Irish McCalla American actress Date of Birth: 25.12.1928 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Education
2. Move to Southern California
3. Modeling and Film Career
4. "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle"
5. Post-Sheena Career
6. Personal Life
7. Art Career
8. Death and Legacy

Early Life and Education

Nellie Elizabeth McCalla, known professionally as Irish McCalla, was born on December 22, 1928, in Pawnee City, Nebraska. She was one of eight children born to Lloyd and Natty McCalla. The family moved frequently but eventually settled in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1939, where Irish attended Washington Irving Junior High School. However, the family moved again, this time to Marshalltown, Iowa, then Omaha, Nebraska, and finally back to Pawnee City, where Irish graduated high school.

Move to Southern California

At the age of 17, Irish moved to Southern California to live with distant relatives and quickly found work as a waitress.

Modeling and Film Career

By 1952, Irish had become a successful model. That same year, she appeared in the film "River Goddesses," which showcased the antics of young adults living on the Grand Canyon. She later recalled meeting an agent from Nassour Studios on Malibu Beach, who was inspired by her throwing a bamboo stick like a spear. This led to the creation of the TV series "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle," in which Irish played the title role.

"Sheena, Queen of the Jungle"

McCalla, a tall and athletic woman, performed her own stunts on the show, including some of the most dangerous ones. She often sustained injuries, once breaking her arm after grabbing a real vine instead of the reinforced ones used on set. Her son, Kim McIntyre, later recalled seeing his mother swinging from vines and fighting mechanical alligators as a child.

Post-Sheena Career

After the series ended, Irish appeared in several films between 1958 and 1962, as well as guest-starring on the TV series "Have Gun, Will Travel" and "Route 66." She also started her own company, McCalla Enterprises, Inc.

Personal Life

Irish married Patrick McIntyre, an insurance salesman, in 1951. They had two sons, Kim and Sean, before divorcing in 1957. She married Patrick Horgan in 1958, but that marriage ended in 1963. McCalla is rumored to have married a third time, but the details of this marriage are unknown.

Art Career

In 1982, McCalla moved from Malibu, California, to Prescott, Arizona. She joined the Women Artists of the American West and produced over a thousand works of art during her career, including eight collectible plates designed by herself. Her work was featured in exhibitions at the Los Angeles Museum of Arts and Sciences. McCalla received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Death and Legacy

Irish McCalla died on April 2, 2002, at the age of 73, from a stroke and brain tumor. She was remembered by Carol Hatfield, who said, "When I was eight years old, Sheena was one of only a few images on television that didn't fit the stereotype of women in the 1950s. She was special. When I saw her on TV each week, it made me feel better about myself at a time when I was trying to figure out who I was. If she could survive in the jungle, I could survive in my own difficult world."