CineScope
Inger Stevens picture

Inger Stevens

Acting
Known For

35 Years Old

Inger Stevens (born Ingrid Stensland; October 18, 1934 – April 30, 1970)[1] was a Swedish–American film, television, and stage actress. Stevens was born in Stockholm, Sweden, the eldest child of Per Gustaf and Lisbet Stensland. When she was six years old, her mother abandoned the family (taking her youngest son Peter with her). Soon afterwards Stevens' father moved to the United States, leaving Stevens and her brother, Ola, in the custody of the family maid—and then later with an aunt in Lidingö, near Stockholm. In 1944, she and her brother moved to the United States and lived with their father and his new wife in New York City where he was teaching at Columbia University. At age 13, Stevens moved with her family to Manhattan, Kansas, where her father taught at Kansas State University. Stevens attended Manhattan High School. At 16, she ran away from home to Kansas City, and worked in burlesque shows. At 18, she left Kansas City to return to New York City, where she worked as a chorus girl and in the Garment District while taking classes at the Actors Studio. Stevens appeared on television series, in commercials, and in plays until she received her big break in the film Man on Fire, starring Bing Crosby. Roles in major films followed, including a starring role opposite Harry Belafonte in 1959's The World, the Flesh and the Devil, but she achieved her greatest success in the television series The Farmer's Daughter (1963–1966), with William Windom. Previously, Stevens had appeared in episodes of Bonanza, Route 66, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Eleventh Hour, Sam Benedict The Aquanuts (1960 TV series) and The Twilight Zone. Following the cancellation of The Farmer's Daughter in 1966, Stevens appeared in several films: A Guide for the Married Man (1967), with Walter Matthau; Hang 'Em High, with Clint Eastwood; 5 Card Stud, with Dean Martin and Robert Mitchum; and Madigan with Henry Fonda and Richard Widmark. At the time of her death, Stevens was attempting to revive her television career with the detective drama series The Most Deadly Game. Her first husband was her agent Anthony Soglio, to whom she was married from 1955 to 1957. In January 1966, she was appointed to the Advisory Board of the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute by then-California governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown. She also was named Chairman of the California Council for Retarded Children. Her aunt was Karin Stensland Junker, author of The Child in the Glass Ball. On the morning of April 30, 1970, Stevens's sometime roommate and companion, Lola McNally, found her on the kitchen floor of her Hollywood Hills home. According to McNally, when she called Stevens's name, she opened her eyes, lifted her head, and tried to speak, but was unable to make any sound. McNally told police that she had spoken to Stevens the previous night and had seen no sign of trouble. Stevens died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. On arrival, medics removed a small bandage from her chin that revealed a small amount of fresh blood oozing from a cut that appeared to have been a few hours old. Los Angeles County Coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi attributed Stevens's death to "acute barbiturate poisoning" that was eventually ruled a suicide.

Born

Stockholm, Sweden on 18th October 1934

Died

30th April 1970

All Credits

Matinee Theater Image
Matinee Theater
The Merv Griffin Show Image
The Merv Griffin Show
Self
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Image
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Beth Watkins
Armstrong Circle Theatre Image
Armstrong Circle Theatre
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Image
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Karen Wilson
Studio One Image
Studio One
Lucy Henderson
Studio One Image
Studio One
Mary
Studio One Image
Studio One
Sue Ellen
Bonanza Image
Bonanza
Emily Pennington
Hawaiian Eye Image
Hawaiian Eye
The Danny Kaye Show Image
The Danny Kaye Show
Self
The Dick Powell Show Image
The Dick Powell Show
Anna Beza
The Farmer's Daughter Image
The Farmer's Daughter
Katy Holstrum
Robert Montgomery Presents Image
Robert Montgomery Presents
The Twilight Zone Image
The Twilight Zone
Jana
The Twilight Zone Image
The Twilight Zone
Nan Adams
The Detectives Image
The Detectives
Adventures in Paradise Image
Adventures in Paradise
Dr. Britta Sjostrom
Route 66 Image
Route 66
Sam Benedict Image
Sam Benedict
The Aquanauts Image
The Aquanauts
Margot Allison
Climax! Image
Climax!
Marge
The Ed Sullivan Show Image
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
The Millionaire Image
The Millionaire
Betty Perkins
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Image
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Laura Ross
Hang 'em High Image
Hang 'em High
Rachel Warren
A Time for Killing Image
A Time for Killing
Emily Biddle
The Buccaneer Image
The Buccaneer
Annette Claiborne
5 Card Stud Image
5 Card Stud
Lily Langford
Firecreek Image
Firecreek
Evelyn Pittman
Death In Hollywood Image
Death In Hollywood
(archive footage)
Madigan Image
Madigan
Julia Madigan
A Guide for the Married Man Image
A Guide for the Married Man
Ruth Manning
Cry Terror! Image
Cry Terror!
Joan Molner
The World, the Flesh and the Devil Image
The World, the Flesh and the Devil
Sarah Crandall
House of Cards Image
House of Cards
Anne de Villemont
Man on Fire Image
Man on Fire
Nina Wylie
A Dream of Kings Image
A Dream of Kings
Anna
Run, Simon, Run Image
Run, Simon, Run
Carroll Rennard
The Borgia Stick Image
The Borgia Stick
Eve Harrison
The New Interns Image
The New Interns
Nancy Terman
Eloise Image
Eloise
Joanna
The Mask of Sheba Image
The Mask of Sheba
Sarah Kramer