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), 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.
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
<!-- Delete "|nolink=1" if/when the titles are wikified. -->
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="width:20px;"|Year
! Title
! style="width:180px;"|Role
! class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
|rowspan=3|1971
|The Steagle
|Louise
|
|-
|Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me
|Jack
|
|-
|Shoot Out
|Alma
|
|-
|1972
|Fat City
|Oma Lee Greer
|New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress <small>(2nd place)</small><br/>National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress<Small> (2nd place)</small><br/>Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
|-
|rowspan=3|1974
|Catch My Soul
|Emilia
|
|-
|Zandy's Bride
|Maria Cordova
|
|-
|To Kill the King
|Maggie Van Birchard
|
|-
|1976
|The Killer Inside Me
|Joyce Lakeland
|
|-
|rowspan=6|1977
|Andy Warhol's Bad
|Mary Aiken
|Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress
|-
|Wizards
|Narrator
|Voice, Uncredited
|-
|Islands in the Stream
|Lil
|
|-
|I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
|Lee
|
|-
|September 30, 1955
|Melba Lou
|
|-
|Another Man, Another Chance
|Alice
|
|-
|1978
|Loose Shoes
|Boobies
|
|-
|1979
|Racquet
|Miss Baxter
|
|-
|1980
|Forbidden Zone
|Queen Doris of the Sixth Dimension / Ruth Henderson
|
|-
|rowspan=4|1981
|Document of the Dead
|Narrator
|Voice
|-
|Subway Riders
|Eleanor Langley
|
|-
|Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker / Night Warning
|Cheryl Roberts (Aunt Cheryl)
|
|-
|Tales of Ordinary Madness
|Vera
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1982
|Liar's Moon
|Lora Mae Bouvier
|
|-
|Fast-Walking
|Evie
|
|-
|1983
|Fire and Ice
|Juliana
|Voice
|-
|rowspan=2|1984
|Angel
|Solly Mosler
|
|-
|The Killers
|Susu, Second Ragpicker
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1985
|Avenging Angel
|Solly Mosler
|
|-
|Flesh and Blood
|Celine
|
|-
|1986
|The Christmas Star
|Sara
|
|-
|rowspan=3|1987
|The Chipmunk Adventure
|Claudia Furschtein
|Voice
|-
|From a Whisper to a Scream
|Beth Chandler
|
|-
|The Underachievers
|Mrs. Grant
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1988
|Tapeheads
|Nikki Morton
|
|-
|Big Top Pee-wee
|Midge Montana
|
|-
|1989
|Far from Home
|Agnes Reed
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1990
|Rockula
|Chuck the Bartender
|
|-
|Cry-Baby
|Ramona Rickettes
|
|-
|1991
|Motorama
|Bartender
|
|-
|1992
|Susan Tyrrell: My Rotten Life, a Bitter Operetta
|The Woman
|
|-
|rowspan=3|1995
|The Demolitionist
|Mayor Eleanor Grimbaum
|
|-
|Digital Man
|Mildred Hodges
|
|-
|Powder
|Maxine
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1997
|Poison Ivy: The New Seduction
|Mrs. B
|
|-
|Pink as the Day She Was Born
|Lana
|
|-
|1998
|Relax...It's Just Sex
|Alicia Pillsbury
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1999
|Buddy Boy
|Sal
|
|-
|Swap Meet
|
|
|-
|2003
|Masked and Anonymous
|Ella the Fortune Teller
|
|-
|2008
|The Boneyard Collection
|High Priestess
|
|-
|2012
|Kid-Thing
|Esther
|Voice<br />Final film role
|}
Television
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{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="width:20px;"|Year
! Title
! style="width:180px;"|Role
! class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
|1964
|Mr. Novak
|Phyllis Freuchen
|Episode: "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt"
|-
|1964
| The Patty Duke Show
| Sue Ellen
| Episode: "The Tycoons"
|-
|1971
|Bonanza
|Mrs. Jill Conway
|Episode: "Fallen Woman"
|-
|1975
|Baretta
|Pamela / Jenny
|Episode: "Double Image"
|-
|1976
|Starsky and Hutch
|Annie / Isabelle Oates
|Episode: "The Collector"
|-
|rowspan=2| 1978
|Kojak
|Mary Torino
|Episode: "In Full Command"
|-
| Lady of the House
| Helen Proctor
| TV movie
|-
|1981–1982
|Open All Night
|Gretchen Feester
|13 episodes
|-
|1986
|If Tomorrow Comes
|Bertha
|1 episode
|-
|1987
| The Hitchhiker
| Doris
| Episode: "In the Name of Love"
|-
|1988
|Windmills of the Gods
|Neusa Muñoz Angel
|2 episodes
|-
|1991
| Shades of LA
| Rita
| Episode: "Send Up the Clowns"
|-
|1992
|Wings
|Sconset Sal
|Episode: "Marriage, Italian Style" (as Susan Tyrell)
|-
|1995
|Tales from the Crypt
|Mona
|Episode: "Comes the Dawn"
|-
|1997
|Extreme Ghostbusters
|Achira
|Voice<br />Episodes: "Darkness at Noon, Part 1", "Darkness at Noon, Part 2"
|}
Theatre
<!-- Delete "|nolink=1" if/when the titles are wikified. -->
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="width:20px;"|Year
! Title
! style="width:180px;"|Role
! class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
|1967
|The Rimers of Eldritch
|Patsy Johnson
|Cherry Lane Theatre
|-
|1968
|Cactus Flower
|Botticelli's Springtime [Replacement] <br/>
Toni (Understudy) [Replacement]
|Broadway
|-
|1968
|A Cry for Players
| Jenny
|Broadway
|-
|rowspan=4|1969
|King Lear
|Marthe
|The Public Theater
|-
|A Cry of Players
|Patsy, Older Woman, Waitress
|Center Theatre Group
|}
Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="width:20px;"|Year
! style="width:180px;"|Work
! style="width:180px;"|Award
! class="unsortable"| Category
! class="unsortable"| Result
|-
|rowspan=3|1973
|rowspan=3|Fat City
|NSFC Award
|Best Supporting Actress
|
|-
|NYFCC Award
|Best Supporting Actress
|
|-
|Academy Award
||Best Supporting Actress
|
|-
|1978
|Andy Warhol's Bad
|Saturn Award
|Best Supporting Actress
|
|}