Paula Prentiss

Paula Prentiss

Birth name: Paula Ragusa
Born: March 4, 1938
Age: 86
Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
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Biography

Paula Prentiss (born Paula Ragusa; March 4, 1938) is an American actress best known for her film roles in Where the Boys Are, Man's Favorite Sport?, The Stepford Wives, What's New Pussycat?, The Black Marble, and The Parallax View, and the cult television series He & She.

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Early life

Prentiss was born Paula Ragusa in San Antonio, Texas, the daughter of Paulene (née Gardner) and Thomas J. Ragusa, a Social Sciences professor at San Antonio's University of the Incarnate Word, who was of Sicilian descent.

Before high school, Paula, who grew to 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), was always the tallest person in class. She attended Lamar High School in Houston, Texas. In 1958 while studying drama at Northwestern University, she met future husband Richard Benjamin, who impressed her with his sophistication and height (he was taller than she was). While attending Northwestern she was discovered by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and was offered a film contract.

Career

Prentiss first became known as a comedic actress in the early 1960s with such films as Where the Boys Are, The Honeymoon Machine, Bachelor in Paradise, and The Horizontal Lieutenant. In all four films Prentiss was paired with the 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) actor Jim Hutton, as they were the two tallest male and female contract players at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

She continued to star in comedies later with Rock Hudson in Man's Favorite Sport?, in The World of Henry Orient and What's New, Pussycat? with Peter Sellers, in Last of the Red Hot Lovers with Alan Arkin, in Move with Elliott Gould, and in director Billy Wilder's last film, Buddy Buddy, with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. She also appeared in the war films Catch-22 and In Harm's Way, the thriller The Parallax View with Warren Beatty and the horror cult-classic The Stepford Wives, based on Ira Levin's novel.

For one season (1967-1968), Prentiss co-starred with her husband, Richard Benjamin, in the CBS sitcom He & She. Although not a big ratings success, the stylish series was considered ahead of its time in humor and sophistication. Prentiss was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Comedy.

Except for brief cameo roles, Prentiss has not appeared in a feature film for more than 30 years. Although retired from cinema, she frequently performs in theater productions.

Personal life

Prentiss and actor/director Richard Benjamin wed on October 26, 1961. In 1965 while filming What's New, Pussycat in Paris, Prentiss suffered a nervous breakdown which kept her out of films for five years, returning to work with Benjamin in the short-lived television series, He & She. The couple appeared together in such films as Catch-22 (1970) and Saturday the 14th (1981), the TV movies No Room to Run (made in Australia) and Packin' It In, as well as various plays. Benjamin also directed Prentiss in a brief appearance in Mrs. Winterbourne.

Family

Prentiss and Benjamin have two adult children, Ross and Prentiss. Ann Prentiss, Paula's deceased younger sister, was also an actress, and died in prison, having been convicted of threats directed towards her father and brother in-law.

Filmography

Film and Television
Year Title Role Notes
1960 Where the Boys Are Tuggle Carpenter Laurel Award for Best Female Comedy Performance
Nominated—Top Female New Personality
1961 The Honeymoon Machine Pam Dunstan
Bachelor in Paradise Linda Delavane
1962 The Horizontal Lieutenant Molly Blue
1963 Follow the Boys Toni Denham
1964 Man's Favorite Sport? Abigail Page
The World of Henry Orient Stella Dunnworthy
Looking for Love Paula Prentiss Cameo as herself
1965 In Harm's Way Bev McConnel
What's New Pussycat Liz
1967-1968 He & She Paula Hollister 26 episodes
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
1970 Catch-22 Nurse Duckett
Move Dolly Jaffe
1971 Born to Win Veronica
1972 Last of the Red Hot Lovers Bobbi Michele
The Couple Takes a Wife Barbara Hamilton
1974 Crazy Joe Anne
The Parallax View Lee Carter
1975 The Stepford Wives Bobbie Markowe
1977 Having Babies II Trish Canfield
1978 No Room to Run Terry McKenna
1979 Friendships, Secrets and Lies Sandy
1980 The Black Marble Sgt. Natalie Zimmerman
Top of the Hill Norma Ellsworth Cully
Saturday Night Live Herself—Host Episode: Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss/The Grateful Dead
1981 Saturday the 14th Mary
Buddy Buddy Celia Clooney
1983 Packin' It In Dianne Webber
1992 Murder, She Wrote Leonora Holt Episode: Incident in Lot #7
1995 Burke's Law Carla Martinet Episode: Who Killed the Hollywood Headshrinker?
1996 Mrs. Winterbourne Maternity Nurse cameo
2007 Hard Four Sweet Cherrie

[ Source: Wikipedia ]


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