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Paula Prentiss
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Texas native Paula Prentiss was the daughter of an Italian-born oil company labor relations man. Her reputation as a cut-up at Virginia's Randolph Macon School would haunt her in "I knew her when" magazine articles for the rest of her life. She buckled down long enough to study drama at Northwestern University, where she met future husband Richard Benjamin. In 1960, Prentiss was signed by MGM, which groomed her for stardom in such films as Where the Boys Are (1960), The Honeymoon Machine (1961), and The Horizontal Lieutenant (1963). Her unique comic gifts and offbeat personality would seem to make her more suited to screwball supporting parts than romantic leads, though she's certainly had her share of both. In 1967, Prentiss co-starred with husband Dick Benjamin in He and She, a TV sitcom which, despite low ratings, accrued a loyal cult following. She continued popping up in excellent film roles into the 1980s, as well as appearing in TV movies like MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (1983).
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Paula Prentiss is an American actress best known for her comic roles in cinema and television of the 1960s and ‘70s. She was most immediately recognized for her Southern accent and tall stature. Among the most notable films she acted in are Where the Boys Are (1960), The Stepford Wives (1975) and The Parallax View (1974)
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A vivacious brunette comic player, Paula Prentiss began in lightweight, coquettish roles in the 1960s and shifted to more meaty dramatic fare in the 70s before curtailing her career in favor of raising a family. The daughter of an Italian immigrant and his wife, Prentiss graduated from the famed acting program at Northwestern University. Spotted by talent scouts, she was put under contract at MGM, where she was frequently partnered onscreen with Jim Hutton, beginning with her debut feature "Where the Boys Are" (1960)....
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Paula Prentiss debuted in the Spring Break classic Where the Boys Are (1960). Where are the boys? Anywhere that brunette beauty Paula is! Not surprisingly, she reached the heights of superstardom shortly thereafter, landing parts in such screwball comedies as The Honeymoon Machine (1961), Bachelor in Paradise (1961), and The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962). After a stint on the television series He & She … Join Mr. Skin to read her entire Biography
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Paula Prentiss was born on 4th March, 1938 as Paula Ragusa to parents of Sicilian origin in San Antonio, Texas. When studying at the Northwestern University, she was discovered by a talent scout in 1958 and subsequently signed on by the Metro Goldwyn Mayer banner. Paula starred in a string of comedies where she was often teamed with actor Jim Hutton who was similarly tall in stature. Among her most popular films of this time are Where the Boys Are, The Honeymoon Machine, Bachelor in Paradise and The Horizontal Lieutenant. Her Southern drawl, funny voice inflexions, free acting style and brunette good looks soon established her as one of the leading comic actresses of the times. Paula Prentiss was good in dramatic roles too though she never received as much recognition and success.
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Discovered by a talent scout at Northwestern University in 1958, Paula Prentiss was signed by Metro Goldwyn Mayer and teamed with Jim Hutton in a string of comedies. She rapidly became one of the best American comediennes of the 60's. Her funny voice inflexions, free acting style and brunette good looks established her as a leading lady in comedies of the screwball type, although she is very good at dramatic roles, too. Not much attracted to the Hollywood scene, she has retired from films on several occasions, due ... to illness and motherhood, but she is always admired and welcome whenever she makes a comeback. She and husband director Richard Benjamin are the parents of Ross Benjamin and Prentiss Benjamin.
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Paula Prentiss