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Somers bagged the role as a mysterious blonde in \"American Graffiti.\" Little did she know how iconic her few seconds on screen would become.

Before the movie's release in 1973, Somers' agent booked her as an extra for a George Lucas film.

\"Whoever George Lucas was at the time,\" she said of the \"Star Wars\" creator.

Somers won over Lucas and got the role. Her one line, \"I love you,\" only had to be mouthed and those few seconds changed her life forever.

\"This is a life-changing moment. Five seconds on film that will never be forgotten,\" she said.

Somers said Lucas told her, \"Everybody will always remember the mysterious blonde in the Thunderbird.\"

And he was right. The scene led to Somers' television debut on \"The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.\" After a chance meeting with the legendary host, during which she showed him her book of poetry where she credited herself as the \"Mysterious Blonde in the Thunderbird,\" Somers would eventually make an appearance on his show every month, during which she read her poetry to a national audience.

A TV executive and producer saw her on the show, and later hired her for her next role in television: \"Three's Company.\"

Focus on what you like about yourself

\"PHOTO:
Walt Disney Television via Getty Images
PHOTO: Joyce DeWitt, as Janet, John Ritter, as Jack, and Suzanne Somers, as Chrissy, in a scene from "Three's Company."
>

Somers starred as Chrissy Snow on the popular sitcom, \"Three's Company,\" with John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt. Somers said she gave her role as Chrissy a heart and soul to make the character lovable.

\"You know, I approached playing the dumbest blonde in America intellectually,\" she said.

During this successful period of time for her and the cast, Somers looked back and said she worked on her self-esteem because of how hard she was on herself, adding that she saw a therapist consistently and began to realize that it was OK to not be perfect.

\"It freed me to realize I make mistakes. I've made bad choices, we all have,\" she said.

Keep reinventing

\"PHOTO:
Jeff Katz/Getty Images, FILE
PHOTO: Suzanne Somers poses for a portrait, Oct. 15, 1997, in Los Angeles.
>

The ThighMaster, a popular exercise product to tone and strengthen thigh muscles, was revolutionary. Not only for fitness enthusiasts, but for Somers as well.

\"This changed my life. This changed my fortune,\" she said.

At the height of her career on \"Three's Company,\" Somers was let go after requesting a higher salary.

\"A voice in my head said, 'Why are you focused on what you don't have? Why don't you focus on what you do have?'\" she said.

After realizing she had enormous visibility, Somers wanted to find a way to use that to make a living.

Josh Reynolds, inventor of the ThighMaster, asked Somers to be the face of his product to sell it on TV. Somers claimed in an interview with Inc. that 10 million of the devices have been sold.

\"This success made me realize: Keep reinventing. Never stop reinventing,\" she said.

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