Susan Cabot was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and spent her early years in a series of eight foster homes, which likely had a profound impact on her life and career. She eventually settled in Manhattan, where she attended high school and discovered a passion for dramatics, joining the school's dramatic club.
After high school, Cabot continued to explore her creative interests, working as an illustrator of children's books during the day and singing at the Village Barn in Manhattan at night. It was during this time that she made her film debut as an extra in the 1947 movie "Kiss of Death," and began working in New York-based television.
Her big break came when Maxwell Arnow, a casting director for Columbia Pictures, spotted her at the Village Barn and offered her a co-starring role in the 1950 film "On the Isle of Samoa." This led to a contract with Universal Pictures, and Cabot went on to star in a string of films opposite leading men such as John Lund, Tony Curtis, and Audie Murphy.
However, Cabot soon grew tired of the formulaic western and Arabian Nights roles that seemed to be her lot in Hollywood, and asked for a release from her contract. She then accepted an offer to star in Harold Robbins' play "A Stone for Danny Fisher" in New York, and later returned to Hollywood to work with Roger Corman, starring in films such as "Carnival Rock" and five others.
In the late 1950s, Cabot's personal life made headlines when she had a highly publicized fling with King Hussein of Jordan. She continued to work in television, stage plays, and musicals, dividing her time between these pursuits and her personal life.
