Local actress's next big role could be fame

BYLINE: Patricia Morris Buckley -- Christening Susanna Thompson the latest overnight success in Hollywood would be all too easy. After all, this fall she debuted as a regular on ABC's much-touted series "Once and Again" and she played Harrison Ford's wife in the recent film "Random Hearts."

But local theatergoers know a different story. In the '80s they watched this San Diego native establish herself as a versatile actress on local stages. In the '90s, they saw her move to Los Angeles' larger pond, guest starring on numerous TV shows and tackling featured roles in such films as " Ghosts of Mississippi" and "Little Giants."

Now all that hard work appears to be paying off.

"There seems to be a lot of energy going on around me right now," said Thompson, who expressed doubts about the celebrity side of a Hollywood career. "But I don't know that I'm getting famous. I still feel like a working actor. It's not like people recognize me on the street."

That could all change. "Once and Again" (10 p.m. Tuesdays on KGTV/Channel 10) is produced by the critically-acclaimed team of Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick, who were also the creative force behind "thirtysomething" and "My So-Called Life." Many are calling the show "fortysomething" because it follows two midlife singles, Rick (Billy Campbell) and Lily (Sela Ward), who fall in love and have to face the many complications of blending their families.

"It's all about the hidden wounds and baggage that we bring into a relationship once we reach a certain age," said Thompson, a graduate of Chula Vista's Castle Park High and San Diego State University, "those different transitions in life that affect how you grow and connect with others."

After Thompson read for the part of Rick's ex-wife, Karen, the role went to actress Harley Jane Kozak. Thompson had already signed on for the upcoming Wolfgang Petersen movie "The Perfect Storm" with George Clooney when she got the call that the pregnant Kozak had to bow out (Kozak is now being written in as another character). When Thompson landed the role of Karen, she agonized about passing on the film, but thought the TV series would be the best choice for her career.

"I felt I could learn a lot from these people," she said of Herskovitz and Zwick. "They're so careful and sensitive in developing their characters. The writing is so real, there's no room for a dishonest moment. I don't know if I could work with a higher class of people in TV today."

The first few episodes have centered around the two leads, but the producers plan to make it more of an ensemble show, not unlike "thirtysomething." So while audiences see Karen mostly as the bitter ex-wife now, Thompson visualizes the character growing throughout the season.

"Karen is someone who had an idea of what her life would be like in terms of career, marriage and kids and that shifted into something else," said Thompson of the character's reaction to her divorce. "After three years of being hurt and angry, she'll go through the awkward steps of growth and finding a new life. I'm excited to see where the character goes with that."

Another giant step in her career was playing opposite Ford in "Random Hearts," directed by Sydney Pollack. While Thompson's screen time was small, the role is such a pivotal one that her face is featured prominently in the TV commercials.

"I loved working with Harrison," she said. "He came to my trailer on the first day to say hello and made me feel comfortable. I told him I felt like it was the first day of school. He said, 'No, you're in the fourth grade now. ' "

This is what Thompson dreamed of back in 1991 when she made the leap to L.A. Shortly after making the decision, she lost out on a role in "Three Sisters" at the La Jolla Playhouse (she ended up an understudy). That turned out to be a blessing because she instead played the lead in "A Shayna Maidel" at the Gaslamp Quarter Theatre, which led to her securing an agent.

Once she moved to L.A., Thompson started landing parts in a variety of series. She has appeared on "NYPD Blue" and "Chicago Hope." She's also tackled the leading roles in two failed pilots, UPN's "The Caseys" and ABC's " Bermuda Triangle."

But it's with the "Star Trek" franchise that she's had the steadiest working relationship, appearing on "The Next Generation" twice and "Deep Space Nine" once (in a controversial episode where she had to kiss another female character who had once been her character's husband in another incarnation). After auditioning for the role of the Borg Queen in the film " Star Trek: First Contact," she played the same part in a two-part "Voyager."

Now that " Once and Again" and "Random Hearts" are bringing her plenty of exposure with the public, she's aware that fame could be the next big step in her career.

"That's not what I wanted, but if it comes I hope I can handle it graciously," she said. "And if it puts my name out for more quality work, that's wonderful. I like to do work that speaks to my heart. I love what I'm doing. It's quality and it feels great."__San-Diego Union-Tribune (November 16, 1999)