American actress (1939–2010)
Ann Prentiss (November 27, 1939 – January 12, 2010) was an American actress.
Prentiss was born Ann Elizabeth Ragusa in San Antonio, Texas, to Paulene (née Gardner) and Thomas J. Ragusa. Her father was of Sicilian descent. Her elder sister, Paula Prentiss, is also an actress.[1]
Prentiss had many supporting roles in films and television series in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, including Get Smart's "The Little Black Book", Hogan's Heroes' "The Missing Klink" (1969), and on the Baretta episode "Half a Million Dollar Baby". She provided the voice of an alien species in the comedy film My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988), co-starring alongside Kim Basinger and Dan Aykroyd. Her other film roles included appearances in Any Wednesday (1966), If He Hollers, Let Him Go! (1968), The Out-of-Towners (1970), and California Split (1974), opposite George Segal and Elliott Gould.
In the 1967 NBC-TV series Captain Nice, created by Buck Henry, Prentiss played Police Sgt. Candy Kane, the girlfriend of the title character, a shy chemist/superhero portrayed by William Daniels.[2]
Prentiss was convicted in a California court of a 1996 assault against her father, and a subsequent threat against members of her family. The district attorney claimed that Prentiss, while incarcerated on the assault charge, had attempted to hire another inmate to kill three people, including her father and actor-director Richard Benjamin, her brother-in-law. On July 23, 1997, the court sentenced her to 19 years in prison.[3][1]
Prentiss died in prison on January 12, 2010.[4]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | I'm Dickens, He's Fenster | Dr. Else McClinton (as Ann Gardner) | Episode: "Part-Time Friend" |
| 1966 | Bewitched | Betty (uncredited) | Episode: "A Bum Raps" |
| 1967 | Captain Nice | Sgt. Candy Kane | 15 episodes |
| Mannix | Gwen Rogers | Episode: "Beyond the Shadow of a Dream" | |
| 1968 | Get Smart | Nancy | Episode: "The Little Black Book: Part 1" Episode: "The Little Black Book: Part 2" |
| 1969 | Hogan's Heroes | Ilse | Episode: "The Missing Klink" |
| 1963-1969 | The Virginian | Alice (as Ann Gardner) Geraldine Del Finnia | Episode: "Man of Violence" Episode: "Crime Wave in Buffalo Springs" |
| 1969 | It Takes a Thief | Desk Clerk | Episode: "Catspaw" |
| Hawaii Five-O | Lannie Devereaux (as Anne Prentiss) | Episode: "Not That Much Different" | |
| The Courtship of Eddie's Father' | Kerry Allen | Episode: "Teacher's Pet" | |
| In Name Only | Jill Willis | television film | |
| 1970 | The Name of the Game | Leona | Episode: "Jerry Wilde Is Drowning" |
| The Bold Ones: The New Doctors | Elaine Stone | Episode: "This Will Really Kill You" | |
| McCloud | Officer Murdock | Episode: "Walk in the Dark" | |
| 1969-1971 | Bonanza | Wilhelmina Calhoun Wilhelmina Calhoun Meena Calhoun | Episode: "Meena" Episode: "The Horse Traders" Episode: "Easy Come, Easy Go" |
| 1972 | Search | Ann Mulligan (as Ann Prentis) | Episode: "Moonrock" |
| 1970-1972 | Love, American Style | Judy Ricker (segment "Love and Las Vegas") Yvonne (segment "Love and the Lady Barber") Clara (segment "Love and the Hairy Excuse") | Episode: "Love and Las Vegas / Love and the Good Samaritan / Love and the Marriage Counselor" Episode: "Love and the College Professor / Love and the Eyewitness / Love and the Lady Barber / Love and the Plumber" Episode: "Love and the Hairy Excuse / Love and Lady Luck / Love and the Pick-Up Fantasy" |
| 1973 | The Lie | Elaine Fredericks | television film |
| 1973-1974 | Emergency! | Fran Lillington Cindy's Mother | Episode: "Boot" Episode: "Messin' Around" |
| 1975 | Baretta | Annie | Episode: "The Half-Million Dollar Baby" |
| 1976 | Switch | Cora | Episode: "Ain't Nobody Here Named Barney" |
| Phillip and Barbara | Shirley | television film | |
| 1978 | Quark | Gene / Jean (voice, uncredited) | 7 episodes |
| 1978-1979 | Starsky and Hutch | Mrs. Carston | Episode: "The Trap" Episode: "Ninety Pounds of Trouble" |
| 1984 | Masquerade | Mavis Kelly | Episode: "Winnings" |