Susan George was one of the most distinctive British actresses of the 1970s, remembered for Straw Dogs, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry and Mandingo. But what happened after the years when she seemed to be everywhere on screen? Her story did not end with Hollywood. George gradually redirected her life toward Arabian horses, photography, charity work and carefully chosen screen appearances.
Updated August 2026.
Who Is Susan George?
Susan Melody George was born on July 26, 1950, in Surbiton, Surrey, England. She started performing young and developed into one of the most recognizable British leading actresses of the late 1960s and 1970s. Her screen image could be glamorous, vulnerable, rebellious or confrontational, and that flexibility helped her move between thrillers, road movies, period dramas and television.
The Movies That Made Susan George Famous
Straw Dogs (1971)
Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs remains the film most often connected with Susan George. She played Amy Sumner opposite Dustin Hoffman in a violent psychological thriller that generated intense debate when it was released. The film remains controversial, particularly because of its depiction of sexual violence, and modern discussions often focus as much on the ethical and cultural questions around the movie as on its filmmaking.
Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974)
George reached a very different audience with Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, starring alongside Peter Fonda. The action-road movie became a cult favorite, particularly among fans of 1970s car films. George’s Mary is energetic, unpredictable and central to the movie’s personality.
Mandingo (1975)
Mandingo was another provocative production in a decade filled with movies willing to tackle difficult subjects through sensational storytelling. The film’s treatment of slavery, race and exploitation remains heavily debated. For George, it became another high-profile credit that reinforced her association with challenging material.
More Susan George Movies Worth Revisiting
Her career contains far more than the three titles most frequently mentioned. Viewers exploring Susan George movies can also look for Die Screaming, Marianne, Tintorera: Killer Shark, The House Where Evil Dwells and other film and television work from a career that crossed several genres and countries.
Why Did Susan George Step Away From Hollywood?
George did not simply disappear. Her priorities changed. Her official website explains that she stepped aside from a flourishing Hollywood career and focused increasingly on breeding purebred Arabian horses in England. What began as a passion became a serious enterprise through Georgian Arabians, a project she shared with her husband, actor and producer Simon MacCorkindale.
This is an important distinction when asking “what happened to Susan George?” The usual celebrity narrative assumes that fewer movie roles must mean a career collapsed. In George’s case, she deliberately built a life outside the constant production cycle of film and television.
Susan George and Simon MacCorkindale
George married Simon MacCorkindale in October 1984. They remained together until his death from cancer in October 2010. Their marriage was also connected to several of the projects that shaped George’s later life, particularly their Arabian horse breeding program.
Lasting Life: The Simon MacCorkindale Legacy
In 2016, George founded Lasting Life – The Simon MacCorkindale Legacy. The charity was created in memory of her husband and focuses on helping and supporting people living with cancer.
Georgian Arabians and Her Life With Horses
Arabian horses became one of the defining passions of George’s life away from filmmaking. Her official biography describes Georgian Arabians as a project that grew from a hobby into a successful enterprise in the West Country of England.
George has also photographed horses extensively. Her equine photography was exhibited under the title The Spirit of Equus, showing another creative direction that developed far from the movie set.
Did Susan George Return to Television?
Yes. In 2018, George appeared in the BBC series The Real Marigold Hotel, joining a group of well-known older British personalities exploring life in India. Her participation was widely described as a welcome return to television after a long period in which she had been much less visible on screen.
Where Is Susan George Now?
Today, Susan George’s public life is closely associated with her Arabian horses, charitable work, photography and the legacy of her film career. Her official website continues to present Georgian Arabians and Lasting Life as central parts of her world, while also celebrating her decades of work on screen.
So what happened to Susan George? She moved from the relentless pace of international movie stardom into a life built around passions that mattered deeply to her. She remains a recognizable figure to classic-film audiences, but her story after Hollywood is as much about horses, creativity and charitable purpose as it is about acting.
Essential Susan George Movies
- Straw Dogs (1971) — the controversial Sam Peckinpah thriller that became her defining international role.
- Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974) — a cult road-action movie with Peter Fonda.
- Mandingo (1975) — a controversial historical drama that remains widely debated.
- Die Screaming, Marianne (1971) — an early thriller for viewers exploring beyond her best-known titles.
- Tintorera: Killer Shark (1977) — part of the international genre-film phase of her career.
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