Priscilla Barnes
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Priscilla Barnes
Biography
The daughter of an Air Force career officer, Priscilla Barnes originally dreamed of becoming a dancer--a dream that was dashed when she slipped on the stage of the Hollywood Bowl and broke her leg. Priscilla then took on a series of odd jobs, including a waitress stint at Pips, a private Los Angeles club. There she made the acquaintance of actor Peter Falk who, impressed by Priscilla's all-American good looks and self-deprecating sense of humor, arranged for her to play a bit role on a 1976 Columbo episode. One thing led to another, and Priscilla found herself co-starring in the short-lived TV Charlie's Angels rip-off American Girls (1978). She was better-served with a sizeable supporting role opposite Michael Caine in the 1980 theatrical feature Sunday Lovers. In 1981, Priscilla was handed the unenviable task of replacing pin-up phenomenon Suzanne Somers (whom she'd never met) on the popular ABC sitcom Three's Company. In the light of the well-publicized clashes between Somers and her co-workers, much was made of Priscilla's cooperative nature and team spirit. She remained in her Three's Company role of nurse Teri Alden until the series' cancellation in 1984; she then dived into the Special Guest Star pool, making one-shot appearances on a variety of programs, including the obligatory "mystery killer" gig on Murder She Wrote. One of Priscilla Barnes' post-Three's Company assignments was the part of Hildy Granger on the pilot episode of the syndicated sitcom She's the Sheriff....a part played in the subsequent series by none other than Suzanne Somers! ~ Hal Erickson, RoviFilmography:
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Priscilla Barnes
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Priscilla Barnes
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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (June 2010) |
| Priscilla Barnes | |
|---|---|
 Priscilla Barnes, 2006 |
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| Born | December 7, 1955 [1] Fort Dix, New Jersey, U.S.[2] |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Website | |
| Official site | |
Priscilla Barnes (born December 7, 1955[1]) is an American actress known for her role as nurse Terri Alden on the American television sitcom Three's Company, having been made the permanent replacement for Suzanne Somers. Barnes subsequently made appearances in films such as A Vacation in Hell, the James Bond thriller Licence to Kill, the Kevin Smith comedy Mallrats and the horror film The Devil's Rejects.
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Early life
Barnes was born December 7, 1955[1] in Fort Dix, New Jersey,[2] the third of four children of a father who was a major in the United States Air Force. Her mother was a housewife. Barnes's childhood was marked by a series of moves across various military bases in the United States before her family settled in Lancaster, California. After graduating from Antelope Valley High School at age 17, she relocated to San Diego, working as a waitress and a dancer.[2]
Career
Early career
Barnes' first break came when Bob Hope saw her in a local fashion show and invited her to join his troupe for a 1973 performance at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. She subsequently moved to Los Angeles to attempt a career in show business in earnest. Her second break came at 19 when she met Peter Falk at Pips. Six months later he gave her a one-line part in an episode of Columbo, which led to a series of bit parts in films like The Seniors (1978) and Delta Fox (1979).
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 republished the photos under Barnes' real name. Barnes filed suit, which was appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.[3]
In 1976, she began studying acting with coach Sal Dano, whose students included Tom Selleck, Robert Hays and Catherine Bach. In 1978, she starred in a TV series, The American Girls, which was canceled after seven weeks. Subsequent parts include the horror film Tintorera, and TV shows such as Starsky and Hutch, Kojak, The Rockford Files, The Love Boat, the 1978 TV version of The Time Machine and the 1979 television film A Vacation In Hell, which has gained a cult following over the years.[2] In 1980, Barnes landed a supporting role in Sunday Lovers, a romantic comedy ensemble featuring Gene Wilder, Roger Moore and Kathleen Quinlan.
Three's Company
In 1981, Barnes was cast as Terri Alden on Three's Company after Suzanne Somers left the series after a contractual dispute with producers, and after Jenilee Harrison served as interim replacement Cindy Snow. The part, which is Barnes' most notable role, brought her instant public recognition. In the 1998 TV program E! True Hollywood Story, Barnes called Three's Company the "three worst years" of her life. Barnes revealed that after shooting a couple of episodes of the show, she felt "uncomfortable" on the set and asked, unsuccessfully, to be released from her contract. She remained friends with her co-stars, particularly Joyce DeWitt. The two, along with fellow castmate Richard Kline, made public appearances together.[4] Barnes was portrayed by actress Anne Ross in the 2003 television movie Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company.
Later career
In 1982, Barnes starred in the Aaron Spelling-produced ABC Movie of the Week The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch with Joan Collins and Donny Osmond.
After Three's Company was cancelled by ABC in 1984, Barnes appeared in the 1989 James Bond film Licence to Kill as Della Churchill, the underwater sci-fi/action thriller Lords of the Deep (1989), Traxx with Shadoe Stevens, and in NBC's Perry Mason and the Case of the Reckless Romeo (1993).
Her 1990s feature film appearances include the heroine in Stepfather III (1992), the Kevin Smith comedy Mallrats (1995), the Sean Penn drama The Crossing Guard (1995) opposite Jack Nicholson, and the 1999 comedy Mumford. Her 2000s work includes a memorable performance in the Rob Zombie horror film The Devil's Rejects (2005), the supernatural thrillers Thr3e and The Visitation in (2006) and American Cowslip (2009), starring Val Kilmer and Diane Ladd.
Personal life
Barnes is married to actor Ted Monte. The couple, who wed in 2003, reside in Southern California.[5]
References
- ^ a b c Priscilla Barnes at AllRovi
- ^ a b c d Gritten, David (December 14, 1981). "The New Blonde". People magazine, Vol. 16, No. 24. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20080946,00.htm.
- ^ "PENTHOUSE INTERNATIONAL, LTD. v. Priscilla BARNES". United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit/bulk.resource.org. 1986. http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/792/792.F2d.943.85-6023.html. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
- ^ E! True Hollywood Story: Three's Company, E!, 1998
- ^ "World Premiere for Shrink Rap" MSN, 2003, accessed September 22, 2010
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Mentioned in
60 Miles to Hell: Kojak (TV Episode)
(1978 TV Episode)
Delta Fox
(1977 Adventure Film)
A Vacation in Hell
(1979 Adventure Film)
Final Payback
(1999 Thriller Film)
» More