Actor Stella Stevens died aged 84 in Los Angeles on Friday. Her son Andrew Stevens said she was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Who was Stella Stevens?

Stella Stevens was an actor best known for her roles in hits like The Nutty Professor (1963) and Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962).

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She was born on October 1, 1938, in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Her original name at birth was Estelle Eggleston. She was the only child of Estelle (née Caro) Eggleston, a nurse who was occasionally referred to as “Dovey,” and Thomas Ellett Eggleston, an insurance salesman.

In Say One for Me (1959), a mediocre musical produced by and starring Bing Crosby, Stevens made her acting debut as a chorus girl in a supporting role. After six months, Stevens’ agreement with 20th Century Fox was terminated.

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Next, she signed a deal with Paramount Pictures after landing the role of Appassionata Von Climax in the musical Li’l Abner (1959).  For her work in Say One for Me, she received the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress in 1960.

She was Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine in January 1960 and appeared in Playboy pictorials in 1965 and 1968. She was ranked number 27 in Playboy’s list of the 100 sexiest stars of the 20th century.

She appeared in John Cassavetes’ Too Late Blues with Bobby Darin in 1961, and in Girls! Girls! Girls! with Elvis Presley in 1962. She made appearances in two popular comedies the next year. In Jerry Lewis’ The Nutty Professor (1963), she played Stella Purdy, the professor’s student and potential love interest.

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She appeared in John Cassavetes’ Too Late Blues with Bobby Darin in 1961, and in Girls! Girls! Girls! with Elvis Presley in 1962. She made appearances in two popular comedies the next year. In Jerry Lewis’ The Nutty Professor (1963), she played Stella Purdy, the professor’s student and potential love interest.