Suze Lanier-Bramlett

Susan Lanier, also known as Suze Lanier-Bramlett, was born in Dallas, Texas. She began her career in the entertainment industry as an actress, appearing in various television shows and films. A significant early role was portraying Bambi, a flirtatious student, in “Welcome Back, Kotter” during the 1970s. Further television appearances included “Barnaby Jones”, “Electra Woman and Dyna Girl”, “Alice”, “Police Woman”, and “Eight is Enough”. In 1976, Lanier was cast as Chrissy Snow in the second pilot for “Three’s Company”, a role for which she was the producers’ initial choice, replacing Susanne Zenor. However, she was later replaced by Suzanne Somers before the show aired.

Lanier achieved recognition for her role in the 1977 horror film “The Hills Have Eyes”. She also held a regular role as Sandi Chandler on the television series “Szysznyk” from 1977 to 1978. Her stage career included performing at The Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles in a production of Tennessee Williams’ “Night of the Iguana”, starring alongside Richard Chamberlain. Beyond acting, Lanier expanded her talents into production and directing, notably co-directing and serving as an executive producer for “Watch What You Ask For” in 2012. She was married to musician Delaney Bramlett from 2005 until his passing in 2008.

In addition to her work in film and television, Lanier developed a career as a portrait photographer for magazines, book covers, and album covers. Her photographic work gained recognition, leading her to be voted one of Los Angeles’ top ten photographers by Backstage West in 2005. She continues to be active in the industry, having worked on recent projects as both an actress and producer, including roles in “The Black Mass” (2023) and “Red Rooms” (2023).