1986 was the year of Susan Dey's second comeback. Her first comeback had come in 1980 (ironically in a TV movie called The Comeback Kid) when she returned to work after having a child in late 1978. She then worked consistently from 1980 to 1984, mostly in television projects. Susan Dey did not appear in anything in 1985 and would not be heard from again until 1986 when she began promoting a low-budget film titled Echo Park. Her comeback would be completed later in the year when Susan Dey would join the cast of L.A. Law.
Echo Park is a slice-of-life story about three people living in Los Angeles and wanting to make it in show business. Of course, all three are dubiously talented, getting older and having to hold day jobs to pay the rent. All three dream of success but it is made clear to the viewer that they will most likely not ever achieve it.
Susan Dey portrays May, an aspiring actress who works as a waitress/bartender. She goes to auditions and dreams of getting her big break in Hollywood. However, she ends up getting a job doing 'strippergrams', wherein she gets paid to show up places and strip for random people. It is degrading work but she needs the money nonetheless. Meanwhile, she has to deal with her young son, a wacky Schwarzenegger-wannabe neighbor (played by Michael Bowen), and a guy she has just rented a room to (played by Tom Hulce).
Here are some promotional materials for Echo Park:
 |
| The cast of Echo Park |
 |
| Promotional pic of Susan Dey for Echo Park |
Here's a newspaper article from early 1986 about Echo Park which focuses primarily on Susan Dey:
The following are some images of Susan Dey in Echo Park:
Susan Dey really does look great in Echo Park!
