Biography
Zeme Lou North was born in 1938 to Mr. and Mrs. Walter North of Corpus Christi, Texas. Unbeknownst to them, their daughter would become truly remarkable. From the age of two-and-a-half, when she gave her first performance, dance became central to Zeme's life. Due to walking pigeon-toed and flatfooted, her mother enrolled her in ballet classes to strengthen her arches and stretch her leg muscles. Although a California dance instructor once told Zeme she lacked the typical dancer's physique, she proved this wrong through determination. By age ten, her arches were fully corrected, and she continued dancing throughout her school years, eventually teaching classes herself.
At W.B. Ray High School, Zeme studied dramatics and sang with the school's dance band, as well as participating in an Episcopal church choir. She graduated as an honor student in 1955, ranking 14th out of 500 students after completing high school in just three years. Her first major break into show business came in Dallas and State Fair musicals, performing in productions like "Can Can" and "Showboat." With earnings in hand, Zeme moved to New York, where she faced challenges securing roles due to her inexperience. She modeled teen clothing despite her petite stature of 5’2” and appeared in advertisements for General Electric and Dupont.
Zeme's first significant job was as a member of the renowned June Taylor Dancers in the Automobile Industrial Show. She made her national TV debut on The Ed Sullivan Show on April 27, 1958, singing a duet with Sal Mineo. Other TV appearances included The Jackie Gleason Show, Sing Along with guest Bobby Darin, and serving as Miss County Fair on Bert Parks' County Fair in December 1958.
Seeking to improve her acting, Zeme attended Columbia University and trained at the prestigious Berghof Studio. Her efforts led to her first acting role on the NBC sitcom Too Young to Go Steady in 1959. That same year, she appeared on Broadway in "Take Me Along," her only Broadway production. In January 1960, Broadway producer Frank Loesser cast her as "Dorrie" in "Greenwillow," choosing her over 100 actresses due to her youthful appearance, despite Ellen McCown already playing the role. However, the show struggled on the road, and Zeme was replaced by McCown.
Undeterred, Zeme received acclaim for her performances in the off-Broadway production "Fiorello." In 1961, she moved to Hollywood to pursue acting, landing her first role as "Tina," a carhop on 77 Sunset Strip in the episode "Brass Ring Caper" (1962). She acted in "Blues for the Left Foot" (1962) and her first film, "Zotz!" (1962), which premiered the same day she guest-starred in "The Madame Sagittarius Story" (1962).
1963 marked a significant year with guest roles on three TV shows, including "Uncaged." When producers suggested horseback riding alongside Fabian, Zeme, who had never ridden a horse, declined politely, surprising them as they assumed all Texans could ride. She also appeared in her second and final film, "Palm Springs Weekend" (1963), earning high praise from director Norman Taurog.
In 1964, Zeme delivered one of her best performances in "The Case of the Bountiful Beauty," portraying 20-year-old bestselling novelist Deborah Dearborn with depth and emotional intensity. That year she also guest-starred on "Rawhide" and "Bonanza." In 1965, she appeared again on "My Three Sons" and on "The Legend of Jesse James."
In 1966, Zeme secured a coveted regular TV role as "Judy Kimball," girlfriend to the lead in "The Double Life of Henry Phyfe," which replaced the struggling "O.K. Crackerby!" on ABC. Unfortunately, the show was canceled after one season. She made one final guest appearance on the CBS sitcom "Run Buddy Run" (1966) before retiring from acting.
Zeme Lou North was a pioneer among actresses from Corpus Christi, paving the way for future talents like Farrah Fawcett and inspiring others to pursue careers in acting.
