IS
Inger Stevens
Actor
Born October 18, 1934Died April 30, 1970 (35 years)
Inger Stevens (born Ingrid Stensland; October 18, 1934 – April 30, 1970)[1] was a Swedish–American film, television, and stage actress.
Stevens was born in Stockholm, Sweden, the eldest child of Per Gustaf and Lisbet Stensland. When she was six years old, her mother abandoned the family (taking her youngest son Peter with her). Soon afterwards Stevens' father moved to the United States, leaving Stevens and her brother, Ola, in the custody of the family maid—and then later with an aunt in Lidingö, near Stockholm. In 1944, she and her brother moved to the United States and lived with their father and his new wife in New York City where he was teaching at Columbia University. At age 13, Stevens moved with her family to Manhattan, Kansas, where her father taught at Kansas State University. Stevens attended Manhattan High School.
At 16, she ran away from home to Kansas City, and worked in burlesque shows. At 18, she left Kansas City to return to New York City, where she worked as a chorus girl and in the Garment District while taking classes at the Actors Studio.
Stevens appeared on television series, in commercials, and in plays until she received her big break in the film Man on Fire, starring Bing Crosby.
Roles in major films followed, including a starring role opposite Harry Belafonte in 1959's The World, the Flesh and the Devil, but she achieved her greatest success in the television series The Farmer's Daughter (1963–1966), with William Windom. Previously, Stevens had appeared in episodes of Bonanza, Route 66, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Eleventh Hour, Sam Benedict The Aquanuts (1960 TV series) and The Twilight Zone.
Following the cancellation of The Farmer's Daughter in 1966, Stevens appeared in several films: A Guide for the Married Man (1967), with Walter Matthau; Hang 'Em High, with Clint Eastwood; 5 Card Stud, with Dean Martin and Robert Mitchum; and Madigan with Henry Fonda and Richard Widmark. At the time of her death, Stevens was attempting to revive her television career with the detective drama series The Most Deadly Game.
Her first husband was her agent Anthony Soglio, to whom she was married from 1955 to 1957.
In January 1966, she was appointed to the Advisory Board of the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute by then-California governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown. She also was named Chairman of the California Council for Retarded Children. Her aunt was Karin Stensland Junker, author of The Child in the Glass Ball.
On the morning of April 30, 1970, Stevens's sometime roommate and companion, Lola McNally, found her on the kitchen floor of her Hollywood Hills home. According to McNally, when she called Stevens's name, she opened her eyes, lifted her head, and tried to speak, but was unable to make any sound. McNally told police that she had spoken to Stevens the previous night and had seen no sign of trouble. Stevens died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. On arrival, medics removed a small bandage from her chin that revealed a small amount of fresh blood oozing from a cut that appeared to have been a few hours old. Los Angeles County Coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi attributed Stevens's death to "acute barbiturate poisoning" that was eventually ruled a suicide.
Stevens was born in Stockholm, Sweden, the eldest child of Per Gustaf and Lisbet Stensland. When she was six years old, her mother abandoned the family (taking her youngest son Peter with her). Soon afterwards Stevens' father moved to the United States, leaving Stevens and her brother, Ola, in the custody of the family maid—and then later with an aunt in Lidingö, near Stockholm. In 1944, she and her brother moved to the United States and lived with their father and his new wife in New York City where he was teaching at Columbia University. At age 13, Stevens moved with her family to Manhattan, Kansas, where her father taught at Kansas State University. Stevens attended Manhattan High School.
At 16, she ran away from home to Kansas City, and worked in burlesque shows. At 18, she left Kansas City to return to New York City, where she worked as a chorus girl and in the Garment District while taking classes at the Actors Studio.
Stevens appeared on television series, in commercials, and in plays until she received her big break in the film Man on Fire, starring Bing Crosby.
Roles in major films followed, including a starring role opposite Harry Belafonte in 1959's The World, the Flesh and the Devil, but she achieved her greatest success in the television series The Farmer's Daughter (1963–1966), with William Windom. Previously, Stevens had appeared in episodes of Bonanza, Route 66, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Eleventh Hour, Sam Benedict The Aquanuts (1960 TV series) and The Twilight Zone.
Following the cancellation of The Farmer's Daughter in 1966, Stevens appeared in several films: A Guide for the Married Man (1967), with Walter Matthau; Hang 'Em High, with Clint Eastwood; 5 Card Stud, with Dean Martin and Robert Mitchum; and Madigan with Henry Fonda and Richard Widmark. At the time of her death, Stevens was attempting to revive her television career with the detective drama series The Most Deadly Game.
Her first husband was her agent Anthony Soglio, to whom she was married from 1955 to 1957.
In January 1966, she was appointed to the Advisory Board of the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute by then-California governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown. She also was named Chairman of the California Council for Retarded Children. Her aunt was Karin Stensland Junker, author of The Child in the Glass Ball.
On the morning of April 30, 1970, Stevens's sometime roommate and companion, Lola McNally, found her on the kitchen floor of her Hollywood Hills home. According to McNally, when she called Stevens's name, she opened her eyes, lifted her head, and tried to speak, but was unable to make any sound. McNally told police that she had spoken to Stevens the previous night and had seen no sign of trouble. Stevens died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. On arrival, medics removed a small bandage from her chin that revealed a small amount of fresh blood oozing from a cut that appeared to have been a few hours old. Los Angeles County Coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi attributed Stevens's death to "acute barbiturate poisoning" that was eventually ruled a suicide.
Filmography
| 1990 | Death in Hollywood · as (archive Footage) |
| 1970 | Run, Simon, Run · as Carroll Rennard |
| 1970 | Most Deadly Game (TV Series) · as Vanessa Smith |
| 1969 | A Dream of Kings · as Anna |
| 1968 | 5 Card Stud · as Lily Langford |
| 1968 | House of Cards · as Anne De Villemont |
| 1968 | Hang 'Em High · as Rachel Warren |
| 1968 | Madigan · as Julia Madigan |
| 1968 | Firecreek · as Evelyn Pittman |
| 1967 | A Time for Killing · as Emily Biddle |
| 1967 | A Guide for the Married Man · as Ruth Manning |
| 1967 | The Borgia Stick · as Eve Harrison |
| 1964 | The New Interns · as Nancy Terman |
| 1963 | The Farmer's Daughter (TV Series) · as Katy Holstrum |
| 1962 | The Eleventh Hour (TV Series) · as Christine Warren |
| 1962 | The Doctors and the Nurses (TV Series) · as Clarissa Robin |
| 1962 | Empire (TV Series) · as Ellen Thompson |
| 1962 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV Series) · as Karen Wilson |
| 1962 | Sam Benedict (TV Series) |
| 1961 | The Dick Powell Show (TV Series) · as Anna Beza |
| 1961 | Follow The Sun (TV Series) · as Abby Ellis |
| 1960 | |
| 1960 | Checkmate (TV Series) · as Betty Lyons |
| 1960 | The Aquanauts (TV Series) · as Margot Allison |
| 1960 | Moment of Fear (TV Series) · as Nancy Derringer |
| 1960 | Hong Kong (TV Series) · as Joan Blakely |
| 1959 | The Detectives (1959) (TV Series) |
| 1959 | Hawaiian Eye (TV Series) |
| 1959 | Adventures in Paradise (TV Series) · as Dr. Britta Sjostrom |
| 1959 | The Twilight Zone (TV Series) · as Nan Adams |
| 1959 | Sunday Showcase (TV Series) · as Nina Kay |
| 1959 | |
| 1959 | The World, the Flesh and the Devil · as Sarah Crandall |
| 1958 | The Buccaneer · as Annette Claiborne |
| 1958 | Cry Terror! · as Joan Molner |
| 1957 | Man on Fire · as Nina Wylie |
| 1957 | The DuPont Show of the Month (TV Series) · as Princess Flavia |
| 1956 | Zane Grey Theatre (TV Series) · as Beth Watkins |
| 1956 | Playhouse 90 (TV Series) · as Gail Lucas |
| 1955 | Matinee Theater (TV Series) |
| 1955 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series) · as Laura Ross |
| 1955 | The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial (TV Series) · as Ruth |
| 1955 | The Millionaire (TV Series) · as Betty Perkins |
| 1954 | Climax! (TV Series) · as Marge |
| 1952 | Mister Peepers (TV Series) · as Tracey Brown |
| 1951 | Goodyear Television Playhouse (TV Series) · as Jana |
| 1950 | Danger (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1950 | The Armstrong Circle Theatre (TV Series) |
| 1950 | |
| 1949 | I Remember Mama (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1948 | Studio One (TV Series) · as Mary |
| 1947 | Kraft Television Theatre (TV Series) · as Cast |