Shelby Grant

Shelby Grant (born Brenda Thompson; October 19, 1936 – June 25, 2011) was an American actress whose credits included Our Man Flint, Fantastic Voyage, and Medical Center.[1][2][3]

Shelby Grant
Born
Brenda Thompson

(1936-10-19)October 19, 1936
Orlando, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedJune 25, 2011(2011-06-25) (aged 74)
Westlake Village, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materNortheastern State College
OccupationActress
Years active1963–74
Spouse(s)
(
m. 1966)
Children2

Early life

Grant was born on October 19, 1936[2] in Orlando, Oklahoma to parents Lawrence and Mae Thompson.[1][2][3] She was raised in Wagoner, Oklahoma, and completed high school at Wagoner High School.[1]

Grant enrolled at Northeastern State College (now known as Northeastern State University) in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where she studied drama and speech.[1] She became Northeastern State's football queen in 1959.[1] That year, she won the title of Northeastern Oklahoma Dairy Princess as well.[1]

Career

Grant appeared in local television commercials for Tulsa-based KTUL-TV after college.[1] In 1962 she moved from Oklahoma to southern California to pursue an acting career.[1] She initially worked as a teacher of special education and deaf students at Hollywood High School while trying to enter the entertainment industry.[1]

Thompson was discovered by a 20th Century Fox talent scout[3], whereupon she changed her professional name to Shelby Grant.[3] She "drew Shelby Grant out of a hat," according to an interview she gave to columnist Hedda Hopper.[3]

She debuted on television in a 1963 episode of Bonanza.[1] She soon became a contracted actor with 20th Century Fox.[1] Her film roles under contract with Fox included The Pleasure Seekers in 1964, the 1966 science fiction film Fantastic Voyage, Our Man Flint in 1966, and The Witchmaker in 1969.[1] Her television credits grew to include Batman (episodes 7 and 8), and Marcus Welby, M.D..[1]

Grant married her husband, actor Chad Everett, in a ceremony held on May 22, 1966, in Tucson, Arizona.[1][2] Chad Everett had been on location in Tucson filming the 1967 movie Return of the Gunfighter at the time of their wedding.[2] They had two daughters, Kate and Shannon.[1] Grant appeared in her husband's television series Medical Center, in which he portrayed Dr. Joe Gannon from 1969 to 1976.[1]

Personal life

She and her husband, actor Chad Everett, had two daughters, Katherine Thorp and Shannon Everett.[1][2]

Grant largely left acting to focus on philanthropy during her later life. She and her husband sponsored more than twenty heart surgeries for children.[1]

Grant died of a brain aneurysm in Westlake Village, California on June 25, 2011 at the age of 74.[1] Everett died from lung cancer on July 24, 2012 at the age of 75, a little over a year after Grant's death.

Partial filmography

References
  1. Stanley, Tim (2011-07-02). "Actress from Wagoner led life of fame, philanthropy". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  2. "Shelby Grant Everett (1936–2011) obituary". Ventura County Star. 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  3. Lisanti, Tom (2002). "Film fatales: women in espionage films and television, 1962-1973 Shelby Grant (pgs. 135-7)". Film fatales: women in espionage films and television, 1962-1973. Google Books. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.