Susan Ruttan

Susan Ruttan
Susan Ruttan
	Ruttan in Common Census short film, 2020
Born	Susan Diane Dunsrud; September 16, 1948 (age 76); Oregon City, Oregon, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1981–present
Spouses	; Mel Ruttan (m. 1967; died 1970) ; Joseph Warbis (m. 1990; div. 1993)
Children	1

Susan Diane Ruttan (née Dunsrud; born September 16, 1948) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Roxanne Melman on L.A. Law (1986–1993), for which she was nominated four times for a Primetime Emmy Award.

Life and career

Ruttan was born in Oregon City, Oregon, the daughter of Helen Manis, a nurse, and Daryl Dunrud, a logger.^[1] She graduated from University of Oregon and University of California, Santa Cruz.^[2]

Ruttan played Roxanne Melman on L.A. Law from 1986 to 1993.^[2] She reprised the role in 2002 for a TV reunion, L.A. Law: The Movie. She earned four nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in show.^[3]

Ruttan first attracted significant attention playing the scheming wife of George Jefferson's dry-cleaning archrival, Gil Cunningham, on The Jeffersons. Other television appearances included episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, AfterMash, Bosom Buddies, Third Rock from the Sun, Remington Steele, Yes, Dear, Newhart and Gilmore Girls. Buffy creator Joss Whedon cast numerous show alumni in 2008's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, including Ruttan who appeared briefly in a non-speaking role.

Ruttan had a small comedic role in the teen comedy feature film Bad Manners (aka: Growing Pains) (1984),^[2] and the 1990 romantic comedy Funny About Love starring Gene Wilder. She played convicted killer Genene Jones in the television movie Deadly Medicine (1991). She has also appeared in an episode of Hannah Montana ("Promma Mia"). Her most dramatic role to date was in the 2004 remake of Helter Skelter, in which she played the mother of Linda Kasabian. In 2009, she appeared in the movie, Prayers for Bobby.

Personal life

Ruttan has been married twice. Her first marriage, to Mel Ruttan in 1967, ended with his death in a motorcycle accident three years later. She kept his surname as her professional name. Her second marriage, to Joe Warbis, lasted from 1990 to 1993. She is the mother of Jackson Ruttan (born May 19, 1993), whom she adopted. ^{[citation needed]}

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1988	Bad Dreams	Miriam
1990	Funny About Love	Claire
1998	Krippendorf's Tribe	Mrs. O'Brian
1998	Love Kills	Lela
2004	The Sure Hand of God	Lucy Trotter
2008	Half-Life	Lorraine Parker
2009	Donna on Demand	Rose
2009	Dead Air	Maggie
2014	The Quota	Lucy	Short
2015	Come Simi	Jeannie

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1981	Bosom Buddies	Esther Crane	"What Price Glory?"
1981	Quincy, M.E.	Helen	"Sugar and Spice"
1983	Amanda's	Sister Mary Elizabeth	"Oh, Promise Me"
1983	Packin' It In	Mrs. Estep	TV film
1983	After George	Marge	TV short
1983	AfterMASH	Doris Gardena	"September of '53/Together Again"
1984	Second Sight: A Love Story	Robin	TV film
1984	Buffalo Bill	Katherine Zawicki Shub	"A Hero", "Have Yourself a Very Degrading Christmas"
1984	Benson	Rita	"The Scandal"
1984	Remington Steele	Miss Livermore	"Lofty Steele"
1984	Scorned and Swindled	Margie	TV film
1984	Newhart	Sarah	"Georgie's Girl"
1985	Kicks	Rosemary	TV film
1985	The Jeffersons	Mrs. Cunningham	"That Blasted Cunningham"
1985	Do You Remember Love	Julie Myers	TV film
1985	What's Happening Now!!	Jane	"A Horse Is Not a Home"
1985	Murder: By Reason of Insanity [es]	Judge M. Tyson	TV film
1985	Night Court	Mrs. Blake	"Wheels of Justice: Part 1"
1986	Under the Influence	Ms. Morgan	TV film
1986	The New Leave It to Beaver	Mrs. Livermore	"Heavy Metal", "A Day in Mayfield"
1986–93	L.A. Law	Roxanne Melman	Main role
1987	Bay Cove	Debbi McGwin	TV film
1988	Take My Daughters, Please	Courtney	TV film
1989	Fire and Rain	Sandra Thompson	TV film
1990	CBS Schoolbreak Special	Ms. Morales	"Malcolm Takes a Shot"
1990	A Quiet Little Neighborhood, a Perfect Little Murder	Judy Hecker	TV film
1990	Sweet 15	Mrs. Zavala	TV film
1991	A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story	Carol Blankenship	TV film
1991	Deadly Medicine	Genene Jones	TV film
1992–96	Jack Reed	Arlene Reed	TV films
1993	Without Warning: Terror in the Towers	Anne Marie Tesoriero	TV film
1993	The Mommies	Anne	"Much I Do About Nothing"
1994	Touched by an Angel	Joanne Peters	"Cassie's Choice"
1995	Sweet Justice	Marilyn Craig	"Pledges"
1995	Courthouse	Stefanie Dale	"Mitigating Circumstances"
1995	Family Values	Melody Huck	TV film
1996–97	Chicago Hope	Linda Fortin	"Higher Powers", "Verdicts"
1997	Touched By Evil	Madge Jaynes	TV film
1997–98	Suddenly Susan	Nectarine Stites	"It's My Nana and I'll Cry If I Want To", "Oh, How They Danced: Parts 1 "1 & 2"
1998	Life of the Party: The Pamela Harriman Story	Janet	TV film
1998	The Love Boat: The Next Wave	Doris Werner	"All Aboard"
1999	3rd Rock from the Sun	Cathy	"Citizen Solomon"
2000	Gideon's Crossing	Dr. Grace Tarpon	"The Lottery"
2000	The Ultimate Christmas Present	Mrs. Claus	TV film
2000	Popular	Joy Ferrara	"Citizen Shame", "Ur-ine Trouble", "Are You There God? It's Me Ann-Margret"
2001	Judging Amy	Lyla Myles	"Romeo and Juliet Must Die – Well, Maybe Just Juliet"
2001	Gilmore Girls	Bed & Breakfast Wife	"The Road Trip to Harvard"
2001	Any Day Now	Marietta Pryor	"Blinded by the White"
2001	Yes, Dear	Aunt Betty	"Guess Who's Not Coming to Dinner"
2002	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Doris Kroeger	"Gone"
2002	Maybe It's Me	Mrs. Finn	"The Crazy-Girl Episode"
2002	L.A. Law: The Movie	Roxanne Melman	TV film
2002	The Agency	Mrs. Barnes	"Home Grown"
2004	The Division	Mrs. Evans	"Book of Memories"
2004	Helter Skelter	Mrs. Kasabian	TV film
2004	CSI: NY	Mrs. Moreland	"American Dreamers"
2005	Strong Medicine	Dr. Offenbach	"Differentials"
2005	Monk	Mrs. Ledsky	"Mr. Monk and Little Monk"
2005	Boston Legal	Jeanie Biddle	"Truly, Madly, Deeply"
2006	The Legend of Butch & Sundance	Mrs. Place	TV film
2009	Prayers for Bobby	Betty Lambert	TV film
2009	Private Practice	Nora	"Nothing to Fear"
2009	Ghost Whisperer	Mrs. Blakelock	"Thrilled to Death"
2009	Castle	Mrs. Pike	"Ghosts"
2009	Hannah Montana	Grandma	"Promma Mia"
2009	Hawthorne	Dolores Kramer	"Yielding"
2009–10	The Forgotten	Horsemama	"Railroad Jane", "Patient John"
2011	Grey's Anatomy	Mrs. Swork	"Disarm"
2013	Good Luck Charlie	Mrs. Dobbs	"Futuredrama", "Weekend in Vegas"
2015	Battle Creek	Carole	"Heirlooms"
2015	I Didn't Do It	Ada	"The Bite Club"
2015	Grimm	Betty Frame	"Clear and Wesen Danger"
2018	American Vandal	Patricia McClain	Netflix Series
2018	Mom	Lucy	3 episodes
2019	Weird City	Linda Maxsome	"The One"
2020	Bob Hearts Abishola	Mrs. Clark	"On a Dead Guy's Bench"
2021	Shameless	Nurse Nun	"Cancelled"
2022	The Good Doctor	Patient	"Hot and Bothered"