How did Stella Stevens die? 'The Nutty Professor' star who regretted working in 'Playboy' dies at 84
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The 'Girls! Girls! Girls' actress Stella Stevens, who starred opposite Elvis Presley, has died in Los Angeles, confirmed her 67-year-old son, producer, and actor, Andrew Stevens, and added that for "quite some time," she had been in hospital. She was 84.
Stevens, who died on Friday, February 17, rose to fame through her roles in 'The Poseidon Adventure,' and 'The Nutty Professor.' Born in 1938 in Mississippi, the actress shifted to Tennessee, and during her study at the Memphis State College, she developed an interest in modeling and acting.
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How did Stella Stevens die?
Stevens died in Los Angeles after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. She was shifted to an Alzheimer's care facility in Los Angeles to treat her stage 7 disease, reported Daily Mail. The actress worked on her interest in acting after she took part in a collegiate play. In 1959, she made her debut film 'Say One For Me.' In 1960, the film won her the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year – Actress.
Stevens' career in Hollywood
Stevens regretted her work in Playboy where she appeared thrice for pictorials and in January 1960, she was 'Playmate of the Month.' According to Deadline, she once said, "I did the best I could with the tools I had and the opportunities given me. I was a divorced mom with a toddler by the time I was 17, and Playboy did as much harm as it helped. But in spite of that rough start, I did OK."
Adding to her list of regrets, Stevens admitted she never wanted to star opposite Hollywood's big names, including the King of Rock and Roll. In an interview with Bright Lights in 2004, she said, “Girls! Girls! Girls!’ was not a good experience. I was sent the script by Paramount to read. And I thought, 'Hm, he’s from Memphis, and so am I. That’s a good idea to put us together.’ So I read the script. I wound up throwing it across the room! I thought, ‘What a piece of s–t. I’m not going to be in this.’ "
She recalled going back to Paramount and telling them "I’m sorry, but I’m not going to be in this. And they said, ‘Young lady, you are going to do this picture or be put on suspension, and you will not be able to work here or anywhere else — you will not be able to make any money.' "
Not wanting such a fate for her career, Stevens told the studio that she and her baby will be left starving and then eventually took up the role after she learned that it would only take six days to film her part. “So I did my six days’ work, and said, 'Whew, now I’m done with that,' " she said.
She has also worked with Glenn Ford in three films, 'Rage', 'Advance to the Rear' and 'The Courtship of Eddie's Father', with Bobby Darin in the film 'Too Late Blue' and with Dean Martin in the movie 'How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life'. She made her appearances in miniseries and television series including 'The Commish', 'Ben Casey', 'General Hospital', 'Bonanza', and 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents'.
Stevens' life outside Hollywood
At the age of 16, Stevens married Noble Herman Stephens in 1954 and divorced in 1957. The couple shared a son, Herman Andrew. In 1983, she began her long-term relationship with Bob Kulick, the guitarist with whom she lived for many years. The actress was later shifted to an Alzheimer's care facility where she was often visited by Kulick until his death in May 2020, reported New York Post.
Stevens is survived by her son Andrew and her three grandchildren, Samuel Stevens, 2, and Amelia and Aubrey Stevens, 20.