1972 Miss World - Miss USA Lynda Carter; Miss San Diego, Priscilla Barnes; and Miss Maryland, Betty Jo Grove spread Christmas cheer with Bob Hope at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD.
While working as a hostess at a Hollywood nightclub, Barnes posed nude for the "Pet of the Month" photo layout in the March 1976 issue of Penthouse magazine under the pseudonym Joann Witty. Penthouse later wanted to republish the photos under Barnes' real name in 1982 after she had become famous for Three's Company. The issue was argued in court, as Penthouse wanted a judge to rule on the legality of publishing the pictures using Barnes' real name. The case involved a handwritten addendum to the standard model release contract that all models sign. When Penthouse lost the initial case, it appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The appellate court mostly sided with Barnes and ruled that the handwritten addendum was legally binding, precluding Penthouse from republishing the photos using Barnes' real name.[2]
In 1981, Barnes was cast as Terri Alden on the ABC sitcom Three's Company after Jenilee Harrison served as interim replacement to Suzanne Somers, who had left the series as a result of contractual dispute with producers. The part, which is Barnes' most notable role, brought her instant public recognition.[1][3] Barnes initially auditioned for the role of Chrissy Snow in 1976 but lost the part to Somers.[citation needed] She stayed with the show through the series finale in 1984, appearing in a total of 70 episodes.
In the 1998 TV program E! True Hollywood Story, Barnes called Three's Company the "three worst years" of her life. She revealed that after shooting the first few episodes, she felt "uncomfortable" on the set, mostly because of tension among the cast members, and unsuccessfully petitioned the producers to release her from her contract.[4] Barnes has retained her friendship with costars Joyce DeWitt and Richard Kline, with whom she has made public appearances.[5] Barnes was portrayed by actress Anne Ross in the 2003 television movie Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company.[1]
Later career
In 1982, Barnes starred in the Aaron Spelling made-for-television film The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch. After Three's Company was canceled by ABC in 1984, Barnes accepted guest-starring roles on television shows such as Hotel, Murder, She Wrote and Highway to Heaven. In 1987, she starred in the pilot for the sitcom She's the Sheriff, playing the title role. Barnes later left the project and was replaced by Suzanne Somers.[6] The following year, Barnes returned in a starring role in the action comedy Traxx opposite Shadoe Stevens.
In 2014, Barnes was cast in a recurring role as Magda Andel, the mother of Petra (played by Yael Grobglas), in the CW comedy-drama series Jane the Virgin.[10] The series ended in 2019 after five seasons. Barnes appeared in a total of 41 episodes. In 2019, Barnes appeared in the Bloomington Playwrights Project's production of Christy Hall's To Quiet the Quiet.[11]
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