FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5, 1988
Meet the two Susan Sullivans By MIKE HUGHES Gannett News Service
There are two views of Susan Sullivan One is the woman in total control. In endless Tylenol commercials, she's the ultimate TV spokesperson, crisp and commanding. And the other is the woman whose love has put her out of control. On this week's 'Falcon Crest' — at 10 tonight on CBS — she makes her second try at an ill advised wedding with David Selby.
Those views might seem like opposites, but to Sullivan they fit neatly together. They're part of a life that has gone from childhood chaos to grown-up precision. The cool person you see in those commercials is real, she insists. "That's definitely Susan Sullivan. It's what I'm like, I guess. I've heard it described ais 'vulnerable authority."' And that crispness sprang from long-ago troubles.
"Being a good-Irishman, she recalls, I come from a family of deep drinkers." Her father's drinking turned into alcoholism that shook the family financially and emotionally. 'It affected everything. There is so much chaos; you become so frightened to express yourself." That shaped her passion for acting. "With that chaotic environment, to put on a play was OK. I think it was a way that I got to express myself." And it helped shape her character c
"The decisions you make at' ages 4-5-6-7 affect the rest of your life. I have a need to be very much in control because back then I was the one who had to stay calm. Now I have to have a tight rein on everything." That affects her relationships ("the trust factor is difficult") and her work.
If anything, Sullivan says, she has to work to keep from being too commanding. "I want to see the vulnerable parts, too." And all of that set up the latest "Falcon Crest" twist: 'This is a storyline that I suggested.I think people are interested in this sort of thing — 'women who love too much,' women who think they can change a man." So why not link Sullivan's bright Maggie and Selby!s scheming Richard? Blinded by love, she'll ignore his faults; that's the "denial phase" that alcoholics' families are familiar with. Soon, she'll begin to drink heavily. The last "Falcon Crest" episode should have convinced Maggie that this would be a shaky marriage. The wedding ceremony was nearly completed when Richard paused to read a codicil (an amendment to a will) and walked away.
Sullivan has learned to tolerate such melodramatic quirks. "That I didn't mind-although another codicil would be a little much." And she's enthusiastic about the reports that the CBS soaps will get an overhaul, with smaller casts and storylines that conclude each week. "It ('Falcon Crest') needs to have a new energy. I think the show has gone a little far afield, with white slavery and that sort of thing. Now the characters may be fuller and the scenes may be longer.
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Paul Raven ·
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