Susan Kohner

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Susan Kohner
from the trailer for Imitation of Life (1959)
Born	Susanna Kohner November 11, 1936 (1936-11-11) (age 73) Los Angeles, California
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1956–1964
Spouse(s)	John Weitz (1964–2002) (his death)

Susan Kohner (born November 11, 1936) is an American actress.

Early life and career

Born in Los Angeles, California, Kohner is the daughter of Mexican actress Lupita Tovar and Jewish film producer Paul Kohner who was born in Czechoslovakia. Most of Kohner's film roles came during the late 1950s and early 1960s, including co-starring with Sal Mineo in both Dino (1957) and The Gene Krupa Story (1959). In 1959, she was cast as the racially ambiguous Sarah Jane, her most notable role, in the 1959 color remake of Imitation of Life. The expensive, glossy Ross Hunter production directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Lana Turner was a box office smash; Kohner won Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations in the supporting actress categories.

Following her appearance in Imitation of Life, Kohner appeared in All the Fine Young Cannibals, opposite Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner. She later had guest roles on episodic television including roles on Hong Kong, Going My Way, and Temple Houston. She made her last film appearance in 1962, co-starring with Montgomery Clift in Freud: The Secret Passion.

Personal life

In 1964, Kohner married German novelist and fashion designer John Weitz, and retired from acting. Their children, Chris and Paul Weitz, are successful film directors in Hollywood, having helmed films such as American Pie and About a Boy.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Susan Kohner

• Susan Kohner at the Internet Movie Database
• Susan Kohner at Allmovie
• Susan Kohner at TV.com