Susanne was raised and educated in Southern California. Her father was an accountant and her mother was a secretary.

When she was eighteen, a photographer saw some snapshots that had been taken of her by a friend and showed them to a top modelling agent who signed her on the spot. With her healthy California looks and fun personality, she started working right away and was soon a top West Coast model and sought-after TV commercial actress. Her television debut came when she was cast together with Jeff Conaway (Taxi) to co-host two 90-minute TV specials for ABC, "California Jam 2," the rock concert held at Ontario Motor Speedway.