Susan Ruttan
Encyclopedia
Susan Ruttan is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Roxanne Melman on L.A. Law
(1986–1993). She reprised the role in 2002 for the TV reunion L.A. Law: The Movie
.
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 played convicted killer Genene Jones
in the television movie Deadly Medicine (1991). She has also appeared in an episode of Hannah Montana
("Promma Mia"). Ruttan also played in The Ultimate Christmas Present as Mrs.Clause
Her most dramatic role to date was in the 2004 remake of Helter Skelter, in which she played the mother of Linda Kasabian
.
L.A. Law
L.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...
(1986–1993). She reprised the role in 2002 for the TV reunion L.A. Law: The Movie
L.A. Law: The Movie
L.A. Law: The Movie , is a television movie which reunited most of the original cast of the 1986-1994 television drama L.A. Law. Prominent castmembers who did not return included Blair Underwood , Jimmy Smits , Amanda Donohoe and John Spencer .The movie's initial working title was L.A...
.
Ruttan first attracted significant attention playing the scheming wife of George Jefferson's dry-cleaning archrival, Gil Cunningham, on The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through June 25, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975–1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982-1985...
. Other television appearances included episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, AfterMash
AfterMASH
AfterMASH was an American situation comedy that aired on CBS from September 26, 1983 to December 11, 1984. A spin-off of the series M*A*S*H , the show took place immediately following the end of the Korean War and chronicled the adventures of three characters from the original series: Colonel...
, Bosom Buddies
Bosom Buddies
Bosom Buddies is an American sitcom starring Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari created by Robert L. Boyett, Thomas L. Miller and Chris Thompson. It ran from 1980 to 1982 on ABC and in reruns in the summer of 1984 on NBC....
, Third Rock from the Sun, Remington Steele
Remington Steele
Remington Steele is an American television series, co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from 1982 to 1987. The series blended the genres of romantic...
, Yes, Dear
Yes, Dear
Yes, Dear is a television sitcom that aired from October 2, 2000, to February 15, 2006, on CBS. It starred Anthony Clark, Jean Louisa Kelly, Mike O'Malley and Liza Snyder....
, Newhart
Newhart
Newhart is a television situation comedy starring comedian Bob Newhart and actress Mary Frann as an author and wife who owned and operated an inn located in a small, rural Vermont town that was home to many eccentric characters. The show aired on the CBS network from October 25, 1982 to May 21, 1990...
and Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
. Buffy creator Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
cast numerous show alumni in 2008's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is a 2008 musical tragicomedy miniseries in three acts, produced exclusively for Internet distribution. Filmed and set in Los Angeles, the show tells the story of Dr...
, including Ruttan who appeared briefly in a non-speaking role. Ruttan played convicted killer Genene Jones
Genene Jones
Genene Anne Jones is a former pediatric nurse who killed somewhere between 11 and 46 infants and children in her care. She used injections of digoxin, heparin and later succinylcholine to induce medical crises in her patients, with the intention of reviving them afterward in order to receive...
in the television movie Deadly Medicine (1991). She has also appeared in an episode of Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
("Promma Mia"). Ruttan also played in The Ultimate Christmas Present as Mrs.Clause
Her most dramatic role to date was in the 2004 remake of Helter Skelter, in which she played the mother of Linda Kasabian
Linda Kasabian
Linda Kasabian is a former member of Charles Manson's "family". She was the key witness in District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi's prosecution of Manson and his followers for the Tate-LaBianca murders, one of the highest-profile murder trials in American history.-Early life:Born as Linda Darlene...
.