Suzanne Somers' 'DWTS' Partner Tony Dovolani Pays Tribute to Late Actress and Remembers Their Friendship
Suzanne Somers died at age 76 on Oct. 15 after a decades-long battle with cancer.
Suzanne Somers is being remembered as a "beacon of light" by her friend and former Dancing With the Stars partner Tony Dovolani. Following the Three's Company actress's death on Oct. 15 at the age of 76 following a decades-long battle with cancer, Dovolani opened up to Entertainment Tonight about the friendship they forged as partners on Season 20 of Dancing With the Stars back in 2015.
Dovolani said the news of Somers' passing "really hit me like a ton of bricks," as he had anticipated wishing her a happy 77th birthday in just a few days. "When I found out, it just cut my legs from under me because she was such a beacon of light," he continued, remembering the Step By Step star "with a smile on her face." The professional dancer also credited Somers with helping him learn English via Three's Company after moving to the U.S. from Albani – which made their pairing on Dancing With the Stars surreal.
"To see her walk through the doors I was like, 'Oh my god, it's Suzanne Somers. No way!' I couldn't wait to tell my wife," he recalled of their first meeting. "I couldn't wait to share that with everybody, that I was actually dancing with somebody who I admired for many years and did really have an effect on my life." Despite the difficulty of Dancing With the Stars, Somers always "walked in with a pep in her step" to rehearse and pushed herself through whatever pains and ailments she had.
"Positivity was a big part of her life. Being optimistic. She never acted like the victim. She never brought it up as an excuse when we were working," he continued. "I mean, she was so full of life and full of positivity that you would never know that she had breast cancer. And the interesting thing about that is that she truly believed with her entire heart that being positive and being optimistic and looking forward to the future was the way to beat cancer. She battled that terrible disease for so many years. But honestly, she lived every moment to its fullest."
Following Somers' death, her longtime publicist, R. Couri Hay, confirmed the news on the star's Instagram. "Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th. She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years," the statement read. "Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family. Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th. Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly."