BIOGRAPHY

FILM  •  PURPOSE  •  POSSIBILITY

SUSAN GEORGE MBE

AN ICONIC LIFE ON SCREEN — AND BEYOND

An internationally recognised actress, producer, writer, photographer, equestrian and charity founder whose creativity continues to open new chapters.

Susan George MBE is one of Britain’s most distinctive screen stars. Her career began in childhood, accelerated through British film and television, and reached international audiences through performances that combined vulnerability, independence and unmistakable presence.

Today, Susan’s story reaches far beyond acting. She is the visionary breeder behind Georgian Arabians, the founder of Lasting Life – The Simon MacCorkindale Legacy, a photographer, writer and live performer, and an engaging public figure whose life connects film, horses, resilience, love and charitable purpose.

Susan was already appearing in television plays and commercials by the age of twelve. Her early credits included The Dickie Henderson Show, ITV Television Playhouse, The Human Jungle, Swallows and Amazons and a West End appearance in The Sound of Music. At seventeen she took her first starring film role opposite Michael York in The Strange Affair (1968).

A succession of roles in Up the Junction, The Looking Glass War, All Neat in Black Stockings, Spring and Port Wine, Eyewitness and Fright established her as one of the most compelling young British actresses of her generation.

Her defining international breakthrough came as Amy Sumner opposite Dustin Hoffman in Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs (1971). The film remains intensely discussed and debated, and Susan’s performance became central to her enduring screen legacy.

She went on to headline films on both sides of the Atlantic, including Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974) with Peter Fonda, Mandingo (1975), Out of Season (1975) with Vanessa Redgrave and Cliff Robertson, A Small Town in Texas (1976), Tintorera (1977), Tomorrow Never Comes (1978), Venom (1981), Enter the Ninja (1981), The House Where Evil Dwells (1982) and The Jigsaw Man (1984). Her work ranged across drama, thriller, action, horror and comedy — the last of which she has often described as a favourite genre.

Susan’s television work has included The Persuaders!, Tales of the Unexpected, Hotel, Blacke’s Magic, Counterstrike, The Castle of Adventure, Cluedo, Stay Lucky and EastEnders, in which she appeared as Margaret Walker. Her stage work has included The Country Girl in London’s West End, Rough Crossing on national tour and the Toronto production of Moumou (Pyjama Tops).

After returning to Britain following twelve years in California, Susan increasingly worked behind the camera. With her late husband, actor Simon MacCorkindale, she established Amy International Productions. Their independent film That Summer of White Roses (1989) starred Tom Conti, Rod Steiger and Susan; she served as executive producer and co-composer. The production received major recognition at the Tokyo and Pula film festivals, while Susan and Richard Gillinson received the British Film Institute’s Anthony Asquith Award for the score.

Susan’s career has never been confined to one role: actress, producer, composer, writer, photographer, breeder and philanthropist all belong to the same creative life.

Susan made a warmly received return to television in the BBC travel series The Real Marigold Hotel, joining fellow well-known personalities to explore life and culture abroad. In recent years she has also rediscovered her love of music, collaborating with award-winning jazz singer-songwriter Ian Shaw on ‘An Evening With’ performances — an ongoing combination of conversation, memories and song.

She remains open to carefully selected film, television, advertising and public-facing opportunities. Her warmth, candour and extraordinary range of experience make her a natural guest, host, interviewee and storyteller.

For more than three decades Susan has built a second internationally respected career as a breeder of pure-bred Arabian horses. Georgian Arabians, her West Country stud, grew from a passion shared with Simon into a renowned breeding programme. Its achievements include twenty British National Championship titles, a Horse of the Year Show Champion Stallion, a Reserve Supreme Champion and world- and European-level ridden success.

Susan has brought more than 116 foals into the world. Her philosophy is personal as well as professional: the right horse must meet the right person. The stud’s home-bred champions include SG Imagine, British National Champion Stallion in 2012, and SG Vienna Image, British National Champion in 2014.

She has served as President of the British Arab Horse Society and as Honorary President of the Horse of the Year Show. Her work with Arabians gives her a compelling platform for equestrian, countryside, lifestyle, luxury and wellbeing audiences.

Susan’s photography celebrates the spirit, movement and emotional intelligence of the horse. Her exhibition The Spirit of Equus opened at Petley Fine Art in London and was later shown at Harrods.

She is also a prolific writer whose work includes poetry and music. She is currently developing a long-form autobiography, planned for publication in 2027 — a candid account of a life lived across British cinema, Hollywood, love, loss, horses and reinvention.

Simon MacCorkindale died in 2010 after living with cancer for seven years. In 2016 Susan founded Lasting Life in his memory, creating practical support for people and families affected by cancer. The charity provides grants and assistance at times when illness has placed families under emotional and financial strain.

Its signature Love Letters events bring together actors, musicians and friends to interpret letters of love from past and present. Susan produced and hosted editions at The Dorchester and, most recently, at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in November 2024. The gala combined performance, music, fine dining and auction fundraising in support of the charity’s work.

Susan also created My Things & Others, a charitable fundraising shop through which friends and supporters from entertainment donate treasured possessions and experiences. Together, these initiatives turn personal memory into practical help and keep Simon’s compassion at the centre of a living legacy.

In the King’s Birthday Honours announced in June 2026, Susan George was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to charity. The honour recognises her sustained work through Lasting Life and My Things & Others, and a commitment that has brought hope and direct support to people living with or affected by cancer.

The MBE recognises not only a celebrated public career, but the purpose Susan has built from love, loss and service to others.

Susan George MBE is available for selected UK and international engagements. Her enduring recognition, natural warmth and rich life story make her a distinctive presence for audiences and brands.

·  Product launches: Guest appearances, launches, openings, premieres and hosted moments, particularly across beauty, wellness, equestrian, luxury, travel, film and heritage.

·  Speaking engagements: Keynotes, fireside conversations, panels and Q&As on acting, reinvention, resilience, entrepreneurship, horses, grief, charitable leadership and living creatively.

·  Private lunches and corporate hospitality: Intimate hosted lunches, client events, after-dinner conversations, charity occasions and membership gatherings.

·  Brand campaigns: Select ambassadorial partnerships, advertising, editorial storytelling, social content, voiceover and purpose-led campaigns aligned with Susan’s values and public profile.

·  Media and broadcast: Television, radio, podcasts, documentary contributions, retrospectives and interviews spanning cinema, culture, equestrian life and philanthropy.

All opportunities are considered individually and subject to schedule, suitability and agreement.

Known for: Straw Dogs; Dirty Mary Crazy Larry; Mandingo; The Jigsaw Man; Cluedo; EastEnders; The Real Marigold Hotel.

Beyond acting: Producer, composer, writer, photographer and internationally recognised Arabian horse breeder.

Equestrian: Founder of Georgian Arabians; breeder of 116+ foals; former President of the British Arab Horse Society.

Charity: Founder of Lasting Life – The Simon MacCorkindale Legacy and My Things & Others.

Honour: Appointed MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours 2026 for services to charity.

Current work: Selected screen and advertising opportunities; live ‘An Evening With’ collaborations; autobiography in development for 2027.