1. Barbara Parkins was born on May 22,1942 and is a Canadian-American former actress, singer, dancer and photographer.
15 Facts About Barbara Parkins
1. 2.
Barbara Parkins began her career as a backup singer and dancer in the nightclub acts of stars like comedian George Burns.
3.
Barbara Parkins made her film debut in the 1961 low-budget crime caper 20,000 Eyes, and guest-starred in television series such as Leave It to Beaver, The Untouchables, Perry Mason and The Wide Country.
4.
Barbara Parkins was involved in two of the most highly publicized projects of the 1960s, the ABC primetime serial Peyton Place, and the film adaptation of Jacqueline Susann's best-selling novel, Valley of the Dolls.
5.
In Peyton Place, Barbara Parkins received lead billing for her role as small-town bad girl Betty Anderson.
6.
The character was scripted to die in a car crash six weeks into the season, but audience reaction to Barbara Parkins was overwhelmingly favorable and her character was kept in the story line.
7.
Barbara Parkins was the only leading cast member nominated for an award throughout the run of the series.
8.
Barbara Parkins said while losing the award was painful, she was glad to have lost it to Stanwyck instead of Anne Francis, who was nominated and whose work Barbara Parkins thought was "unfeminine".
9.
In Valley of the Dolls, Barbara Parkins played Anne Welles, a character based on author Susann.
10.
Barbara Parkins posed for nude pictorials in the May 1967, February 1970 and May 1976 editions of Playboy magazine.
11.
Barbara Parkins appeared in television films, including To Catch a King, in which she portrayed the Duchess of Windsor, and opposite Sharon Stone in Calendar Girl Murders.
12.
Barbara Parkins returned to the role of Betty Anderson in Peyton Place: The Next Generation, a one-shot sequel to the series.
13.
In 1991, Barbara Parkins starred in Canadian mystery series Scene of the Crime.
14.
Barbara Parkins appeared in two Susann-inspired projects, the biography Scandalous Me and a segment of the Lifetime series Intimate Portrait.
15.
In 2006, Barbara Parkins participated with Ted Casablanca on the audio commentary for the DVD release of Valley of the Dolls.