Susanna "Susan"Kohner (born November 11, 1936)^[1] is an American actress who worked in film and television. She played Sarah Jane, a young African-American woman, inImitation of Life (1959), for which she was nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress.^[2] She won twoGolden Globe awards for her performance.^[3]

Susan Kohner
Kohner inImitation of Life (1959)
Born	Susanna Kohner (1936-11-11)November 11, 1936 (age 88) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Susan Weitz
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1955–1964
Known for	Imitation of Life All the Fine Young Cannibals Freud: The Secret Passion
Spouse	John Weitz ​ ​ (m. 1964; died 2002)​
Children	Paul Weitz Chris Weitz
Parents	Paul Kohner (father) Lupita Tovar (mother)
Awards	Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture

Kohner married menswear designer and writerJohn Weitz in 1964. Their two sons,Paul Weitz andChris Weitz, both became film directors and producers, screenwriters, and occasional actors.^[4]

Kohner was born inLos Angeles,California, daughter ofLupita Tovar, a Mexican-born actress who had a career in Hollywood, andPaul Kohner, afilm producer who was born inBohemia, Austria-Hungary.^[5] Her mother was Roman Catholic, and of Irish and Mexican descent; her father was Bohemian Jewish.^[6][7][8][9]

Most of Kohner's film roles came during the late 1950s and early 1960s, including co-starring withSal Mineo in bothDino (1957) andThe Gene Krupa Story (1959).

In her best-known role, Kohner played Sarah Jane inImitation of Life, portraying a light-skinned black woman who "passes" as white. The 1959 film was the second film adaptation of the 1933book of the same name. The plot had major changes to better reflect its own time.^{[citation needed]} The firstfilm adaptation was released in 1934.

The expensive, glossyRoss Hunter production, directed byDouglas Sirk and starringLana Turner, was a box-office hit.^{[citation needed]} In addition, Kohner was nominated for a Best Supporting ActressAcademy Award for her role in the film. She won a Golden Globe as Best Supporting Actress and another as Best New Actress. Following her role inImitation of Life, Kohner appeared inAll the Fine Young Cannibals oppositeNatalie Wood andRobert Wagner.

Kohner's TV debut was on February 4, 1956, in the "Long After Summer" episode ofThe Alcoa Hour. A review in the trade publicationBillboard said that she "failed to impress."^[10] She later had guest roles on various television series, includingHong Kong,Going My Way, andTemple Houston. She made her last film appearance in 1962, costarring withMontgomery Clift inFreud: The Secret Passion. She retired from acting in 1964.

In 1964, Kohner marriedJohn Weitz, a German-born novelist and fashion designer.^[11] She retired from acting to devote time to her family.^{[citation needed]} The couple had two sons together,Chris andPaul Weitz, who both became film directors and producers inHollywood. Together they produced films such asAmerican Pie (1999) andAbout a Boy (2002). Chris Weitz is also known for directingNew Moon (2009), part ofThe Twilight Saga.

On April 23, 2010, a new print ofImitation of Life (1959) was screened at theTCM Film Festival in Los Angeles, California, to which Kohner and co-starJuanita Moore were invited. After the screening, the two women appeared on stage for a question-and-answer session hosted by TCM'sRobert Osborne. Kohner and Moore received standing ovations.^{[citation needed]}

• 1958:Love Me Little byJohn G. Fuller atHelen Hayes Theatre. Role: Emily Whittaker.^[12] Broadway debut.^[13]
• 1962:Pullman Car Hiawatha byThornton Wilder atCircle in the Square Theatre. Role: Harriet Milbury.^[14]
• 1963:Saint Joan byGeorge Bernard Shaw at Vancouver Theater Festival. WithMike Nichols.^[15]

• John Weitz
• Chris Weitz
• Paul Weitz
• Lupita Tovar
• Paul Kohner

• Susan Kohner atIMDb
• Susan Kohner at theInternet Broadway Database
• Susan Kohner at theInternet Off-Broadway Database