The landlord-tenant relationship isn’t always the most congenial. The character of Mr. Roper was the high-strung landlord to the three roommates, but he wasn’t a complete work of fiction.
Norman Fell, who played Roper, confessed that he modeled the character after someone he knew in real life. He summarized the character as someone who “just can’t do things right…and yet he thought he was the cat’s meow.”
Billy Crystal Auditioned for the Part of Jack.
Billy Crystal (who probably would have made a great Jack) auditioned for the lead role that eventually went to John Ritter.
But seeing how successful Crystal is today, it certainly wasn’t a major loss for the legendary comedian.
The Theme Song Was by The Same Composer Who Did "Sesame Street"
Some theme songs just get stuck in our heads, which is often how they are designed to be. The "Three's Company" theme song became a very catchy tune and was actually created by the same composer who did the "Sesame Street" theme.
Composer Joe Raposo wrote the theme song for both of the shows, as well as for "The Electric Company."
Jeffrey Tambor Had Roles As Three Different Characters.
Actor Jeffrey Tambor became a familiar face on the show and ended up starring as three wildly different characters--a rich man, a psychiatrist, and a dentist.
But, as the plot of the show would have it, none of the roomies ever seemed to notice that these three "different" characters looked suspiciously similar.
Suzanne Somers Wanted More Money
Suzanne Somers was discontented with her given salary and faced the producers head-on to negotiate a better contract. Somers, who was already raking in $30,000 an episode, wanted to up the here salary to $150,000 per episode, the amount that Ritter got. Can't blame her for fighting for equality!
The producers were not enthused by her request but Somers was unwilling to compromise. The ensuing drama led to Somers receiving the cold shoulder from her castmates and her character ultimately being written out of the show.