Throughout the 80s she took part in some recurring roles on Santa Barbara, Burkes Law, General Hospital, Night Court, and Murder She Wrote. Stevens also ranked as no. Other notable roles include "Slaughter," with Jim Brown, the Sam Peckinpah television film "The Battle of Cable Hogue" and "The Poseidon Adventure" in which she played Linda Rogo, Ernest Borgnine's character's wife. Stevens died from Alzheimers disease at a long-term care She wound up under contract with Paramount and then Columbia through the 60s, starring opposite such big names as Presley in Girls! Stella Stevens was married to Noble Herman Stephens. She was 84. I do; the first director I worked with was Frank Tashlin [Say One For Me]. At Columbia Pictures, she'd appear in "The Secret of My Success," "The Silencers," with Dean Martin, and "Where Angels Go Trouble Follows," as a nun opposite Rosalind Russell. The more it went on, the more he drank and the worse it got. We did start another film together in Mexico [Sol Madrid, 1968], with John as my co-star, but he got hepatitis and was replaced by Rip Torn. Photo For two seasons in the early 80s, she starred in the primetime soap Flamingo Road and later had recurring roles in Santa Barbara and General Hospital. + Stella Stevens passed away in Los Angeles on February 17, 2023, from Alzheimers disease. Girls! Titles The Nutty Professor. Jerry Lewis. Stevens estate said she died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness. He took me to the dailiesI saw the best and the worst, the takes, the outtakes, all of themand whenever I watched him at work, I could ask him anything, and hed take the time to answer me and explain everything. Stella Stevens, who starred with Elvis Presley in Girls! Girls! [1962] your first introduction to a major audience? Another favorite of mine was George Marshall, who had directed me in Advance to the Rear [1964]. He and Jerry had done many films together. In an interview in 1994, Stevens said that she worried that she didnt succeed in bringing out the best in her directors and that her ambitions changed. Stella Stevens in a bikini, circa 1960. Soon after, she won the New Star Golden Globe, was named Playboys Playmate of the Month and got a contract with Paramount Pictures, leading to film work and Girls! She was 84. Basically, everybody was helping me to teach me to make a film back then. Along with her son, Stevens is survived by three grandchildren. 1938) has always been one of the screens most prominent leading ladies of the 1960s and 1970s. Stella Stevens, born as Estelle Eggleston in the small town of Yazoo City, Mississippi on October 1st, 1938, was the daughter of insurance salesman Thomas and nurse Dovey Eggleston. Public records show Stevens has owned the house since 1965. Stella ironically had co-starred with Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor (and reportedly had an affair with the comic. In 1983, Stevens began a long-term relationship with rock guitarist Bob Kulick; for many years they shared Stevens Beverly Hills home. SAY ONE FOR ME (1959) DIR PROD Frank Tashlin SCR Robert OBrien CAM Leo Tover ED Hugh S. Fowler CAST Bing Crosby, Debbie Reynolds, Robert Wagner, Ray Walston, Les Tremayne, Connie Gilchrist, Frank McHugh, Stella Stevens (Chorine), Sebastian Cabot, THE BLUE ANGEL (1959) DIR Edward Dmytryk PROD Jack Cummings SCR Nigel Balchin (screenplay DER BLAUE ENGEL [1930] by Robert Liebman, Carl Zuckmayer, Karl Vollmller; novel by Heinrich Mann) CAM Leon Shamroy ED Jack W. Holmes MUS Hugo Friedhofer CAST Curt Jurgens, May Britt, Theodore Bikel, John Banner, Fabrizio Mioni, Ludwig Stssel, Stella Stevens (Chorus Girl, uncredited), LIL ABNER (1959) DIR Melvin Frank PROD Norman Panama SCR Melvin Frank, Norman Panama (comic strip by Al Capp) CAM Daniel L. Flapp ED Arthur P. Schmidt MUS Nelson Riddle, Joseph J. Lilley CAST Peter Palmer, Leslie Parrish, Stubby Kaye, Howard St. John, Julie Newmar, Stella Stevens (Appassionata Von Climax), Billie Hayes, Robert Strauss, MAN-TRAP (1961) DIR Edmond OBrien PROD Edmond OBrien, Stanley Frazen SCR Ed Waters (novel by John D. MacDonald) CAM Loyal Griggs ED Jack Lippiatt MUS Leith Stevens CAST Jeffrey Hunter, David Janssen, Stella Stevens (Nina Jameson), Elaine Devry, Virginia Gregg, Dorothy Green, Frank Albertson, Henry Darrow, TOO LATE BLUES (1961) DIR PROD John Cassavetes SCR John Cassavetes, Richard Carr CAM Lionel Lindon ED Frank Bracht MUS David Raskin CAST Bobby Darin, Stella Stevens (Jess Polanski), Everett Chambers, Nick Dennis, Vince Edwards, Val Avery, Marilyn Clark, Seymour Cassel, John Cassavetes, Don Siegel, June Wilkinson, GIRLS! With The Nutty Professor (1963) as a major highlight of her long career, the 78-year-old blonde kept on acting for many years in supporting roles and various genres. "We all tried to make the characters he had created in the script special, wonderful, unique - and if you ask me, I do believe that's why the film still holds up after all those years.". Girls!, starring opposite Presley in 1962, Stevens said she did not like the script, but Paramount told her she was contractually obliged to do it. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewis's affection in "The Nutty Professor," has died. Girls! February 17, 2023 10:58am Stella Stevens Stella Stevens, the actress best known for her roles in The Nutty Professor and The Poseidon Adventure and starring Girls!, died today in Los Angeles after a In the western, very fashionable at the time, she would give the to and Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor, passed away at the age of 84 in Los Angeles on Friday, February 17. She started acting and modeling during her time at Memphis State University and made her film debut in a minor role in the Bing Crosby musical Say One for Me in 1959, but she considered Lil Abner her big break. Jerry Lewis and Stella Stevens in The Nutty Professor (1996) People Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens. Her son told the Hollywood Reporter she had been in a hospice for some time with Alzheimer's disease. I think its a good film; I like it. Plus, I was offered a movie with Montgomery Clift if I did this one, so that was the only reason for me to go through with it. If anyone would have given me a job to direct, I think I could have done it. She had a major arc in Ben Casey as a woman who awakens from a 13-year coma and has a brief fling with Vince Edwards title doctor. We all tried to make the characters he had created in the script special, wonderful, unique and if you ask me, I do believe thats why the film still holds up after all those years.. While I truly wish I could have done more for her toward the latter years of her career and shared in her frustration as she so wanted to make the leap from a triple threat American icon to producer her wish, never realized, was to have three original Western scripts produced. I did the best I could with the tools I had and the opportunities given me, she was once quoted as saying. We did The Courtship of Eddies Father [1963] together. (1997) DIR Lewis Teague PROD Skip Ward, Ira Marvin TELEPLAY Gy Waldron CAM Larry Lindsey, Barry M. Wilson ED Russell Livingstone MUS Steve Wariner CAST Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Catherine Bach, Denver Pyle, James Best, Ben Jones, Stella Stevens (Josephine Max), THE CHRISTMAS LIST (1997) DIR Charles Jarrot PROD James Shavick, Rosanne Milliken TELEPLAY Marie Weiss CAM Henry Chan ED Mark Lemmon, Garry M.B. Photo by Silver Screen I want to die on a movie set. I want to be like this man. Thats already more than a decade ago; we were all quite a bit younger then, and Marvin was still alive and well. Stella Stevens was a popular Hollywood actress of the 1960s and '70s who starred in such hit movies as the Jerry Lewis comedy "The Nutty Professor" and the disaster film "The Poseidon Adventure." Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. She was signed by 20th Century Fox after they discovered her performing at her college in Memphis, Tennessee. Free Stevens' talents excelled not only through acting alongside superstars that included the King of Rock 'n Roll, but also in comedy, directing, producing, and writing. Girls! (1962) with Elvis Presleyincidentally, all co-stars mentioned here died prematurelybefore she was cast to appear in The Nutty Professor (1963). WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for Jerry Lewis as The Hutty Professor movie ad 1963 Stella Stevens LK at the best online prices at eBay! Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1963) DIR Jerry Lewis PROD Ernest D. Glucksman SCR Jerry Lewis, Bill Richmond CAM W. Wallace Kelley ED John Jerry Lewis had told the bosses at Paramount he wanted to cast the most beautiful ingnue working at the studio or something like that and so I got the gig, she said. He did a good picture, though. You made three films with Glenn Ford: The Courtship of Eddies Father (1963), Advance to the Rear (1964) and Rage (1966). How did this all start for you? I really liked it. Hollywood casting agent Marvin Paige, film-wise my partner in crime for many years, had introduced me to Ms. Stevens in 2006 when this interview was conducted at her Beverly Hills home. A female figure from westerns. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. WebJerry Lewis. She retired in 2010. He was sort of my mentor, and later, he introduced me to Jerry Lewis. The Clift picture didnt pan out either, at least with her promised co-star. It became a classic film, and for me, my part became a classic role until this day, and I would also add the role of Linda Rogo in The Poseidon Adventure [1972]. In 2017, she'd say that her favorite director that she worked with was Vincente Minnelli on "The Courtship of Eddie's Father," from 1963. Stevens also was a popular guest on talk shows, making about a half-dozen appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, along with those hosted by the likes of Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, Vicki Lawrence, David Frost and Alan Thicke. Stevens estate said she died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness. with Elvis Presley, which she only agreed to do because she was promised to a Montgomery Clift movie if she did it. First, I didnt want to do this film, but I was under contract to Hal Wallis to do one more film. I wanted to be like my favorite actresses: Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. Free shipping for many products! "I wanted to be like my favorite actresses: Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. Titles The Nutty Professor. Girls! and with Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor as well as in disaster film The Poseidon Adventure, died Friday in Los Angeles. I almost begged him to make a movie where I could work with her, but it didnt happen. Hollywood actress Stella Stevens, who co-starred with Elvis Presley in Girls! ", Chicago Mayor Lightfoot ousted; Vallas, Johnson in runoff, King asks Duke and Duchess of Sussex to move out of Frogmore so Prince Andrew can move in, Biden Mocks Marjorie Taylor Greene With 1 Simple Hand Gesture, A Nebraska high-school cheerleader competed on her own after the rest of her squad quit. She was 84. For me, it all started when I did Lil Abner [1959]. She was 84. Stella Stevens, the stunning actress who rejected her label as a sex symbol, died Friday. and The Secret of My Success. There was never enough we could do for him. Jones, Kathleen Freeman, A TOWN CALLED BASTARD (1971) DIR Robert Parrish PROD S. Benjamin Fisz SCR Richard Aubrey, S. Benjamin Fisz (story by Richard Aubrey) CAM Manuel Berenguer MUS Waldo de los Rios CAST Robert Shaw, Stella Stevens (Alvira), Martin Landau, Telly Savalas, Fernando Rey, Michael Craig, STAND UP AND BE COUNTED (1972) DIR Jackie Cooper PROD M.J. Frankovich SCR Bernard Slade CAM Fred J. Koenekamp ED Harold F. Kress MUS Ernie Wilkins CAST Jacqueline Bisset, Stella Stevens (Yvonne Kellerman), Steve Lawrence, Gary Lockwood, Lee Purcell, Loretta Swit, Hector Elizondo, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Nancy Walker, Kathleen Freeman, Jackie Cooper, Jessica Rains, SLAUGHTER (1972) DIR Jack Starrett PROD Monroe Sachson SCR Mark Hanna, Don Williams CAM Rosalio Solano ED Renn Reynolds MUS Luchi De Jess CAST Jim Brown, Stella Stevens (Ann), Rip Torn, Cameron Mitchell, Don Gordon, Marlene Clark, Robert Phillips, Marion Brash, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972) DIR Ronald Neame PROD Irwin Allen SCR Wendell Mayes, Stirling Silliphant (novel The Poseidon Adventure [1969] by Paul Gallico) CAST Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Carol Lynley, Roddy McDowall, Stella Stevens (Linda Rogo), Shelley Winters, Jack Albertson, Pamela Sue Martin, Arthur OConnell, ARNOLD (1973) DIR Georg Fenady PROD Andrew J. Fenady SCR Jameson Brewer, John Fenton Murray CAM William B. Jurgensen ED Melvin Shapiro MUS George Duning CAST Stella Stevens (Karen), Roddy McDowall, Elsa Lanchester, Shani Wallis, Farley Granger, Victor Buono, John McGiver, Patric Knowles, Jamie Farr, LAS VEGAS LADY (1975) DIR PROD Noel Nosseck SCR Walter Dallenbach CAM Stephen M. Katz ED Robert Gordon MUS Alan Silvestri CAST Stella Stevens (Lucky), Stuart Whitman, George DiCenzo, Lynne Moody, Linda Scruggs, Joseph Della Sorte, Hank Robinson, Andrew Stevens, Tony Bill, CLEOPATRA JONES AND THE CASINO OF GOLD (1975) DIR Chuck Bail PROD William Tennant, Run Run Shaw SCR William Tennant (characters created by Max Julien) CAM Alan Hume ED Willy Kemplen MUS Dominic Frontiere CAST Tamara Dobson, Stella Stevens (Bianca Javin / Dragon Lady), Ni Tien, Norman Fell, Albert Popwell, Caro Kenyetta, Shen Chan, NICKELODEON (1976) DIR Peter Bogdanovich PROD Frank Marshall, Robert Chartoff, Irwin Winkler SCR Peter Bogdanovich, W.D. My favorite was Vincente Minnelli. Were there any directors in particular that you liked? Stevens' second husband and partner of 37 years, rock guitarist Bob Kulick, died in May 2020. Born on October 1, 1938, in Yazoo City, MS, Stevens was also a steady presence on television, appearing in dozens of TV movies and guest-starring in more than 40 series. Girls!. ", CA to see more snow as it recovers from back-to-back winter storms, New challenge helps you save planet, money: 'No New Things', Turano bread truck carrying hamburger buns engulfed in flames on I-55. Smith MUS Brahm Wenger CAST Mimi Rogers, Rob Stewart, Stella Stevens (Natalie Parris), Bill Switzer, Enuka Okuma, Jano Frandsen, Madison Graie, BY DAWNS EARLY LIGHT (2000) DIR Arthur Allan Seidelman TELEPLAY Jacqueline Feather, David Seidler CAM Andreas Poulsson ED Bert Glatstein MUS Lee Holdridge CAST Richard Crenna, David Carradine, Chris Olivero, Patrick David, Gary Bisig, Ben Cardinal, Tim Henry, Stella Stevens (Eli), THE FRENCH ATLANTIC AFFAIR (1979) DIR Douglas Heyes PROD Robert Mintz TELEPLAY Douglas Heyes (novel by Ernest Lehman) CAM Ralph Woolsey ED Tom Stevens, Jamie Caylor MUS John Addison CAST Jos Ferrer, John Houseman, Carolyn Jones, Richard Jordan, Louis Jourdan, Michelle Phillips, Marie-France Pisier, Donald Pleasence, Telly Savalas, Stella Stevens (Louise Crawford), Shelley Winters, Richard Anderson, Corinne Calvet, Philippe Lotard, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Horst Buchholz, James Coco, IN COLD BLOOD (1996) DIR Jonathan Kaplan PROD Tom Rowe TELEPLAY Benedict Fitzgerald (book In Cold Blood [1966] by Truman Capote) CAM Peter F. Woeste ED Michael D. Ornstein MUS Hummie Mann CAST Anthony Edwards, Eric Roberts, Sam Neill, Kevin Tighe, Gillian Barber, Margot Finley, Louise Latham, Stella Stevens (Hotel Keeper), Ryan Reynolds, Emily Perkins. Girls! with Elvis Presley, which she only agreed to do because she was promised to a Montgomery Clift movie if she did it. And he never overacted; he always was a bit underplaying. Reportedly, Stevens came to regret her association with Playboy, finding the sexpot label confining. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for Jerry Lewis as The Hutty Professor movie ad 1963 Stella Stevens LK at the best online prices at eBay! Girls! I want to die on a movie set.. Stella Stevens, the actress best known for her roles in The Nutty Professor and The Poseidon Adventure and starring opposite Elvis Presley in Girls! I saw (Bob Hope) at 83 cracking jokes and having fun. Strictly's Rachel Stevens opens up about split from husband after 12 years of marriage, Estelle Colored Glass has the most Instagrammable drinkware for your home. I said then that I never wanted to quit. But Im glad I did The Poseidon Adventure. It had a lot of potential, we all saw that. I thought it wasnt such a great idea to play a character by the name of pain. So I went to Jerry and asked him if he could change it, and thats how my character became Stella Purdy, an innocent schoolgirl, and at that time, the most popular actress to play that kind of role was Marilyn Monroe. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but I know he did a lot of rewriting. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and '70s comedies who is perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewis affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewis's affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. It was a very exciting time. She said the support she got from other teams was 'overwhelming. She started acting and modeling during her time at Memphis State University and made her film debut in a minor role in the Bing Crosby musical Say One for Me in 1959, but she considered Lil Abner her big break. You then appeared with Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor (1963). Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Marc J. Francis: Bringing in my documentary experience into the fiction film world, thats what I would like to do, Bilall Fallah: It has always been our dream to work in Hollywood, and were thrilled the dream comes true, Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival. Stevens career wound down in the 1990s as she settled down with the life of her life. Just relax, let it come out, and it would look fine on screen, he told me. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and '70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewis' affection in The Nutty Professor, has died, aged 84. Stevens also produced and directed The American Heroine in 1979 and The Ranch in 1989, but as usual her natural sexual appeal caused issues as most wanted to focus on her appearance over her instructions. Girls! Stevens also appeared in Lil Abner that year. I saw (Bob Hope) at 83 cracking jokes and having fun. It took serious work for the dreamboat to be recognized beyond her looks, but Stevens eventually established herself as a prominent figure in film and television up until the 1990s. All Rights Reserved. 27 in Playboys 100 Sexiest Stars Of The 20th Century.. Mel Torm, Skip Ward, Michael Dante, Robert The Poseidon Adventure [1972] turned out to be your biggest commercial success. Girls! It was a miserable six days of filming, she said, due to the temper of director Norman Taurog, though she said Presley was nice. But it was a very bad experience for me. Her character met a grisly end. Hollywood actress Stella Stevens, who co-starred with Elvis Presley in Girls! Next came The Nutty Professor as Lewis student, Stella Purdy, who he is infatuated with. I didnt want to do the movie, and I was treated pretty badly. Playboy published Stevens as the January 1960 Playmate of the Month, and continued to publish photos of her throughout the 60s. (1968) DIR James Neilson PROD William Frye SCR Blanche Hanalis (characters created by Jane Trahey) CAM Sam Leavitt ED Adrienne Fazan CAST Rosalind Russell, Stella Stevens (Sister George), Binnie Barnes, Mary Wickes, Dolores Sutton, Van Johnson, Susan Saint James, THE MAD ROOM (1969) DIR Bernard Girard PROD Norman Maurer SCR Bernard Girard, A.Z. Soon after, she won the New Star Golden Globe, was named Playboy's Playmate of the Month and got a contract with Paramount Pictures, leading to film work and "Girls! Well, he was nice; he was someone you could talk to. Later the studio dropped her, but she was signed by Paramount. "The head of publicity at Paramount basically made me a worldwide sex symbol," Stevens told FilmTalk in 2017. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images). Girls! She was 84. Begin typing your search above and press return to search. Girls! WebStella Stevens passed away 2023-10-01 in This is the full obituary story where you can express condolences and share memories. Stevens estate said But they were two different people. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. Playboy. It was a very exciting time.. The Clift picture didnt pan out either, at least with her promised co-star. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewis's affection in "The Nutty Professor," has died. Average Retirement Savings By Age: Are You Normal? GIRLS! Hollywood actress Stella Stevens, who co-starred with Elvis Presley in Girls! Very important. Thats what he taught me. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. Stevens estate said Plan your weekend with our picks for the best events, restaurant and movie reviews, TV shows and more. So through the movie, everything that went on, Jerry let me watch him at work and observe as much as I wanted. Her roles continued to grow and she really broke through her limitations as the town prostitute Hildy in the unorthodox western film The Ballad of Cable Hogue. May ED Carroll Sax MUS Raoul Kraushaar, Minette Allton CAST Barbara Feldon, Lance Kerwin, Stacey Nelkin, Carmine Caridi, Christopher Ciampa, Olivia Cole, Stella Stevens (Sherry Malik), Fritz Weaver, Billy Dee Williams, TWIRL (1981) DIR Gus Trikonis PROD Gabriel Grunfeld TELEPLAY Bernard M. Kahn (story by Gabriel Grunfeld, Ken Vrana) CAM Gil Hubbs ED John A. Barton, Thomas Fries MUS Jimmie Haskell CAST Stella Stevens (Carolyn Moore), Charles Haid, Erin Moran, Lisa Whelchel, Edd Byrnes, Sharon Spelman, Matthew Tobin, Heather Locklear, WOMEN OF SAN QUENTIN (1983) DIR William A. Graham PROD R.W. Stevens was also becoming a distinguished name in the television world. Girls! Girls! You made a documentary An American Heroine [1979] and directed The Ranch [1989] with your son Andrew. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Bobby was a very fine actor, but as you can imagine, he was no Montgomery Clift. I was under contract to Paramount in those days. Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and '70s comedies who is perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, died Friday. One of her most famous works with a major celebrity was her role in the 1962 Elvis Presley film Girls! Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. "Bobby was a very fine actor, but as you can imagine, he was no Montgomery Clift," she said. mediafunhouse 1.9K subscribers Subscribe 1K 430K views 16 years ago For more clips like this, and a They had promised her she could star opposite '50s Oscar-winning heartthrob Montgomery Clift in Too Late Blues, but Clift was later replaced for the film. Was it fun to do a disaster movie like this? Her popularity rose even higher in 1972 when she became Detective Lieutenant Mike Rogos former-prostitute wife Linda Rogo for the disaster film The Poseidon Adventure. Through the 1970s and 1980s, Stevens worked steadily in television, also appearing in Hart to Hart, The Love Boat and Wonder Woman, where she played a Nazi judo champ who thought she could take on Lynda Carter's titular heroine. A very fine actor, but as you can imagine, he was sort of my mentor, and was. It all started when I did Lil Abner [ 1959 ] fine actor but... 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