Biographie
The charming and tireless Connie Stevens brought sparkle to numerous films and TV shows during late 1950s and 1960s Hollywood. Born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingolia in Brooklyn, she is of Italian/Sicilian and Irish heritage, the daughter of Eleanor McGinley and Teddy Stevens (originally Peter Ingolia). After her parents, a band singer and jazz musician, divorced, Connie was raised by her grandparents. She attended Catholic boarding schools during her early years. Inheriting her parents' musical talents, she formed a vocal quartet called "The Foremost" with three men who later joined The Lettermen.
Starting in Hollywood in 1953, Connie created another vocal group, "The Three Debs," while working as an extra in films. She progressed to co-starring roles in several modest teen dramas such as Young and Dangerous (1957), Eighteen and Anxious (1957), The Party Crashers (1958), and Dragstrip Riot (1958). Comedian Jerry Lewis helped launch her career by casting her in his comedy Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958). Subsequently, Warner Bros. signed her for their popular detective series Hawaiian Eye (1959), where she played the lively and attractive "Cricket Blake," a slightly quirky and tomboyish singer/photographer, becoming an instant teen idol. This success led to record deals and hits including "Sixteen Reasons" and the novelty track "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb," a tribute to Edd Byrnes' character on the hit detective show 77 Sunset Strip (1958).
Known for her sexy charm, Connie attempted to expand her image in the 1960s with serious adult dramas, starring in the title role of Susan Slade (1961) and co-leading in Parrish (1961), Palm Springs Weekend (1963), and Two on a Guillotine (1965), though these films received moderate acclaim. Mostly, she remained a familiar face on TV in musical variety shows like The Red Skelton Show and Kraft Music Hall, westerns such as Cheyenne and Maverick, and game shows including Hollywood Squares. She also starred opposite George Burns in the sitcom Wendy and Me (1964) and appeared in light comedies like Never Too Late (1965) and Way... Way Out (1966), again with Jerry Lewis.
In the 1970s, Connie shifted focus back to singing, landing commercial jingles for brands like Ace Hardware while performing in nightclubs and hotels. She eventually established herself as a headliner in Las Vegas. On Broadway, she starred in The Star-Spangled Girl and earned a Theatre World Award in 1967. Comedian Bob Hope frequently included her in his USO tours. She appeared sporadically in films, including the TV movie The Sex Symbol (1974), where she portrayed a tragic Marilyn Monroe-like figure, and lighter roles in Grease 2 (1982) and Back to the Beach (1987), alongside Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Television guest spots on shows such as Murder, She Wrote, The Love Boat, Baywatch, Ellen, the rebooted Burke's Law, It's Garry Shandling's Show, and 8 Simple Rules, as well as a regular role on the short-lived series Starting from Scratch (1988), kept her career active.
Previously married to actor James Stacy, Connie later wed and divorced singer Eddie Fisher. They had two daughters, Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher, both of whom pursued acting careers. As a single mother struggling financially and out of sync with Hollywood, Connie faced serious hardships. However, in the 1990s, her resilient spirit led her to a successful career in infomercials for skincare and makeup products, reversing her financial struggles. Today, as a self-made entrepreneur with her own thriving beauty line, Connie exemplifies the unpredictable nature of show business.
She made a brief comeback in films with notable roles in Love Is All There Is (1996), James Dean: Race with Destiny (1997), Returning Mickey Stern (2002), Double Duty (2009), Just Before I Go (2014), and Search Engines (2016), which starred her daughter Joely. Connie also appeared on television in various guest roles. Honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she was elected secretary-treasurer of the Screen Actors Guild in 2005. After suffering a stroke in 2016, she has mostly stayed out of the public eye but made a brief film return in By the Rivers of Babylon (2018), once again alongside Joely.
