing even her Partridge Family episode count of 96.
The role earned her multiple Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe win for Best Actress in a Drama Series in 1989, finally silencing those who had typecast her as just another teen star.
After L.A. Law ended, Dey’s career slowly wound down through various TV movies, a stint on Love & War from 1992 to 1993 and guest appearances. Her last professional acting credit came in 2004 with two episodes of Third Watch – and then, complete silence from the actress.
Dey’s commitment to privacy became evident after experiencing what she reportedly felt were violations of her personal boundaries. Years after The Partridge Family ended, her former co-star David Cassidy revealed details about their personal relationship in his 1994 memoir.
Donato Sardella/WireImage
This public disclosure, combined with unauthorized tabloid coverage of her private struggles with alcoholism, reinforced her determination to maintain strict boundaries around her personal life. When addressing these challenges, Dey explained her perspective to Parade magazine. “I usually don’t talk about it because I feel it’s my business and nobody else’s.”
In another rare 2013 interview, Dey opened up about her permanent departure from entertainment. With the industry’s massive changes in film and TV, she revealed she’s unlikely to return unless she finds “the perfect role.”
Despite her career success, the pain of missing out on acting still haunts her. “I miss acting as much as I miss my mom, as much as I miss my little girl, as much as I miss my first home. I do miss acting, but I’m really happy with what’s going on in my life right now. It’s full. It’s so full.”
As of the latest reports, Dey lives quietly with producer husband Bernard Sofronski, whom she married in 1988. She has a daughter from her previous marriage to Lenny Hirshan in 1978.
Fans Haven’t Seen This ‘Partridge Family’ Star in Decades — Here’s Why first appeared on Parade on Aug 8, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
