Susan Taylor, played by Morgan Fairchild, is a High school 'friend' of Mindy's and a recurring character who appears in three episodes of Mork and Mindy in Season 1; "Mork's Seduction", "Mork's First Christmas" and "Mork Goes Erk".
Character Summary[]
Susan is a frenemy of Mindy's from Boulder High School. Apparently 'plain' in her school years, Susan blossomed into a beauty, and with it a whole lot of self love, and now runs a Beauty Shop in Boulder.
She also holds a particular grudge against Mindy who she perceives to have 'stolen' her high school boyfriend Jack Peterson, something Mindy denies, saying Jack chased after her. In retaliation, after discovering Mork lives with Mindy, and thinking he's her boyfriend, Susan tries to seduce Mork (and fails) though does succeed in igniting jealousy in Mindy.
But while her attitude grates on Mindy, who is never happy to see her, nor they way she approaches Mork, Mork's optimistic nature and friendliness opens a door for her, and she eventually tries to ignite a friendship with Mork and Mindy to compensate for her own loneliness (Mork's First Christmas).
This includes inviting Mindy to model for her at her Beautician Shop (Mork and the Immigrant). And ultimately attempting (in a rather misguided way) to help Mindy, Mork and Mr. Bickley with their various emotional downers, by taking them along to a self help group (Mork Goes Erk) to buck them up.
The last time Susan is mentioned is while she's out of Boulder, visiting the Denver Broncos, and not an option for Mork to go visit to alleviate his boredom when Mindy is out of town for the weekend (Mork's Night Out)
Personality[]
On the face of it, Susan is supremely shallow, amoral, petty, snobbish, condescending and completely self absorbed to the point of narcissistic. She holds perceived grudges, and enjoys rubbing her station/good fortune in others faces. She thinks nothing of going after (what she thinks is) Mindy's lover, in Mork, and has no qualms whatsoever about having an affair with a married man, even begrudging his wife Christmas with him.
However, a closer look reveals the shadows of a background of a family life where warmth was in short supply, and much of her actions smack of desperation and loneliness, and in her continuous arrivals at Mindy's apartment, an actual desire for friendship.
Relationships[]
Romance[]
Jack Peterson - Her boyfriend, or so she says, in High School. The Captain of the Football Team who then went on to financial success and high local status. A romance she feels was broken up by Mindy. Though Mindy seems to have had no interest in him, alleging he chased after her.
Married Lover - Never named, Susan pursued an affair with a married, and evidently wealthy, man. It is not clear whether the relationship was ongoing at the time of her departure.
"Friendship"[]
Mindy - Though she still approaches Mindy with a high handed and 'in your face' attitude, Susan continuously turns up at her apartment to insinuate herself into Mindy's life, or at the Music Store to ask her out to lunch with her. Mindy is mostly able to take her in short doses unless she is feeling particularly stressed, or Susan is getting too chummy with Mork.
Mork - Mork is perennially warm to her, completely oblivious at that time to her snide comments or the moral dodgy-ness of her actions, never mind her attempt to seduce him.
Appearances[]
Further Mentions:[]
Behind the Scenes[]
External links[]
- Susan Taylor article at Wikipedia
Susan Taylor at the internet Movie Database (IMDb)
