# Susan Richardson
**Susan Richardson** (born 1952) is an American actress best known for playing Susan Bradford, the fourth-oldest of the eight children, on the ABC family series *[Eight Is Enough](https://www.edgepedia.org/eight-is-enough)* from 1977 to 1981.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724782/) • [2](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/susan-richardson.html) She began her screen career with a role in [George Lucas](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-lucas)'s 1973 film *American Graffiti*.[3](https://www.insideedition.com/21705-eight-is-enough-star-susan-richardson-now-living-in-a-trailer-and-sometimes-dumpster-diving)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1952, Coatesville, Pennsylvania, USA[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724782/) |
| Signature role | Susan Bradford (later Susan Bradford Stockwell) on *Eight Is Enough*, 1977–1981, credited in 112 episodes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724782/) |
| Film debut | Judy in *American Graffiti* (1973), cast by then-unknown director George Lucas[3](https://www.insideedition.com/21705-eight-is-enough-star-susan-richardson-now-living-in-a-trailer-and-sometimes-dumpster-diving) |
| Other series work | Guest roles on *The Streets of San Francisco*, *Happy Days*, *One Day at a Time*, *CHiPs*, *Fantasy Island*, and *The Love Boat*[4](https://www.metacritic.com/person/susan-richardson-2/) |
| Reunion films | *Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion* (NBC, 1987–88) and *An Eight Is Enough Wedding* (NBC, 1989–90)[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/susan_richardson) |
| Marriage | Michael Virden, married 1978, divorced 1983, one child; daughter Sarah born 1980[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724782/bio/) |
| Later life | Reported in 2017 to be living in a camper in Pennsylvania, treated for achalasia, after three strokes and feeding-tube nutrition[3](https://www.insideedition.com/21705-eight-is-enough-star-susan-richardson-now-living-in-a-trailer-and-sometimes-dumpster-diving) |
## Early career
Richardson's career began when George Lucas, then an unknown director, cast her in *American Graffiti* (1973), the [Richard Dreyfuss](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-dreyfuss) comedy-drama in which she played Judy.[3](https://www.insideedition.com/21705-eight-is-enough-star-susan-richardson-now-living-in-a-trailer-and-sometimes-dumpster-diving) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/susan_richardson) On that set she met [Ron Howard](https://www.edgepedia.org/ron-howard), and a guest role for her on *Happy Days* followed; she played Carol Danson in the series.[3](https://www.insideedition.com/21705-eight-is-enough-star-susan-richardson-now-living-in-a-trailer-and-sometimes-dumpster-diving) • [4](https://www.metacritic.com/person/susan-richardson-2/)
Through the early and mid-1970s she accumulated small parts in films such as the [Barbra Streisand](https://www.edgepedia.org/barbra-streisand) version of *A Star Is Born* and guest appearances on series including *The Streets of San Francisco* (as Marlene Hollander), *Nakia*, *Korg: 70,000 B.C.*, and *The McLean Stevenson Show*.[7](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/susan-richardson/credits/3000530152/) • [4](https://www.metacritic.com/person/susan-richardson-2/)
## Eight Is Enough
Richardson was cast as Susan Bradford in *Eight Is Enough*, the ABC comedy-drama about newspaper columnist Tom Bradford ([Dick Van Patten](https://www.edgepedia.org/dick-van-patten)) and his eight children, which ran from 1977 to 1981.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724782/) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/eight_is_enough/cast-and-crew) She appeared in 112 episodes, credited as Susan Bradford Stockwell, Susan Bradford, and Susan as the character married during the run.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724782/)
She had little confidence in the project at the start. She told *The Los Angeles Times* in 1980 that she had done six or seven series pilots and this was the least promising, and that she had no idea of its success.[9](https://doyouremember.com/134385/eight-enough-cast-now-2) Her pregnancy during the series was written into her character's storyline.[10](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/susan-richardson/)
After the series ended she returned for two NBC reunion movies, *Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion* (1987–88) and *An Eight Is Enough Wedding* (1989–90).[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/susan_richardson)
## Other television work
During and after the *Eight Is Enough* years Richardson guest-starred widely. Her credits include *One Day at a Time* (two episodes in 1982, as Eloise), *CHiPs* (including an appearance as Snow Pink in 1982 and a performance of "Twist and Shout" as a soundtrack performer), *Fantasy Island* (as Ellen, 1982), and *The Love Boat* (as Emily Parker, 1981).[11](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/96214/susan-richardson) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724782/) She also appeared on celebrity competition and game-show programming, including *Battle of the Network Stars*, *Match Game*, *Password Plus*, *Super Password*, *Hollywood Squares*, and *Family Feud*.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/susan_richardson) • [7](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/susan-richardson/credits/3000530152/) Her film work in the period included *House Party* (1990), where she is credited in art direction.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/susan_richardson)
## Personal life and later years
Richardson married Michael Virden on March 15, 1978; they divorced on August 12, 1983, with one child, daughter Sarah, born in 1980.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724782/bio/) After Sarah's birth she used cocaine to lose weight and became addicted, an experience she has spoken about publicly.[2](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/susan-richardson.html)
Her later decades brought serious health and financial difficulty. In a 2017 [Inside Edition](https://www.edgepedia.org/inside-edition) report she said her mother, younger sister, and father had all died between 2014 and 2016 of achalasia, a paralysis of the esophagus, which she also has; she reported having had three strokes, being unable to eat, and receiving nutrition through a feeding tube 16 hours a day.[3](https://www.insideedition.com/21705-eight-is-enough-star-susan-richardson-now-living-in-a-trailer-and-sometimes-dumpster-diving) She was living in a camper without a television or computer, sometimes collecting discarded items from nearby campgrounds, and spent her time illustrating children's books and playing the piano.[3](https://www.insideedition.com/21705-eight-is-enough-star-susan-richardson-now-living-in-a-trailer-and-sometimes-dumpster-diving) IMDb lists her as working as a caregiver at a retirement home in Pennsylvania.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724782/bio/) In a 2014 interview with *The National Enquirer* she said, "I don't want to complain too much, but I've had more than my share of problems. But I survived, just like I always do."[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724782/)
## References
1. [Susan Richardson, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724782/)
2. [Susan Richardson, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/susan-richardson.html)
3. ['Eight Is Enough' Star Susan Richardson Now Living in a Trailer and Sometimes Dumpster-Diving, Inside Edition (2017)](https://www.insideedition.com/21705-eight-is-enough-star-susan-richardson-now-living-in-a-trailer-and-sometimes-dumpster-diving)
4. [Susan Richardson, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/susan-richardson-2/)
5. [Susan Richardson Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/susan_richardson)
6. [Susan Richardson Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724782/bio/)
7. [Susan Richardson List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/susan-richardson/credits/3000530152/)
8. [Eight Is Enough Cast and Crew, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/eight_is_enough/cast-and-crew)
9. [Eight is Enough Cast: Then and Now, DoYouRemember](https://doyouremember.com/134385/eight-enough-cast-now-2)
10. [Susan Richardson, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/susan-richardson/)
11. [Susan Richardson, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/96214/susan-richardson)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Q to Ri*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license