It’s an honor to be among the most photographed women of the 20th century. And regarded as one of the sexiest stars of the 20th century. Stella Stevens has these titles in her resume as a model. As an actress, she played so many roles that turn up to be hits so much that it is hard to omit any. And there are many things about this star you should know, so we sum them up into three.
1. Stella Stevens was born in Yazoo City Mississippi
Stella Stevens was in Yazoo City Mississippi USA on October 1, 1938, in Yazoo City, Mississippi, USA, to an insurance salesman Thomas Ellett Eggleston and his wife Dovey Estelle (née Caro) who is a nurse. Stella is the only child of her parents and her birth name was Estelle Eggleston. Her parents moved the family to Memphis, Tennessee when she was four years old.
She attended St. Anne’s Catholic School on Highland Street and Sacred Heart School on Jefferson Avenue. She graduated from the Memphis Evening School at Memphis Tech High School in 1995.
The actress enrolled at Memphis State College to complete her education. It was at Memphis State College that she fell in love with acting and modeling. While she was getting ready for the runway, she played a role in a college play “Bus Stop” which singled her out as the next big thing in the entertainment world as there was so much positive feedback including one from the Memphis Press-Scimitar.
The actress launched her modeling career almost immediately she made her acting debut and was the first person to be captured for a formal portrait by the light of a single candle and several reflectors for the cover of a photography magazine with the new Kodak Ektachrome film.
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Her modeling career was not just about photographs kept in an album, her pictures made it to the Playboy magazine in 1965 and 1968. She was also Playboy magazine’s Playmate of the Month at some point in the 1960s. Her romance with Playboy magazine continued to flourish as she was named in Playboy magazine’s 100 Sexiest Stars of the 20th Century where she appeared at number 27. She was one of the most photographed women in the world during the 20th century. Stella Stevens was/is that beautiful.
She is currently 81 years old.
2. She played a role in “The Nutty Professor”
Stella Stevens played the role of Stella Purdy in the comic science fiction film “The Nutty Professor” in 1963. The film tells the story of a university professor whose experiments in the classroom laboratory are unsuccessful and highly destructive. When he became a girl-chasing hipster, he started making advances at one of his students Stella Purdy (Stella Stevens) who resented his love at first.
The film received positive ratings and it also performed very well at the box office. It was later selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Stella however, made her acting debut in the musical film “Say One for Me” as Chorine in 1959. Her role won her the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year. She played the role of Robin Gartner in the musical comedy-film “Girls! Girls! Girls!” appearing alongside singer and actor Elvis Presley, a role she resented but had to play in order not to be fired by Paramount Pictures.
She signed for Columbia pictures thereafter and began another chapter in her acting career as she portrayed various roles in films and television series like “Wonder Woman” “Police Story” and “The Love Boat”.
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Stella was also a dominant force in the theater genre of the show business. She was in the theater play “The Odd Couple” as Oscar Madison. She was a member of a voice vocal ensemble called “The Skip-Jacks.” They were known for performing the theme songs for the television programs “The Flintstones” and “The Patty Duke Show”.
The actress retired from acting in 2010 after six decades of shaking hands with the who’s who in Hollywood.
3. Stella Stevens was married to Noble Herman Stephens
Stella Stevens married electrician Noble Herman Stevens on December 1, 1954, when she was 16 years of age. It would have been tagged child marriage if it happened in the 21st century. The union produced one child named Herman Andrew Stephens who is now in the show business as an actor/producer. Stella and Noble’s marriage ended in 1957 in a divorce but Stella and her son retained Noble’s surname.
Although she never remarried, she started dating rock guitarist Bob Kulick in 1983. Bob moved into her Beverly Hills home. They lived together for several years until they finally sold the home in 2015 when Stella Stevens was about to be checked into a nursing home in Los Angeles. Currently, she is battling dementia and Bob who has been by her side since the 80s goes to see her from time to time.
Stella Stevens has a net worth of 10 million dollars.
Image Source: Zimbio
