Barbara Parkins

Barbara Parkins is a Canadian-American former actress who also sang and danced. Born in Vancouver, she moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and trained at the Falcon School in acting, tap, ballet, and fencing. She began as a backup singer and dancer in nightclub acts for stars like George Burns, then made her film debut in the low-budget 1961 crime caper 20,000 Eyes and appeared on series such as Leave It to Beaver and Perry Mason. ABC's Peyton Place gave her lead billing as Betty Anderson, a part nearly dropped until viewers responded warmly; it brought her a 1966 Emmy nomination for Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She played Anne Welles in Valley of the Dolls (1967), which critics disliked but became a cult hit. After moving to England, she starred in Shout at the Devil (1976), The Mephisto Waltz (1971), and Puppet on a Chain (1970), and later appeared on American television in series like Fantasy Island.