Nancy Kovack

Nancy Kovack
Publicity still (1963)
Born	(1935-03-11) March 11, 1935 (age 89) Flint, Michigan, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Michigan
Years active	1959–1976
Known for	Jason and the Argonauts Frankie and Johnny Star Trek Bewitched
Spouse	Zubin Mehta (m. 1969)

Nancy Kovack (born March 11, 1935)^[1]^[2] is a retired American film and television actress.

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Early years

Nancy Kovack was born in Flint, Michigan.^[3] Her father, Michael A. Kovack, was the manager of a General Motors plant.^[4]

Career

After working as a model, Kovack became one of the Glee Girls for Jackie Gleason.^[5] She appeared on a number of television series including Bewitched (3 episodes, playing both Darrin Stephens' ex-girlfriend and Samantha Stephens' nemesis, Sheila Sommers and Darrin's Italian client Clio Vanita), Batman (episodes 5 and 6), I Dream of Jeannie, Get Smart,^[6] Perry Mason, 12 O'Clock High, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Invaders (episode "Task Force" (1967)), Burke's Law, Family Affair (episode "Family Plan" (1968)), The Name of the Game, and Hawaii Five-O (episode "Face of the Dragon" (1969)).

She appeared in a key role as a native medicine woman and femme fatale in one of the original Star Trek episodes, "A Private Little War" (1968). In 1969, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for an appearance on Mannix.^[7] In addition to her guest appearances on television programs, Kovack was hostess of the game show Beat the Clock.^[8]

As her profile increased, Kovack began to gain roles in Hollywood movies, most notably as the high priestess Medea in Jason and the Argonauts (1963). She also had roles in Strangers When We Meet (1960) with Kirk Douglas and Kim Novak, Diary of a Madman (1963) with Vincent Price, The Outlaws Is Coming (1965) with The Three Stooges, Sylvia (1965) with Carroll Baker, The Great Sioux Massacre (1965), The Silencers (1966) with Dean Martin, Tarzan and the Valley of Gold (1966) with Mike Henry, Frankie and Johnny (1966) with Elvis Presley, and Carl Reiner's directorial debut, Enter Laughing (1967).

On Broadway, she appeared in The Disenchanted. Her last film role was in Marooned (1969), a science-fiction drama starring Gregory Peck and Gene Hackman. Credited as Nancy Mehta, she played the murder victim in the TV movie/series pilot Ellery Queen (also known as Too Many Suspects, 1975).^{[citation needed]}

Kovack also starred in three films that were made in Iran.^[9]

Personal life

In 1969, Kovack married Indian conductor Zubin Mehta, who was music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and later the music director of the New York Philharmonic. Until 2006, Kovack and Mehta spent some months of the year in residence in Munich, Germany, where Mehta was the music director of the Bavarian State Opera.^{[citation needed]}

Susan McDougal worked as Kovack's personal assistant in the early 1990s. After her employment ended, Kovack took legal action against McDougal for alleged embezzlement. McDougal was acquitted in 1998 on all twelve charges. A suit by McDougal in 1999 for malicious prosecution ended in a settlement.^[10]

Kovack is a Christian Scientist.^[11]

Filmography

Strangers When We Meet (1960) – Marcia
Cry for Happy (1961) – Camille Cameron
The Wild Westerners (1962) – Rose Sharon
Diary of a Madman (1963) – Odette Mallotte
Jason and the Argonauts (1963) – Medea
12 O’Clock High (1964 series 1, episode 9, “Appointment at Liege”) – Lt. Irene Cooper
Bewitched (TV Series, 1964–1969) – Sheila Sommers, Clio Vanita
The Outlaws Is Coming (1965) – Annie Oakley
Sylvia (1965) – Big Shirley
Honey West (1965 episode: "The Gray Lady") – Nicole
The Great Sioux Massacre (1965) – Libbie Custer
I Dream of Jeannie (Season 1 Episode 9: 1965) – Rita Mitchell
The Silencers (1966) – Barbara
Frankie and Johnny (1966) – Nellie Bly
Tarzan and the Valley of Gold (1966) – Sophia Renault
Diamond 33 (1966)
Batman (episodes 5 and 6: 1966) – Queenie
Town's Hero (1967)
Enter Laughing (1967) – Linda aka Miss B
Shab-e-fereshtegan, aka Night of the Angels (1968)
Star Trek: The Original Series (1968 episode: "A Private Little War") - Nona
Marooned (1969) – Teresa Stone
Hawaii Five-O (1969 episode: "Face of the Dragon") - Dr. Alexandria Kemp
Mannix (TV Series, 1973)

References

^ Film Fatales Women in Espionage Films and Television, 1962-1973. McFarland. 2002. p. 163. ISBN 9780786411948.
^ Duffin, Allan; Matheis, Paul (2005). The 12 O'Clock High Logbook Series. BearManor Media. p. 190. ISBN 9781593930332.
^ "Conductor To Wed Actress". News-Journal. Ohio, Mansfield. United Press International. June 2, 1969. p. 3.
^ Johnson, Erskine (November 25, 1961). "Hollywood Today". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Texas, Corpus Christi. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 6. Retrieved August 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Curtis, Olga (July 23, 1963). "Actress Nancy Kovack Says Films Just Help Pay Rent". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Texas, Lubbock. WNS. p. 6B. Retrieved August 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Get Smart, Episode 16, Season 4 ("The Day They Raided the Knights"), airdate January 11, 1969.
^ "("Nancy Kovack" search results)". EMMYS. Television Academy. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
^ "The Girl with the Convertible Top!". Chicago Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. September 5, 1959. p. 23.
^ Alpert, Don (August 22, 1968). "Actress Nancy Kovack Stars In 3 Iranian-Made Movies". The Salt Lake Tribune. Utah, Salt Lake City. Los Angeles Times. p. 9. Retrieved August 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ The Woman Who Wouldn't Talk; ISBN 0-7867-1302-X, Susan McDougal et al. 2003, p. 338.
^ Williams, Michae la (7 November 1978). "For Nancy Mehta, Wife of the Conductor, Life is a Gilded Cage". The New York Times.