Born and raised in New York, Susan received her BFA in Theater at Stevens College in Missouri and attended graduate school at Arizona State before arriving in Hollywood. Discovered by producer Irwin Allen, Susan made her television debut in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and shortly thereafter was offered the role of Dr. Laura Horton on Days of Our Lives, a role which won her an Emmy Award during her eight year stint.

Susan was cast as Robert Wagner's secretary and lover in Allen's epic disaster film The Towering Inferno. Her performance won her a Golden Globe Award for "Outstanding Acting Debut in a Motion Picture."

Susan also received an Emmy nomination for her starring role in the NBC mini-series The Moneychangers, opposite Kirk Douglas, and appeared in the television movies Women in White and Anatomy of a Seduction. In 1981, she did a 10-week stint as a devious, high-powered public relations consultant in conflict with J.R. Ewing on Dallas.

Off-screen, Susan produced the cable soap opera New Day in Eden with Michael Jaffe. She is a licensed pilot and a gourmet cook. In addition, she serves as a regular director on B&B, and in 1995, was nominated for a Directors Guild Award.