Priscilla Barnes
USABiography of Priscilla Barnes
Priscilla Barnes was born on December 7, 1955, in Fort Dix, New Jersey. She is the third of four children, with her father being a former major in the US Air Force and her mother a homemaker. Due to her father's work, Priscilla lived on several military bases in the United States before her family settled in Lancaster, California.
After graduating from Antelope Valley High School at the age of 17, Barnes moved to San Diego where she worked as a waitress and dancer. Her life took a serious turn when comedian Bob Hope saw her at a local fashion show and invited her to perform with his group at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 1973. Following this opportunity, Barnes moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in show business.
Barnes's breakthrough came when she met Peter Falk, who cast her in a small role on his series "Columbo" after just six months. She then landed supporting roles in films such as "Seniors" and "Delta Fox".
In 1976, while still entertaining nightclub goers for a living, Barnes agreed to pose nude for the "Pet of the Month" section of Penthouse magazine. She used the pseudonym Joann Witty, but when the photos were reprinted in 1982, after she had already started filming the sitcom "Three's Company", the magazine used her real name. Barnes filed a lawsuit, which was ultimately overturned by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
In 1978, Barnes became a star of the TV series "The American Girls", but the show was canceled after only seven weeks. She was then cast in the horror film "Tintorera" and appeared in TV shows like "Starsky and Hutch" and "The Love Boat". She also appeared in films such as "Time Machine" and "A Vacation In Hell", with the latter becoming a cult classic for many years.
In 1981, Barnes took on the role of nurse Terry Alden in the sitcom "Three's Company" as a replacement for Suzanne Somers, who had left the show due to disputes with the producers. This role brought Barnes widespread recognition, although she later described her time on the show as the "three worst years" of her life. After a couple of episodes, she felt uncomfortable on set and even requested to be released from her contract.
After the cancellation of the sitcom in 1984, Barnes portrayed Della Churchill in the James Bond film "License to Kill" in 1989 and appeared in films like "Lords of the Deep", "Traxx", and "Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo". In the 1990s, she joined the ensemble cast of films such as "Stepfather III", "Mallrats", "Crossing Guard", and "Mumford".
In the 2000s, Barnes took on the central role in the horror film "The Devil's Rejects" and appeared in thrillers like "Thr3e" and "Visitation". She also became one of the stars of the comedy "American Cowslip".
In 2012, Barnes appeared in the historical drama "Bad Blood: The Hatfields and McCoys" alongside Christian Slater and Jeff Fahey. In 2013, she was cast in the science fiction action film "Disaster Wars: Earthquake vs. Tsunami", which is currently in post-production. In the upcoming year 2014, Barnes is set to appear in the drama "Helen Alone".
