Inger Stevens | |
|---|---|
 Inger Stevens in 1967 | |
| Born | Ingrid Stensland (1934-10-18)October 18, 1934 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Died | April 30, 1970(1970-04-30) (aged 35) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Cremated, Ashes scattered at sea |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1954–1970 |
| Spouses | |
| Awards | Best TV Star (TV Guide) – Female 1964The Farmer's Daughter |
Inger Stevens (bornIngrid Stensland; October 18, 1934 – April 30, 1970)[1] was a Swedish-born American film, stage, andGolden Globe–winning television actress.[2]
Inger Stevens was born in Stockholm, Sweden, the eldest child of Per Gustaf[3] and Lisbet Stensland.[4][5][self-published source] When she was six years old, her mother abandoned the family, taking her youngest son Peter with her. Soon after, 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 onLidingö,[6] an island near Stockholm.[7] In 1944, Stevens and her brother moved to the United States and lived with their father and his new American wife in New York City, where her father was completing his PhD in education atColumbia University. At age 13, Stevens moved with her family toManhattan, Kansas, where her father taught atKansas State University. Stevens attendedManhattan High School.[4]
At 15, Stevens fled toKansas City, where she worked inburlesque shows.[8] At 18, she returned to New York City, where she worked as achorus girl and in theGarment District while taking classes at theActors Studio.[7][9]
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Stevens appeared on television series, in commercials, and in plays until she received her big break in the filmMan on Fire (1957), starringBing Crosby.
Starring roles in major films followed, including oppositeJames Mason andRod Steiger inCry Terror! (1958) and oppositeHarry Belafonte in 1959'sThe World, the Flesh and the Devil, but she achieved her greatest success in the television seriesThe Farmer's Daughter (1963–1966) withWilliam Windom. Previously, Stevens had appeared in episodes ofBonanza,Route 66,The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,The Eleventh Hour,Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre,Sam Benedict,The Aquanauts, andThe Twilight Zone.
Following the cancellation ofThe Farmer's Daughter in 1966, Stevens appeared in several films including:A Guide for the Married Man (1967),Hang 'Em High,5 Card Stud, andMadigan (all released in 1968). Her final theatrical film wasA Dream of Kings (1969) oppositeAnthony Quinn. Her final project was the television film,Run, Simon, Run (1970) withBurt Reynolds. At the time of her death, Stevens was attempting to revive her television career with the detective drama seriesThe Most Deadly Game.[citation needed]
Stevens's first husband was her agent, Anthony Soglio,[10] to whom she was married from 1955 to 1957.
In January 1966, she was appointed to the advisory board of theUCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute by California governorEdmund G. "Pat" Brown. She also was named chairman of the California Council for Retarded Children. Her aunt was Karin Stensland Junker, author ofThe Child in the Glass Ball.[11][12]
After Stevens' death,Ike Jones, the first black graduate of UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television, alleged that he had secretly married Stevens in Mexico in 1961.[13][14] Some doubted Jones' claim because of the lack of a marriage license, the maintenance of separate homes, and the filing of tax documents as single people.[15] However, when Stevens' estate was being settled, her brother, Carl O. Stensland, confirmed in court that Stevens had hidden her marriage to Jones "out of fear for her career."[16] Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner A. Edward Nichols ruled in Jones' favor[17] and named him administrator of her estate.[18] A photograph exists of the two attending a banquet together in 1968.[6]
On the morning of April 30, 1970, Stevens' roommate and companion Lola McNally found Stevens on the kitchen floor of her Hollywood Hills home. According to McNally, Stevens opened her eyes, lifted her head, and tried to speak, but was unable to utter any sound. McNally told police that she had spoken to Stevens the previous night and had seen no signs 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' death to "acutebarbiturate poisoning"[19][20] and the death was eventually ruled a suicide.
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Nominated | Laurel Awards | Top New Female Personality | — |
| 1968 | Nominated | Best Female Comedy Performance | A Guide for the Married Man | |
| 1963 | Won | Golden Globe | Best TV Star – Female | The Farmer's Daughter |
| 1962 | Nominated | Emmy Award | Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role | The Dick Powell Show |
| 1964 | Nominated | Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead) | The Farmer's Daughter |
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Television portalName: Inger S Stevens; Social Security #: 511200818; Sex: Female; Birth Date: 18 Oct 1934; Birthplace: Sweden; Death Date: 30 Apr 1970; Death Place: Los Angeles
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
