Susie Diamond

Susie Diamond
The Fabulous Baker Boys character
Susie Diamond, as portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer, singing one of the songs from The Fabulous Baker Boys
First appearance	The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)
Created by	Steve Kloves
Portrayed by	Michelle Pfeiffer
In-universe information
Occupation	Lounge singer Escort (former)
Significant other	Jack Baker
Nationality	American

Susie Diamond is a fictional character who appears in the romantic musical comedy-drama film The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989). Portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer, Susie is a former escort who becomes a professional lounge singer when she is hired to help revitalize the career of The Fabulous Baker Boys, a waning piano duo consisting of brothers Jack and Frank Baker. Susie's addition to the group benefits both the trio's career and her own, but she also inadvertently generates conflict between the two brothers as Frank strongly disapproves of Jack's romantic interest in Susie, ultimately jeopardizing both the brothers' relationship with each other and the trio's future as a musical act.

Susie was created for the film by director and screenwriter Steve Kloves. Although Kloves was interested in casting Pfeiffer in the role from the beginning, Pfeiffer was much more hesitant to commit, citing exhaustion after having just recently completed several films at the time until Kloves ultimately convinced her to accept. Jodie Foster and Madonna were also considered for the role, among other candidates. Having not sung on-screen since her first leading role in the musical film Grease 2 (1982), Pfeiffer initially experienced reservations about providing her character's vocals herself but ultimately underwent several months of vocal coaching in preparation for the film's musical numbers. Furthermore, Pfeiffer researched professional lounge singers in addition to drawing inspiration from the performances of renowned jazz singers Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.

A pivotal role in the actress' career, Pfeiffer's performance garnered widespread acclaim from film critics, who were impressed with both her acting and singing abilities, and frequently dubbed her the film's highlight. Often commenting upon her strong sex appeal, comparisons were drawn between Pfeiffer and several classic Hollywood actresses, namely Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall and Rita Hayworth. Pfeiffer won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. The actress was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress but lost to Jessica Tandy's performance in Driving Miss Daisy (1989), a controversial outcome at the time that disappointed several critics. Additionally, Pfeiffer was recognized with "best actress" accolades from nearly all prestigious American film award organizations between 1989 and 1990.

Susie remains Pfeiffer's most critically acclaimed performance to-date, responsible for establishing her as both a bankable film actress and sex symbol. The scene in which Susie seductively performs the jazz standard "Makin' Whoopee", for which The Fabulous Baker Boys continues to be best-remembered, is considered to be an iconic staple of modern-day cinema, while earning a reputation as one of the sexiest scenes in film history.