Stella Stevens, Poseidon Adventure Star, Dies At 84

Stella Stevens, best known for playing Linda Rogo in 1972's "The Poseidon Adventure," died at 84 on February 17, 2023, according to The Wrap. She leaves behind one son, actor Andrew Stevens, whom she had with her first husband, Noble Herman Stephens. The couple divorced in 1957, and she would later remarry Bob Kulick, to whom she would stay with until his passing in 2020. She also leaves behind three grandchildren — Amelia, Aubrey, and Samuel Stevens. 

Andrew Stevens' confirmed her death to The Wrap, releasing a statement, "I was notified early this morning. Stella had been in hospice for quite some time with stage seven Alzheimer's." Maria Calabrese, Stevens' manager and friend, also put out a statement: "It was an honor and a privilege to have worked with Stella, who was one of the most wonderful and gifted people I have ever met. While I truly wish I could have done more for her toward the latter years of her career, and shared in her frustration as she so wanted to make the leap from a triple threat American icon to producer – her wish, never realized was to have three original western scripts produced."

Stella Stevens' career spanned decades and encompassed acting alongside some of the true greats of the industry.

Born Estelle Eggleston on October 1, 1938 in Yazoo City, Mississippi, she was an only child. At the age of four, her family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where she finished high school in 1955. In 1954, she married her first husband, Noble Herman Stephens, but the couple would divorce three years later. After that, she studied at Memphis State University, where she developed an interest in acting and modeling. She would make her film debut in 1959 in "Say One for Me," which led to her winning a Golden Globe for new star of the year — actress. 

She would go on to garner over 100 credits in films and TV shows. Some of her more noteworthy performances came in "Girls! Girls! Girls!," "The Nutty Professor," and "The Poseidon Adventure," the last of which is one of the all-time great disaster films. She continued acting for decades, with her final film role coming in 2010 in "Megaconda." Stevens wanted to keep the good times rolling, and in a 1994 interview with Michael G. Ankerich, she explained what kept her going: "You see, I wanted to be like my favorite actresses: Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. I wanted to be like a burst of youth and then when I got a little crow's feet or age, I'd be off the screen. But I also had the plan of being a director. But, you know, Bob Hope and I did a movie together [A Masterpiece of Murder (1986)], and I saw him at 83 cracking jokes and having fun. I said then that I never wanted to quit. I want to be like this man. I want to go on forever. I want to die on a movie set."

Stella Stevens was a Hollywood icon, and our thoughts go out to her loved ones at this time.