A native of Hot Coffee, Mississippi, Stella was married at 15, a
mother at 16 and divorced at 17. While attending Memphis State
College, Stella became interested in acting and modelling. Her film
debut was a bit part in 'Say One for Me (1959)', but her appearance
in 'Li'l Abner (1959)' as Appassionata Von Climax is the one that
got her noticed. Then her centerfold spread in Playboy was one of
the most popular issues. She co-starred with some of the biggest
names in movies such as Bobby Darin in 'Too Late Blues (1961)';
Elvis in 'Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962)'; Glenn Ford in 'The
Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963)'; Jerry Lewis in 'The Nutty
Professor (1963)'; and Dean Martin in 'The Silencers (1966)'. She
appeared on Television in "Surfside Six (1960"; "Ben Casey (1961)"
and the soap "General Hospital (1963)". But by the late 60s her
career had leveled off and she was appearing in roles based on her
looks. One of her best performances at that time was in the movie
'The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)', where she played Hildy, and
showed that her talent was more than physical. But then she
appeared in a movie like 'Slaughter (1972)'. In the 70s and 80s,
Stella became a fixture in movies made for television and appeared
in a number of Television series. Her big screen career may have
slowed during that time, but she has appeared in a number of movies
in every decade since she debuted.
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