Jennifer Billingsley

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Jennifer Billingsley
Jennifer Billingsley.png
Billingsley in 1972
Born
Jennifer Irwin Billingsley

May 14, 1940
OccupationActress
Years active1962–1979 [1]
SpouseStephen N. Gerlach (a.k.a. Jesse Lee Kincaid) (divorced)

Jennifer Billingsley is a retired American television and film actress.

Contents

Early years

The daughter of Army Col. Claude Augustus Billingsley, [2] she was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, [3] and relocated often as an "Army brat," attending schools in Vienna and Chicago, [4] and graduating with honors from Fort Smith Senior High School in Arkansas. She has one sister. [5]

Career

Billingsley's stage debut came in Detroit, Michigan, and she debuted on Broadway in the musical Carnival! [4] Her film debut came as James Caan's girlfriend in the 1964 thriller, Lady in a Cage , and she appeared in the romantic drama, The Young Lovers that same year. She had a recurring role on the daytime soap opera, General Hospital and prominent roles in such films as The Spy with My Face (1965), C.C. and Company (1970), Brute Corps (1971), Welcome Home, Soldier Boys (1972), White Lightning (1973), The Thirsty Dead (1974) and Hollywood Man (1976).

Billingsley's guest spots on TV included Cimarron Strip , Naked City , Gunsmoke , Route 66 , The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet , Dr. Kildare , The Lieutenant , Wagon Train , The Man from U.N.C.L.E. , Mannix , The F.B.I. , Hawaii Five-O , Police Story , Alice , Baretta , and The Amazing Spider-Man .

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1962 Naked City HelenSeason 3 Episode 17 "One of the Most Important Men in the Whole World"
1962 Ten Girls Ago DollinaTV Movie 32m
1962 Route 66 JanieSeason 3 Episode 11 "Hey, Moth, Come Eat the Flame"
1963 General Hospital Pollie PrenticeSeason 1
1963 Dr. Kildare Ruby CullenSeason 3 Episode 2 "The Good Samaritan"
1963 Gunsmoke LeahSeason 9 Episode 6 "My Sister's Keeper"
1964 The Greatest Show on Earth MarieSeason 1 Episode 20 "Man in a Hole"
1964 The Lieutenant Ginny McBainSeason 1 Episode 27 "Mother Enemy"
1964 Death Valley Days Janet WilgusSeason 12 Episode 22 "Trial at Belle's Springs"
1964 Lady in a Cage ElaineNot Rated

1h 34m

1964 Vacation Playhouse Jo Anne SmithSeason 2 Episode 4 "I and Claudie"
1964 The Young Lovers ElaineApproved

1h 49m

1964 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. TaffySeason 1 Episode 8 "The Double Affair"
1965 Wagon Train Eloise Blee/ Betsy BleeSeason 8 Episode 22 "The Betsy Blee Smith Story"
1965 The Spy with My Face TaffyNot Rated

1h 28m

1965 O.K. Crackerby! Tish KranepoolSeason 1 Episode 6 "The Saint John Raid"
1965 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. First ModelSeason 1 Episode 8 "The Adriatic Express Affair"
1965 The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet BlondeSeason 13 Episode 23 "Breakfast for Harriet"
1966 The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Tickle FeatherSeason 14 Episode 17 "Wally's Traffic Ticket"
1966 The Rounders BonnieSeason 1 Episode 1 "A Horse on Jim Ed Love"
1967 Mannix Audrey ChalmersSeason 1 Episode 11 "A Catalogue of Sins"
1968 Cimarron Strip JosieSeason 1 Episode 18 "Knife in the Darkness"
1970 Hawaii Five-O Annette BarnesSeason 2 Episode 21 "Most Likely to Murder"
1970 C.C. & Company Pom PomR

1h 34m

1971 Brute Corps TerryR

1h 27m

1971 The F.B.I. Wanda MooreSeason 6 Episode 26 "Three-Way Split"
1971 The F.B.I. Mavis BarretSeason 7 Episode 6 "The Mastermind: Part 1"
1971 Welcome Home Soldier Boys BroadR

1h 31m

1972 The Rookies Jill DankoSeason 1 Episode 0 "Pilot"
1973 White Lightning (1973 film) LouPG

1h 41m

1973 The New Perry Mason Elsa CollinsSeason 1 Episode 12 "The Case of the Perilous Pen"
1974 Police Story LorraineSeason 1 Episode 12 "Countdown: Part 1"
1974 Police Story LorraineSeason 1 Episode 13 "Countdown: Part 2"
1974 The Thirsty Dead LauraPG

1h 28m

1976 Alice Gertrude TurnerSeason 1 Episode 3 "A Piece of the Rock"
1976 Hollywood Man LauraNot Rated

1h 47m

1976 Baretta DancerSeason 3 Episode 10 "Nothin' for Nothin'"
1979 The Amazing Spider-Man Bonita GraySeason 2 Episode 5 "Photo Finish'"

Personal life

Billingsley married Stephen N. Gerlach, better known as musician Jesse Lee Kincaid, who played classical guitar and composed music. The union later ended in divorce. [3]

Trivia

   An army brat who grew up around the world, Billingsley graduated with honors from Fort Smith Senior High School in Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1958.
   In 1961, newspapers had her romantically linked with both John Strasberg of the Strasberg Actors Studio dynasty, French director Henri-Georges Clouzot, and French actor Pierre Olaf, with whom she starred in the original Broadway cast of the musical Carnival that had opened that year.
   In March 1962, newspapers announced she was going to marry actor Andrew Prine and that she had been replaced in her long-running role in Carnival. However, that May, it was reported that in March, Prine had married actress Sharon Farrell.

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References

  1. Cochran, Robert; McCray, Suzanne (2015). Lights! Camera! Arkansas!: From Broncho Billy to Billy Bob Thornton. University of Arkansas Press. pp. 50–51. ISBN   978-1557286727.
  2. Lewis, Richard Warren (December 22, 1968). "She Takes Her Troubles Home". The Milwaukee Journal. Los Angeles Times News Service.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. 1 2 "Biography Of Series Star". The Daily Herald. Utah, Provo. March 11, 1968. p. 18 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. 1 2 Morehouse, Ward (June 23, 1961). "Caviar Is Not For Her". Hobbs Daily News-Sun. New Mexico, Hobbs. North America Newspaper Alliance. p. 8 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  5. "Grizzly Article Page 01". fshs58.com. Retrieved 2016-09-24.

Further reading