Thordis Brandt (born 1940) is a German-American actress.

Personal life

Thordis Brandt was born on September 7, 1940, in Germany of Norwegian and German parents. She moved to Canada as a young girl and was raised initially at a farm in St. Norbert,

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

, then moved to a mink ranch in Bella Coola,

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, then to

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

in 1958. In 1963, Thordis graduated as a registered nurse from St. Paul's Hospital School of Nursing. She moved to

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, where she continued to practice her nursing in private duty. One of her jobs in private duty was serving actress

Patricia Neal Patricia Neal (born Patsy Louise Neal, January 20, 1926 – August 8, 2010) was an American actress of stage and screen. A major star of the 1950s and 1960s, she was the recipient of an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and two ...

. Neal recommended Thordis to other actors and actresses and Thordis became known as the "actor's nurse". Thordis began her career as a nurse advisor in ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols " ♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaff ...

'' where she made appearances on the show. After retiring from acting, she continued nursing in Beverly Hills.

Career

A bit player for most of her career, she appeared in such TV shows as '' Burke's Law'', '' The Girl from UNCLE'', ''

The Man from UNCLE ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a sec ...

'', ''

The Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of media ...

'', ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private inves ...

'', and ''

Hogan's Heroes ''Hogan's Heroes'' is an American television sitcom set in a Nazi German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II. It ran for 168 episodes (six seasons) from September 17, 1965, to April 4, 1971, on the CBS network, the longest broadcast ...

'', as well as the 1967 episode of '' The Fugitive'' "The One That Got Away". Although she had some speaking parts, Thordis' appearances rarely required her to speak.p. 18 ''Shapley Thordis Brandt Simply Doesn't Have to Talk'' ''The Evening News'' 21 December 1968 She also appeared in films beginning with ''

The Last of the Secret Agents? ''The Last of the Secret Agents?'' is a 1966 American comedy film that spoofs the spy film genre, starring the then-popular comedy team of Allen & Rossi. Plot Two Americans in Paris (Allen & Rossi) are reluctantly recruited by the Good Guys Inst ...

'' and ''

Nevada Smith ''Nevada Smith'' is a 1966 American Western film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Steve McQueen, Karl Malden, Brian Keith, Arthur Kennedy and Suzanne Pleshette. The film was made by Embassy Pictures and Solar Productions, in association ...

'' (both 1966), then ''

In Like Flint ''In Like Flint'' is a 1967 American Spy-Fi (subgenre), spy fi comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas (director), Gordon Douglas, the sequel to the parody spy film ''Our Man Flint'' (1966). It posits an international feminist Cabal, conspiracy ...

'' (1967) and '' Funny Girl'' (1968). She appeared in two Elvis Presley films '' Spinout'' (1966) and ''

Live a Little, Love a Little ''Live a Little, Love a Little'' is a 1968 American musical comedy film starring Elvis Presley. It was directed by Norman Taurog, who had directed several previous Presley films. This was to be Taurog's final film, as he went blind shortly after p ...

'' (1968). She has gained minor cult status as the victim of a serial killer in the

made-for-TV movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

'' Dragnet 1966'', and her appearances in the films ''The Witchmaker'' (1969) and ''Up Your Teddy Bear'' (1970).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Brandt, Thordis 1940 births 20th-century American women American television actresses German emigrants to Canada German emigrants to the United States German people of Norwegian descent Living people