She Beat One Deadly Illness, Then Faced Another – Where Is the World-Famous '80s TV Star Now?

Even before her television breakthrough, she was someone who fought for what she wanted. She didn't always fit the mold, but she kept showing up, and over time, she built a career on determination. Decades later, that same resolve would carry her through two life-threatening diagnoses that came just months apart.

She was one of the most recognized faces on television during the 1980s, a woman whose commanding presence made her a staple of American prime time. Behind the polished roles and red-carpet appearances, though, was someone who would later face two of the toughest battles of her life.

She continues to defy expectations, not just in her career, but in the way she has confronted personal challenges with remarkable candor. Her story, quietly unfolding over the last two years, reveals how quickly life can change. It also demonstrates how strength sometimes shows up in the most unglamorous, private moments.

She Didn't Fit the Mold, but Kept Showing Up

Long before she became a household name, she was a trained stage actress from New York trying to break into television. After a stint on the soap opera "Another World" and a role on Broadway opposite Dustin Hoffman in "Jimmy Shine," she relocated to Los Angeles in her early 30s to pursue acting on TV. At the time, that alone made her an outlier.

At one early audition for a small part on the crime drama "S.W.A.T.," she found herself surrounded by "five perfect 18-year-old girls." She was surprised that the director even took notice of her, but then he told her the role required her to appear in a bikini.

Without thinking, she joked that she probably wasn't the right choice. She was from New York, and her body didn't exactly meet the industry's standards, as her thighs probably jiggled too much. The remark cost her the part. Still, she kept returning to casting rooms, taking on whatever was available.

She landed guest spots, recurring roles, and eventually leads. Looking back, she described her timing as "extraordinary," noting that she came up just as the women's movement was beginning to shift the kinds of characters available to actresses like her.

She wasn't cast as the stay-at-home wife and mother. Instead, she played women with careers: doctors, lawyers, professionals. One show in particular would launch her into primetime recognition.

From Audition Rooms to Primetime Star

By the early 1980s, she was no longer just another working actress in Los Angeles. She was leading one of network television's top-rated dramas. Cast as Maggie Gioberti on "Falcon Crest," a prime-time soap opera set in California wine country, she played a journalist-turned-matriarch opposite Jane Wyman.

The role gave her widespread visibility and became one of the most recognizable parts of her career. The show ran for nearly a decade, and her performance became one of its defining elements. Audiences knew her for her commanding screen presence, often playing women who were intelligent, self-assured, and fully in control.

These weren't roles she had to fight for anymore; by then, producers were seeking her out. When "Falcon Crest" ended in 1990, she didn't disappear from view. She continued to work on stage and in television, and in the late 2000s, just as she was nearing 70, she landed a recurring role on ABC's "Castle" as Martha Rodgers.

The part gave her yet another chance to play against stereotype, this time as a former Broadway actress with flair, timing, and comic bite. By 2023, she was 80 years old and still active.

Her First Health Scare and the Details No One Should Ever Miss

In September 2023, the Hollywood star went for a routine mammogram. The exam itself showed no issues, but during the visit, the radiologist noticed something else. There was a swollen lymph node under her arm. It wasn't part of the standard screening, but it stood out enough for the doctor to recommend a biopsy.

She didn't think it was necessary. "I don't think it's anything. I don't need a biopsy," she said at the time. But her partner of more than three decades, psychologist and writer Connell Cowan, urged her not to ignore it. He reminded her of his own experience with an enlarged lymph node and how he had feared the worst. His response gave her pause.

Before undergoing imaging tests, she wrote herself a note that read, "Have lung cancer. It's going to be okay, though. Don't worry about it. Just take care of it." She hadn't been diagnosed yet, but both her father and uncle had died of lung cancer, and the possibility weighed on her.

A few days later, CT and PET scans confirmed the diagnosis: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It is the most common type of lung cancer, which accounts for roughly 80 to 85 percent of all cases. NSCLC tends to grow more slowly than small-cell lung cancer, but it can still spread before symptoms appear.

In the actress's case, there were none — no cough, chest pain, or shortness of breath. It was found only because of a careful radiologist and a chance observation.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, NSCLC often goes unnoticed in its early stages. When symptoms do appear, they can include fatigue, hoarseness, chronic cough, wheezing, chest pain, coughing up blood, and unexplained weight loss. Because it can progress silently, early detection is critical, and in her case, it likely changed the outcome.

Treatment, Recovery, and a Cancer-Free Outcome

On October 11, 2023, the "Puzzled" actress underwent surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The plan had been to remove a single nodule from her right lung. But once surgeons inserted cameras to assess the area, they decided to remove the entire upper lobe of her right lung, along with nearby lymph nodes.

Her surgeon explained that the more extensive procedure would reduce the risk of recurrence, and she agreed with the approach. "So now... I am cancer-free, which is an enormous blessing because you don't want to have to go through endless chemotherapy afterward," she shared.

Just five days after surgery, she was up and walking. The recovery wasn't easy, but she stayed focused on rebuilding her strength. Some days she didn't feel like moving at all, but she still got up. "I didn't want to fade out like that," she said. "So I got stronger."

In mid-October 2023, she shared the update publicly with her followers on X. "Thanks for all the lovely comments and concerns. I had lung cancer. The surgery was successful. The healing process is a struggle," it read.

Another Shocking Diagnosis Just Months Later

After recovering from lung surgery and being declared cancer-free, Susan Sullivan returned to building back her strength. The hardest part, it seemed, was behind her. But just a few months later, her health took another turn.

On January 20, 2025, she shared a brief update on X, "What I struggle with health wise, [sic] lung cancer and now lymphoma has deepened my compassion for others." She didn't disclose more about the illness, but her post confirmed a new diagnosis: lymphoma. The two cancers were unrelated, arriving within months of each other.

Lymphoma is a cancer that affects the lymphatic system — the part of the body responsible for managing fluid levels, filtering waste, and supporting the immune system. It begins in white blood cells known as lymphocytes and is classified as either Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

While Sullivan did not specify which type she had, both forms are considered treatable, and in many cases, curable. Symptoms include painless swelling of lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin. It could also present as persistent fatigue, fever, night sweats, shortness of breath, and unexplained weight loss.

Many of these signs are easy to dismiss or confuse with other conditions, which is why monitoring unexplained changes in the body is so important.

On May 1, 2025, Sullivan posted another update, which read, "Sharing some good news. The comfort you have provided me has helped me heal and my lymphoma is under complete control. Thank you!"

Sullivan didn't go public with her story to draw attention. She shared what happened because the details mattered — the timing, the decisions, the early warning signs. In both cases, she acted before it was too late. And in both cases, she chose to keep going.

Part of her reason for speaking out was to raise awareness of the growing threat lung cancer poses even among women who don't fit the usual risk profile. When the swollen lymph node was first discovered, Sullivan first dismissed it as nothing serious. She had never smoked and didn't see herself as someone at risk.

But after her partner urged her to take further tests, she chose to act, and it likely saved her life. Her experience shows how serious conditions can go unnoticed until discovered by chance. It also reflects how a second diagnosis, entirely unrelated to the first, can arrive just when someone seems to be recovering.

That reality shaped how she moved forward with treatment and how she connected to others. At 82, she continues to engage, reflect, and speak directly about what happened. Her work may have spanned decades on screen, but it's her willingness to document what came later that now stands out just as clearly.