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#24 The Hills Have Eyes for Suze Lanier

Scream Queen Suze Lanier-Bramlett takes us on a thrilling journey through her legendary career in horror and comedy, sharing behind-the-scenes secrets from ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ and ‘Welcome Back, Kotter.’ Get ready for a sneak peek into Suze’s upcoming book and discover how close she came to being cast in one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time. Don’t miss this captivating conversation with a true icon

My guest, Suze Lanier (Susan Lanier-Bramlett), and I discuss:

  • Susan Lanier-Bramlett, known as Suze Lanier, shares insights about her career in horror and comedy.
  • Suze talks about her leading role in the iconic horror movie, “The Hills Have Eyes,” and the movie’s legacy.
  • Suze also reflects on her time as Vinnie Barbarino’s girlfriend in the hit sitcom “Welcome Back, Kotter,” where she played one of the Sweathogs.
  • The conversation also includes a discussion on Suze’s involvement in the TV series “Electra Woman and Dyna Girl.”
  • Suze almost became Chrissy Snow on the popular sitcom “Three’s Company.”
  • Get a sneak peek into Suze’s upcoming first book.
You’re going to love my conversation with Suze Lanier (Susan Lanier-Bramlett):

The Jeff Dwoskin Show

#24 The Hills Have Eyes for Suze Lanier

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    #24 The Hills Have Eyes for Suze Lanier

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      Announcer 0:00

      Looking to sound like you know what's going on in the world social strategy, comedy and other funny stuff? Well join the club and settle in for the Jeff Dwoskin show. It's not the podcast we deserve. But the podcast we all need with your host, Jeff Dwoskin.

      Jeff Dwoskin 0:17

      All right. Welcome to Episode 24. Thank you, Wes for kicking it off in that amazing introduction. You always get us going. And here we are at Episode 24 of the Jeff Dwoskin show. I'm your host. Yep, you guessed it. Jeff Dwoskin. Great to be here. Great to have you here at Episode 24 and Episode 24. It's a special episode 24. That's number of carrots and 100% pure gold. And guess what? This episode is pure gold. That's right. Pure gold. You've chosen the right episode to hang your hat on. Welcome to Episode 24.

      People are always asking me they saying Jeff Jeff semi famous podcast hosts How do you do it? How do you do it? How can I support you and the Jeff Dwoskin show and I say money and then they kind of look at me and I say Just kidding. What I meant to say was go to iTunes, Apple podcasts, Amazon, music, Spotify, wherever you listen to podcasts, and subscribe, and then tell all your friends and share the link with your friends and tell your friends to listen and tell your friends to leave five star reviews and you leave a five star review and this is what helps me get the show out and about and people find it and that's the best way to help me first subscribe, second money but we're just let's just focus on the first one for this week.

      And speaking of this week, I've got an amazing guest and conversation coming up soon is linear here. She was the star of the original Hills Have Eyes. We're gonna talk all about that. And this the first of two back to back spooky Halloween episodes. We talked to the queens of whore this Scream Queens. It's gonna be amazing. Suze Lanier got an awesome background done so many cool acting gigs, and we're gonna we're gonna talk about a lot of them. You're gonna love it. And that's coming up in just a little bit. And next week for the Halloween episode. I have Kelli Maroney on the show. She started night in the comments and shopping mall. She survived all the greatest 80s horror movies and she's here to talk to you about them. It's gonna be a great conversation.

      Also check the back catalogue a lot of great episodes recently Stacey toy, actress Erin Cummings, comedian Craig Shoemaker, comedian Bobby Collins, Bruce Vilanch, so many great past episodes great conversation with Dan Zehr about the Mandalorian dig into the Jeff Dwoskin collection you'll won't regret it.

      Speaking of not regretting things, if you checked out any of the sponsors from the Jeff Dwoskin show of the past episodes if you have I'm sure your lives have been enriched by them and I'm sure you'll be enriched by this week's sponsor as well tired of drinking a glass of water in bed and suddenly hearing the glass shatter on the ground tired of reading a book to put yourself to sleep and when you place the book next to it thirds to the ground waking you from your slumber well now there's an answer. It's time for you to get a nightstand nightstands perfect when you need things to be about three and a half feet off the ground that's right nightstands perfect for glasses of water perfect for alarm clocks perfect for supplies waters perfect for that book. That's right nightstands have everything you need all in one spot. And now if you act quickly, you also get two drawers. That's right two drawers for the nightstand What joy you'll have in three to four months opening the drawers thinking when did I buy this? How did that spell? Oh, I've got to clean this up and throw half this stuff out. Where did it even come from? That's right nightstand drawers where everything goes to die get your nightstand today You won't regret it. I have to say my wife and I have had on his nightstand for years and we love them. We love them. They're perfect. So definitely support the sponsor go out there if you got a bed get a nightstand if you know someone with a bad kid them a nightstand do them a favor give them the gift of a place to put things it's just it's a gift that keeps on giving support the sponsor help us keep the lights on and keep supporting the Jeff Dwoskin show and now it's time for the social media tip.

      Okay, here's a tip I use a Chrome browser on the web and I have Grammarly plugin on that browser. It is amazing. It tells you when your grammar is bad. And when you spell things wrong, which is really easy to do right because the running joke on Twitter is I wish I had an edit button. You don't need an edit button. If you have Grammarly. It kind of gives you a heads up you'll probably see Still screw something up I still do but still it gives you a fair shot at not using the wrong to the wrong they're missing a word thinking you wrote only and it only says one yeah, whatever it might be. I don't know it just happens. typos happen check out Grammarly. It's pretty cool you need certain browsers for but it's totally worth it and totally helps you out. And that's the social media too. And now without further ado, I present to you my conversation with Suze linear. The star of the Hills Have Eyes. All right. Well, I'm so excited to have my special guest today. actress, singer songwriter, comedian photographer, Suze linear is here. Hey, welcome to the show. How are you?

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 5:47

      Fine, I'm fine, Jeff. Thank you. And thank you for having me on.

      Jeff Dwoskin 5:51

      Suze. You know from the Hills Have Eyes the original The Hills Have Eyes the classic West Craven horror film perfect for this Halloween season. Scream Queen that I am I was just gonna say that I why I watched the movie last night and you're an excellent screamer. That's what I was gonna say I have a written down excellent screamer.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 6:13

      It's so it's so funny to say that because I actually won some awards one of the top 10 best screamer Hollywood's best screamers of ours. So don't even remember that was a while back I'm known for my screaming on a horse today. I just screamed for a hard thing the other day a streaming project called Red rooms I had to screen quite a bit and I haven't quite been saved since

      Jeff Dwoskin 6:38

      Yeah, that's how that's how my wife gets when I don't clean my office. She's best in home screamer your best movie screamer she's so that was what was it like to work with Wes Craven? I know he I know he was new back then. That was like the start of his it was done. Last house on the left. And this was his second film and even before his passing was quite the horror guy. So but you were right. In the beginning you were

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 7:01

      I was at the beginning. Yeah, I don't know if any of everybody knows this. But Wes was a school teacher before he became a director. So he had that comb kind of demeanor about him that you felt safe with him and he was very mild mannered and patient and he had the patience of a school teacher so yeah, I had one hit under his belt. I don't know if he even made very much money from that but his dream was to write and direct film I don't think always with the intention of it always being car but that's what he got famous for. Kind of I did too. I had a reputation for comedy and I started off in comedy, but we all want to be Meryl Streep, don't we?

      Jeff Dwoskin 7:44

      Yes, that is my dream is to one day be Meryl Streep. I wear Prada allozyme I

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 7:51

      write Isn't it funny that you read refer to the Devil Wears Prada with Meryl Streep, when her body of work has her massive body of work is mostly been drama. Yeah,

      Jeff Dwoskin 8:02

      yeah. No, she's Well yeah, I get there's a million things you can pick with. We just happen to be watching something and haven't watching it recently. And anytime somebody Oh, we were watching this new show on Netflix or Hulu or one of Emily does paired with the new Ryan Murphy show. And there's those things now that when they ask the character to do something that's impossible. Like how the shass and Hathaway get that Harry Potter book we called now we just refer to that as a Devil Wears Prada moment.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 8:31

      I like that new show by the way.

      Jeff Dwoskin 8:32

      Yes. Yes. Yeah,

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 8:35

      I've seen all of them. So I don't know if I'm gonna get to see more of them. I not

      Jeff Dwoskin 8:39

      sure I know. Okay, back to you. Let's talk more about the Hills Have Eyes. You know, I was watching the movie. I thought it was interesting. The dog. It's like a major co star. I mean, he's one of the takes out most of the characters.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 8:51

      Yes. I you know at times. Yeah. You could feel upstaged by the dog. The dogs were train. And you know, we're there with trainers. And I'm sure they were paid more than we were the dogs and they've spared no expense with the dogs. So

      Jeff Dwoskin 9:05

      yeah, they took out Michael Berryman pretty good there. Yeah, they did mine one of my and then you got to work with Dee Wallace, who later went on to be the nominee to have like, Oh, that's the team um, I just did a poem did something with their daughter right

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 9:20

      now I did and and it's kind of funny that you know, we sort of bonded as a family. I'm still friends with Michael I talked to my Michael once or twice a month, at least, sometimes more sometimes. Yeah. I mean, you know, we used to do when he lived in LA up until a couple of years ago, when he moved to Florida. We did Thanksgiving and Christmas together. So he's kind of like a brother, and then D lives around the corner from me. And so we've kept in touch and then I did a film with her daughter few years ago called cut, which is also a horror movie. So it's sort of a family kind of, I mean, you know, we all are, we're very tight. That doesn't always happen on film sets. By the way, it happened with tales about

      Jeff Dwoskin 9:57

      this. Let's go because it was it's an awkward first, meet You had with the Pluto character in the movie that made it so it's nice to know they have such a nice relationship.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 10:07

      Well, you know, he even was in my music video, watch what you asked for you just might get it. And so, uh, he and Michael Behrman and Brooke Lewis are both in my music video cuz I, you know, do music as well. So we just love to work together.

      Jeff Dwoskin 10:22

      Yes, I watched your music video and he kills you in it. And it's very dark. That is it. The song was great. I was like, I'm fine. I'm sitting there bound and like kind of going, Yeah, this is great. And I'll use any of these drugging you and then he kills you. And then he runs off with Roku as the vampire waitress,

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 10:40

      a great music video for Halloween. I always like the song, I knew that the only way to the new way to get your music out there is to make a video for it. I was talking to Michael about it. And he said, Well, let's do a hard one. And I went well, I'm like, What song would work with that? So that's how that came about. So he asked to

      Jeff Dwoskin 10:56

      do it with me. It's a funny video to me that his profile picture doesn't match his picture. There's a word catfish on him.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 11:05

      He catfish me and then killed you. I mean, you know I'm not so sure that's so off base right? I mean like that can happen I think perceptive everybody has to be very careful who they hook up with on the internet, for sure. For sure.

      Jeff Dwoskin 11:17

      So I have a question for you. They remade the Hills Have Eyes. I'm not gonna ask you if you liked the movie or not. Because I don't think that's fair. I do want to ask I've always wondered when you're part of something that's so iconic and classic as the original movie and then they decide to remake it. How does it make you feel just from like they've they're trying to you know, one up a movie like this is now the Hills Have Eyes. You know what I'm saying? I don't?

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 11:43

      Well, I think my theory about that. It's like Breakfast at Tiffany's starring Audrey Hepburn will always be Breakfast at Tiffany's. The Anne Hathaway version will never be able to compare, as far as I'm concerned with the original. And I think that a lot of people would agree with me about the Hills Have Eyes, at least the people I've talked to, but maybe they're there, they're not going to tell me what they really feel because I started the first one. But I think that the rawness of the original one, it really called for the setup. And I'm not sure all the bells and whistles enhance the story. I think all films really are about the story. And if you have a good story, then and it's wrong, it's real. And it's honest, you can't beat that. And I suppose I felt a little put out to pasture. But you know, wouldn't be the first time I've been put out to pasture many times. So I'm an actress in Hollywood. What do you want? I mean, you know, we're tough. We got to be tough,

      Jeff Dwoskin 12:39

      though. Yeah, I do. I just anytime they reboot something I always I always wonder that it's like you got a classic just leave or come up with a new idea.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 12:46

      come up with a new idea. I totally agree with you. I mean, there's so many brilliant writers all over the world, not just la with wonderful, inventive and new ideas and their stories and why they can't get financed or why people don't gamble on doing something new or innovative is kind of sad. I don't mind an occasional remake but to have everything that was ever I hit be remade. It's pretty pathetic. doesn't say much for the studio says no, no.

      Jeff Dwoskin 13:15

      Now let's go back in time just going through everything you've done. It's like things just start popping, you know, like, Oh, yeah. Lecture woman and Dinah girl classic. You were Miss dazzle. I'd love that show.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 13:27

      When I got it, I I just thought, okay, okay, I'll do a kid show. I'll do it because I got it. And I might as well do it. I never ever thought anybody would remember, you know, it's like doing a play. I might as well have been doing a play in Oklahoma or something. And then to have people send me pictures of myself from that show this many years later. I mean, 50 years later, people are still sending me pictures of myself and that is astonishing. And when I do conventions, which I did before COVID not very many I don't like to do them very often. I'm stunned at how many people want to buy a picture of the lens of Miss dazzle you know each zone

      Jeff Dwoskin 14:07

      every time I go to a comic con it's always a struggle with someone who's done many many things like the pic the picture that I want them to autograph, like how do I want them on my wall? It's tough. So if somebody picked that that means that's what resonated with them. So that's that's cool about different people resonate with different things. So you were on Welcome Back, Kotter. Another show that I love. I don't know. And so you were Vinny by virtue of his girlfriend. Bam. That was one of your early things that you're most known for like early early on.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 14:33

      I think I'm probably most known for being john Travolta's girlfriend on Welcome Back, Kotter and the Hills Have Eyes. I think those are the two projects that I am most known for. Even though some of my roles like I'm Phyllis and Allison, some of these other shows were bigger than some of those those stuck out stuck out to audiences. Yeah, I mean, I initially when I wanted to be an actress, I initially went to New York because I wanted to do theater. I really didn't care. My passion was not film or TV and I didn't maybe I was too insecure to think I would qualify for that type of life. Our career. I have a deep passion for theater. I got cast in Welcome back. Kotter from starring at the Ahmanson theatre here in LA with Richard Chamberlain. And Raymond Massey, Dorothy McGuire, Eleanor Parker in a Night of the Iguana, and Tennessee Williams was involved in our production. So I thought that was just the greatest thing that ever happened to me. And it really was, I think that's my favorite thing I've ever done. The casting director for Kotter came to the show, and then I was offered the role of Bambi

      Jeff Dwoskin 15:34

      that's so cool, but he's off day because it was, well, first of all, it's got the greatest theme song of like any show ever. So you were a sweat hot?

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 15:43

      Yeah, I was the sweat off of a deal. That I was the sweat hog. And I probably could have, you know, they talked to me about doing more, you know, made some fairly weird decisions in my career. And I really wanted to, I guess, I thought that I wanted to do great art, rather than sitcom and comedy all the time. And I've done a lot a lot of comedy. As a matter of fact, I have a big audition for another sitcom this week, you know, so it's not that I stopped doing it. I just wanted to do other things that were more important. And I guess that was just a silly school girl goal. I don't know why I didn't appreciate some of the opportunities I had in comedy. You know, sometimes you do what you got to do. Every year. Everyone's path is their path. And you did what you did it no guarantee that staying there would have done anything else. That's right. That's absolutely right. I've had people tell me that that it might be better that something's didn't work out.

      Jeff Dwoskin 16:35

      But you could have ended up staying on Welcome Back, Kotter longer, and then gotten D Wallace, his part in the Hills Have Eyes and died halfway through instead of living well.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 16:44

      That's salutely right. And yes, if I was on Kotter, I couldn't have done that he'll survive, and then I wouldn't have met my husband. So it's just that's the way it is.

      Jeff Dwoskin 16:52

      It just seemed like it was just fun.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 16:54

      You know that it's kind of strange. And I don't know if I've never talked about this before. On any interview, I was in a lot of pain when we when I did that role. And it's strange that it comes back to me and I'm most known for that part. My boyfriend broke up with me this is before I met my husband and my boyfriend had broken up with me the night before we shot that episode, where i'm john Travolta's girlfriend while I was his girlfriend on the others, too, but I was kind of numb. And in a way, I just needed to do my job. And then I just wanted to go home and cry. And I broke down on set a couple of times, you know, I had to go to the bathroom and go to the, you know, and, and, you know, I suppose that's our job. We can't let our personal life really interfere with the show, The show must go on kind of thing. And that's the way I was raised. And that's the way I was taught. That's really what happened. And I'm surprised that I was able to pull up the jokes being so devastated.

      Jeff Dwoskin 17:57

      Thank you for sharing that with me. I sometimes I think you got to just bring the humor out just to kind of just even cope with things. Humor is an excellent coping mechanism. So maybe that's the blessing that just helps you get through it. What kind of fool would break up with you? Come on now.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 18:13

      That's what I thought, Oh, well, I did better at the end. Believe me. I think I just thought I would say well, I found what I was looking for later.

      Jeff Dwoskin 18:21

      Yes. So that's cool. So you were on happy days you just one episode. But did you get to like meet the finds in the Hangout, you know, did you go to sound like you're in every great every great show in the 70s.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 18:33

      I'll tell you the story about happy days I was in town. I had just gotten to Hollywood and I had been here two days. I knew almost nobody. And I called the one person that I was friends with from high school, named William S basically was one of the writers and producers of happy days with Gary Marshall that was on the that team. And he invited me to come to paramount to have lunch. And I've never been on a real Hollywood set. I've done films before in different parts of the country. But never in Hollywood. I went to paramount. We had lunch. He took me to the set. And Henry Winkler came up and he went, Whoa, is that maker, my girlfriend, they wrote me in small role, and I will be forever grateful to Bill Buckley for that. And then I started dating Henry and had a few dates with him. And we decided it would be better to be friends, but he is one of the nicest men in Hollywood. I have to say, what a gentleman and what a beautiful man he is. So both of them. And that's how I got that part. I was at lunch at Paramount with Bill, a friend from high school who was one of the writer producers of happy days, isn't it Willie Nelson that says I'd rather be lucky than good. I do believe that a lot of success in any field that you go into has to do with a lot of luck. A lot of opportunities that wouldn't present themselves unless you have the balls to pick up the phone and say hey, I just got in town, you know and he goes out welcome have lunch. You have to you gotta grab for it. gotta grab for it. Yeah.

      Jeff Dwoskin 20:01

      I've met Henry Winkler twice and I agree. He's he was the nicest person in the world. Okay, so the next interesting thing is Three's Company. Can we talk about Three's Company? So I know you're probably sick of talking about I'm sorry. I just it's fascinating. So you were the original Krissy you were the original cause. Do you want to tell the story I get I

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 20:20

      I had just gotten off the hills advise. And we were in the desert doing pickups. I was caked in sand and my agent. There was no food in the house. I had a kid. I ran to the grocery store caked in dirt and sand from the desert and I was paid it was before cellphones so as paged in the supermarket, Susan Lanier, please come to the office. And I went and Martin gaged said get over to ABC right now you're going to test for you're going to replace a girl who's in rehearsal, and they're not going to use her and they're going to test you for the role of Chrissy. And so I said, I can't I don't have a shower. I look awfully to get over there. They'll put you in the shower. They'll do your hair. And you're just going to sit there they'll dress you and everything from wardrobe. They'll they're all there waiting. And that's really what happened. I left the group bag of groceries I called who was what the babysitter, I said, I won't be coming back. So feedom I dashed off to ABC, I had to take a shower. They did my hair. They did my makeup they had while I was in makeup, they gave me these huge cue cards to read which were used for the audition. And so they I auditioned, you know, they couldn't email the tape to Freddie Silverman who was in New York. So they flew it in a private airplane to after we finished about midnight, they took the tape and they flew it to New York, they call me at 10am and said get over to the set. You got the part and Martin had already negotiated the contract and it was way more than Joyce or john had negotiated and so it presented a problem in the final outcome of my being picked up so Suzanne started for much less than I did you know, you just never again you know, is everything politics. So you know, it was kind of political and I thought Suzanne was wonderful in the role

      Jeff Dwoskin 22:03

      you know there she was and I did I you know I did watch I watched the clip in your demo reel you are great. I mean it would have been I even went to miss to be with you. I mean it would have been just as great with you in it as well but like you said everything kind of happens for a reason and then you kind of move on so it does so that's what it was it was more you're coming in you're making more money there's issues people get jealous right off the bat somebody had an upper hand and boom we're on the pilot number three with Suzanne Somers.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 22:30

      That's exactly what happened. She didn't last all that long either even though it put her on the map for sure. But you know she she was wonderful in the role of Chrissy and so I don't she's a decent person and everything I don't know her I haven't really met her except once you know my favorite song in the world is Row row row your boat Gently down the stream Merrily merrily merrily merrily Life is but a dream and if you go gently and let the stream take you where it takes you without resisting or trying to swim up swim upstream then it kind of all plays out the way it's supposed to. There's

      Jeff Dwoskin 23:07

      it's very poetic the way you say that. I heard it differently the way you were saying it That was cool. And like look at it this way. I do become Chrissy snow The world may have never known the thighmaster huh boom Oh, that's true. Think Think of all the lives you touch by asking for too much money and

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 23:27

      I have nothing to do with I had nothing to do particularly then girls young girls didn't have much say in it. It was pretty much manipulated by agents managers and whoever rep do and guess you could I mean like my agent didn't want me to do the Hills Have Eyes and I went ahead and did it because I liked Wes and I wanted to start a movie man I am so thrilled I made that choice the they're doing a drive in screening of the Hills Have Eyes October 23 in West Hollywood at the end as hotel I'm gonna go just for fun they asked me to be a guest there I mean it still has a life I not that Three's Company doesn't but I think at the end of the day the Hills Have Eyes will probably remain a classic for a long time after I'm gone

      Jeff Dwoskin 24:12

      yes the Hills Have Eyes I mean the the image two of the poster with Michael onna me just like that. That whole combination like I think even if you can anybody I think it was you're like hey name some horror movies they're gonna name that it's gonna be right up there with Texas Chainsaw

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 24:28

      when shits Creek did the crows have eyes you know with Catherine O'Hara and then she gets you know i mean like she's she's doing this Hills Have Eyes kind of sad Tyra thing and that they included it and shits Creek which is my favorite show right now that really it's shocking to me that it's still a classic I would be put put as you know be a spoof and shits Creek still did this

      Jeff Dwoskin 24:53

      day. That is that is one of the funnier is why I shouldn't even say funnier. Every we've watched it's Craig said And time so now that the administrator like just we just keep watching it kind of unrepeated

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 25:04

      so do I every I can't get enough of it and I'll find another joke and you know that I missed the first time I saw it. So the reruns just have a life of their own. I enjoy the reruns.

      Jeff Dwoskin 25:16

      Oh, yeah, the writing is so so is so brilliantly subtle. Exactly. Every time you watch it, there's something else there. And Catherine O'Hara, especially like when she has a black feathers on her and she's making that cost down. I mean, and when she finds out they're not gonna release the film, and she's on the ground and like, just like

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 25:34

      locked in the closet. She locks herself in the closet.

      Jeff Dwoskin 25:40

      It's just

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 25:40

      she she's in the closet for a week. Oh, man, that was funny. Oh,

      Jeff Dwoskin 25:44

      man. It's so good. So good. I want to get give you a chance to talk about your your new project too. But I did have one other question because as you talk about talking about all the other sitcoms in the comedy back on you have you were also on the Tony Orlando and Dawn rainbow hour. And you did comedy sketches as a regular on there with George Carlin. That's a big deal. that's a that's a that's comedy correct right there.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 26:10

      I love George and they've teamed us up a lot on the show. But the season that we did it, we were both offered an opportunity to screen test for Saturday Night Live the very first the very first season of Saturday Night Live, we both collectively decided that we would turn it down because we were already on a show making more money than that would have paid in New York. I think that might have been a big mistake, but you know, can't look back. But yeah, it was really cool working with George Carlin and he was just as weird as as he probably as a probably comes across in terms of being a little bit shy and withdrawn. And you know, he wasn't like Henry Winkler in terms of being outgoing and overly friendly. But he was really cool with me.

      Jeff Dwoskin 26:54

      Well, when you collectively decided not to do certain a live together did he least invite you to the audience when he posted the very first episode of Saturday?

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 27:05

      No, I didn't get an invitation for that. No, I never saw him after that show. And again, I've certainly I mean, he went on to become the great George Carlin I must say I've been blessed to have worked with some very great people.

      Jeff Dwoskin 27:20

      Yeah, I imagine so it's just like you You have these intense moments with people and then it is it isn't uncommon or you may just never see them again. I mean, you mentioned you live around the corner from from D and you still talk to to Michael from Hills Have Eyes but it's but some people just you just never see again. It's I guess just like real life

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 27:38

      I on the other hand, yes, you're right about most things, but on the other hand, I did maintain of friendship with Judy stranges from Electra Woman and Dinah girl she was Dinah girl and Hollywood is a much smaller town than people really think it is. I happen to before COVID would work out at the motion picture gym, which is very near where I live, and just everybody goes in there and you know, works out in the gym there. It's beautiful. Jodie Foster built the pool and it's just the nicest gym I've ever been in. And so I keep bumping into people you know, Ronnie Blakely, and all these different people that I had known for the past and we're all members of the gym so Hey, how's it going? You know, so in a way it's a small town to

      Jeff Dwoskin 28:25

      that's pretty cool. That's pretty cool. Let me ask you so in your in your music life, I just I happen to notice you were on China a lot as yourself. Was it was it were you doing comedy or doing singing or comedy?

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 28:38

      I was not seeing on that. But I did just go to the Grammy Museum and the feature of the night was Jocko from Shannon and it was cool seeing him again. Some of the Shannon boys were there. But mostly it was featured It was about Jocko but I did stand up comedy on that that was a really cool gig because I got to meet the late great Chuck Berry and oh my god, he was so he was so cool. And out there. You know, I've always preferred to hang out. I've always appreciated musicians and their persona maybe more than actors. You know, I really liked the way musicians talk and think and they're just seem a little more soulful. So you know, he was wonderful and we kept up a friendship. There was never anything but just friends but he was just out there, man. He was wild.

      Jeff Dwoskin 29:29

      Sounds like you you you met a lot of really cool people. How long away? Do you ever thought that if I don't die this john travolta but we'd be like, hey, john.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 29:38

      I started we talk. You know, Ron and Bobby have passed away as well as Marsha Marsha and I had a lot of the same friends. We were friends with Ronnie Helen who's Garry Marshall's sister, Ronnie Marshall, Helen, so I hung out with Marsha after Welcome Back, Kotter quite a bit socially till she passed away and then Bobby was friends with my brother in law who created Welcome Back, Kotter. I didn't know him when I got the part. That's how I met him. And then I introduced him to my sister. And I've been married for 40 years or something a long, long time. I don't know how many years but a long time. And Eric Cohen is his name. Bobby was really good friends with Eric. So I knew him until the end of his life. And then Ron and I would go out a lot to red carpets and stuff. And then I spent Fourth of July about four years ago with Lawrence Hilton Jacobs. So we just Larry and I sat around his place and saying and jammed and just did Fourth of July with friends. So that was kind of cool. So it kind of like I said, a small town

      Jeff Dwoskin 30:38

      is to wait. So what are you working on? Now? You mentioned you're doing some sitcom stuff now. And there's some new hilarity in the future what's coming out?

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 30:46

      Well, you know, you never know about audition, so that you know that you do those and you never hear again, I did a sitcom with Casper Ben Dean called stripped. That's very funny, I play a more mature woman who has a birthday and gets a lap dance. So that's, that's really funny. I'm, I hope that gets picked up. And then I did and that was in December before COVID. So we were on set with that after COVID I did am a character in a project called Red rooms, which is kind of a fun, her special effects kind of thing that we filmed. And I had to set up the lights and film myself and do my own hair makeup. And luckily, because I am a photographer, I'm pretty good at all that and we're waiting to see if that's going to be picked up. So you know, you never know. I'm right now my main focus is I'm writing a book and I I'll be a first time writer, I'm not sure if I'm any good or not. I'm a little shaky about that. But the story is so intense that I don't, I can't wait for it to get out. And I can't tell the name of it. But it's about a real murder in New York City. And in 19, in the 60s in the late 60s. So I was involved with the parties. I really wanted to tell this story. I thought it was worth telling and what what life was like in the late 60s in New York on the Lower East Side.

      Jeff Dwoskin 32:00

      You can make a movie out of it.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 32:01

      I definitely see it as a movie. I want it to be a book first in my words, and then whoever wants to buy it, Show me the money.

      Jeff Dwoskin 32:08

      We're gonna turn into make sure someone's screaming at it so that you can have that part now.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 32:13

      I can tell you that it's pretty damn. So

      Jeff Dwoskin 32:18

      man at some point. So how can people keep up with you if they want to see what's going on with Suze?

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 32:24

      Yes, I'm Suze Lanier Bramlett after my late has been Delaney Bramlett and they can find me at at Suze Lanier just about on Facebook. You can follow me there Instagram, Twitter to talk I'm kind of new at tiktok don't have a lot of posts on that cameo for sure. I've been doing a number of cameos lately all at Suze Lanier formerly Susan Lanier, and I shortened it for the music. I'm writing a lot of music and getting ready to release a new EP with five new songs. That's

      Jeff Dwoskin 33:01

      amazing. And when you do that, let me know and I'll tweet it all up and I'll do all that kind of good stuff. Now that we're best pals. I'll support you.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 33:07

      Oh, very cool. Thank you.

      Jeff Dwoskin 33:08

      This is my idea for you for TikTok. It's just you and then something happens but it's a silly thing. Like, you know, you open the cupboard and it's empty or whatever, someone left the toilet seat up and then you just turn on the camera and screen and it just, it's just every every clip is just 15 seconds of you stumbling onto some nonsense thing and then screaming. You need a Niche TikTok.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 33:29

      Not a bad idea, Jeff, that sounds pretty cool. I'm a copy that.

      Jeff Dwoskin 33:33

      Yeah, don't. It's yours. It's my gift to you. Thank you one day, what if it catches on one day in your town out to star and one of the videos with you?

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 33:42

      Absolutely. Absolutely. a bunch more videos. I love directing. So

      Jeff Dwoskin 33:48

      well. I look forward to all of that. And thank you so much for hanging out with me.

      Suze Lanier-Bramlett 33:54

      I've enjoyed it and I look forward to the next time.

      Jeff Dwoskin 33:57

      Absolutely, absolutely. See ya. Well, that was fine. So fun talking to Susan Lanier and hearing all those stories. Love it. Apologies in advance. Please don't write any letters. I know she's a scream queen. And the interview included zero screaming. I understand that. We did that. That was a choice. That was a choice. Please. No letters, no letters.

      Okay, well, it's time for hashtag game. You all know the story hashtag roundup ad hashtag roundup on Twitter, give him a follow and we pick a game and we spotlight a bunch of tweets. And those awesome tweets are retweeted at Jeff Dwoskin show also in the show notes, retweet those folks. Follow them, show them some love play along with all the games that hashtag roundup and one of your tweets my job on a future episode of the Jeff Dwoskin show who will be the belle of the ball. You will be the talk of the party. The day your tweet shows up and you're like hey, guess what happened? You won the lottery. No, I was on the Jeff Dwoskin Show. Hey, Everyone will be in. It will be your greatest, greatest moment. And I can dream right? Okay, anyway, follow us at hashtag Roundup. I found a great one for today. Hashtag fake Scary Movie facts. That's right. That's a fact about scary movies, but it has to be fake. completely made up. Hashtag fake Scary Movie facts with the hash fake facts crew every Sunday afternoon and here we go. Hashtag fake. Scary Movie facts splitting up. Always a good decision. I know right? Every time people split up, they always all live. Oh, I don't think so. Man. Freddy Krueger is an Avon Rep. I'm not sure he would like that. Don't go to sleep. Sammy. Jason's original name was stabby make stab face. That is so true. Actually. It's not even fake. poltergeists is about possessed chicken. I think he was thinking of poultry, Geist, nothing ever bad happens if you go down to the basement. It's true. It's scary down there, but no monsters. I checked in Australia. I Know What You Did Last Summer is a Christmas movie. Things are a lot different in Australia. Freddie's killing spree was due to a failed manicure. Can you blame them? Jason Vorhees was a goalie for the Montreal Canadiens think that might be true. The Hills didn't have eyes. That was a potato crop. Easy, easy to make that mistake. The shark in jaws was an effective female dolphin with an anger management issue. And her name was Karen. That one might be true. They Bates hotel is owned by the Trump Organization. Well that explains a few things. And two final ones Jason Vorhees mom is Freddy Krueger his third cousin twice removed by marriage and the knife and Halloween was made of marzipan. Both those come to you hot from House sparks. All right, well, those are all grades fake Scary Movie facts. definitely follow at hashtag roundup play along, and your tweet can show up on a future episode. Thanks to all those great tweeters have played along well, thanks for spending this time with me.

      We're at the end of another episode, but don't be sad. Just be happy we had this time together. I really appreciate you being here for Episode 24. Thanks to my guests, souvenir thanks to the folks at worst holiday ever podcast. You know why? And also, thanks to everyone who subscribes, likes and tells everyone about the Jeff Dwoskin show. That's how we grow. So please, if you haven't already, subscribe at iTunes, Apple podcasts, amazon music Spotify, anywhere you listen to podcasts greatly appreciate it. And we got a great episode for you next week. Check out our back catalogue. If you haven't caught up. You'll love it. And thanks again and we'll see you next week.

      Announcer 37:49

      Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the Jeff Dwoskin show with your host Jeff Dwoskin. They'll go repeat everything you heard and sound like a genius. catch us online at the Jeff Dwoskin show.com or follow us on Twitter at Jeff Dwoskin show and we'll see you next time.

      Transcribed by https://otter.ai

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