Laraine Stephens (born 24 July 1941) is a retired American actress. Stephens was born in

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

. She studied at both

Los Angeles City College Los Angeles City College (LACC) is a public community college in East Hollywood, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard on the former campus of the U ...

and the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

. A

coloratura soprano A coloratura soprano () is a type of operatic soprano voice that specializes in music that is distinguished by agile run (music), runs, leaps and Trill (music), trills. The term ''coloratura'' refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, whi ...

, Stephens performed in operas before moving into acting. On television, Stephens played Diane Waring in '' Bracken's World'', Irene Stefan in '' Eischied'', Claire Kronski in ''

Matt Helm Matt Helm is a fictional character created by American author Donald Hamilton (1916–2006). Helm is a U.S. government counter-agent, a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of ...

'', Susan Wentworth in O.K. Crackerby!, Claire Estep in '' Rich Man, Poor Man Book II'', and Dr. Karen Fletcher in ''Women in White''. She also appeared in the TV series ''

Leave It to Beaver ''Leave It to Beaver'' is an American television sitcom that follows the misadventures of a suburban boy, his family and his friends. It starred Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers. CBS first broadcast the show ...

'', '' Surfside 6'', '' The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'', '' Laramie'', '' Laredo'', '' The F.B.I.'', ''

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...

'', '' The Name of the Game'', ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy sitcom television series created by Sidney Sheldon and starring Barbara Eden as a beautiful but guileless 2,000-year-old Jinn, genie and Larry Hagman as an astronaut with whom s ...

'', ''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an American anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from September 29, 1969, to January 11, 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a pa ...

'', '' Nanny and the Professor'', '' Cade's County'', ''

The Mod Squad ''The Mod Squad'' is an American crime drama series, originally broadcast for five seasons on ABC from September 24, 1968, to March 1, 1973. It starred Michael Cole as Peter "Pete" Cochran, Clarence Williams III as Lincoln "Linc" Hayes, Pegg ...

'', '' Marcus Welby, M.D.'', '' Mission: Impossible'', ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that originally aired for eight seasons on CBS from September 16, 1967, to March 13, 1975. The show was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer ...

'', '' McCloud'', ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective fiction, detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law. They run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, Califor ...

'', ''

Cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...

'', '' Movin' On'', '' The Quest'', '' Police Story'', '' Police Woman'', '' Hawaii Five-O'', '' The Next Step Beyond'', '' Vegas'', ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1977, to May 24, 1986. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series pre ...

'', '' T. J. Hooker'', '' Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'' and '' Fantasy Island'', among others. She appeared in the films '' 40 Guns to Apache Pass''; '' Hellfighters''; and '' The Thousand Plane Raid''; and in numerous television movies. In 1964, Sinatra Enterprises signed Stephens for a role in the film '' None but the Brave''. On June 12, 1970, Stephens married producer

David Gerber David Gerber (July 25, 1923 – January 2, 2010) was an American television executive producer. Amongst the numerous television films, series, and specials he executive produced is the series '' Police Story'', for which he won the Primetime Emmy ...

. The couple operated Gerber Vineyards. She retired with an episode of " Fantasy Island", airing on 01/29/1983, her last acting credit.

Selected TV and filmography

TV series - guest appearances

*''

'' (25 November 1961) (Season 5 Episode 8 : "Wally's big Date") as Gail Preston *'' Surfside 6'' (14 May 1962) (Season 2 Episode 34 : "Squeeze Play") as Lydia Wilder *'' The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'' (17 October 1962) (Season 4 Episode 4 : "The Ugliest American") as Clydene Quigley *'' Laramie'' (7 May 1963) (Season 4 Episode 30: "Badge of Glory") as Laurie Adams *'' Laredo'' (1966) ** (Season 1 Episode 17: "Above the Law") (13 January 1966) as Ruth Phelps ** (Season 1 Episode 28: "Sound of Terror") (7 April 1966) as Barbara Halsey *'' The Fisher Family'' (1967) *''

'' (1967-1973) ** (Season 1 Episode 10: "Coffin for a Clown") (25 November 1967) as Helen Brewer ** (Season 6 Episode 3: "The Crimson Halo") (1 October 1972) as Charlene Tallifer ** (Season 7 Episode 9: "Sing a Song of Murder") (11 November 1973) as Angela Talbot *'' The Christophers (TV series)'' (7 January 1968) ("The Bilford") as Nancy *'' The FBI'' (18 February 1968) (Season 3 Episode 19: "The Phone Call") as Margaret Campbell *''

'' (15 March 1968) (Season 2 Episode 24: "Rendezvous for Revenge") as Doria *'' The Name of the Game'' (18 October 1968) (Season 1 Episode 5: "Nightmare") as Lorraine Farrell *''

'' (14 October 1969) (Season 5 Episode 5: "Jeannie's Beauty Cream") as Amanda *'' Hawaii Five-O'' (1970-1978) ** (Season 3 Episode 12: "Beautiful Screamer") (2 December 1970) as Sally Gregson ** (Season 5 Episode 1: "Death Is a Company Policy") (12 September 1972) as Miss Simpson ** (Season 10 Episode 23: "A Stranger in His Grave") (27 April 1978) as Katie Kealoha *''

'' (12 February 1971) (Season 2 Episode 20: "Love and the Baker's half Dozen") as Joan *'' Nanny and the Professor'' (20 September 1971) (Season 3 Episode 2: "The Flower Children") as Marjorie Meyers *'' Cade's County'' (3 October 1971) (Season 1 Episode 3: "Safe Deposit") as Allison Burton *''

'' (2 November 1971) (Season 2 Episode 24: "The Poisoned Mind") as Laurie Childs *'' Marcus Welby, M.D.'' (9 November 1971) (Season 3 Episode 10: "Echo from Another World") as Kay Powers *'' The Man and the City'' (1 December 1971) (Season 1 Episode 11: "Cross Country Man") *'' Mission: Impossible'' (12 January 1973) (Season 7 Episode 15: "Boomerang") as Eve Vayle *'' ''Police Story'' (1973 TV series)'' (1973-1977) ** (Season 1 Episode 7: "Death on Credit") (27 November 1973) as Patti ** (Season 1 Episode 12: "Countdown: Part 1") (15 January 1974) as Jenny LaFrieda ** (Season 1 Episode 13: "Countdown: Part 2") (22 January 1974) as Jenny LaFrieda ** (Season 2 Episode 14: "Year o the Dragon: Part 1") (21 January 1975) as Laura Darrin ** (Season 2 Episode 15: "Year o the Dragon: Part 2") (28 January 1975) as Laura Darrin ** (Season 5 Episode 2: "Stigma") (9 November 1977) as Lynn Lewis *''

'' (1973-1974) ** (Season 2 Episode 13: "Secret of the Dunes") (19 December 1973) as Sheila Windsor ** (Season 3 Episode 1: "A Gathering of Thieves") (10 September 74) as Irene Hopkins *'' ''McCloud'' (TV series)'' (24 March 1974) (Season 4 Episode 5: "This must be the Alamo") as Shannon Taylor *''

Police Woman (TV series) ''Police Woman'' is an American police procedural television series created by Robert L. Collins starring Angie Dickinson that ran on NBC for four seasons, from September 13, 1974, to March 29, 1978. Synopsis Based on an original screenplay b ...

'' (1974-1977) ** (Season 1 Episode 8: "Flowers of Evil") (8 November 1974) as Gladys Conway ** (Season 1 Episode 16: "Blast") (24 January 1975) as Christina Littel ** (Season 3 Episode 14: "Banker's Hours") (18 January 1977) as Karen Osborne ** (Season 4 Episode 11: "Tigress") (11 January 1978) as Amelia Boyer *''

'' (2 October 1974) (Season 4 Episode 4: "Lady in Red") as Evelyn Rogers *'' Movin' On'' (7 November 1974) (Season 1 Episode 7: "The Good Life") as Joan *'' The Quest'' (10 November 1976) (Season 1 Episode 6) as Seba Alcott *'' Gibbsville (TV series)'' (1977) (Season 1 Episode 10) *'' The Next Step Beyond'' (1977) (Season 1 Episode 1: "Tsunami") as Cathy Terence *'' Fantasy Island'' (1979-1983) ** (Season 2 Episode 17: "The Stripper/The Boxer") (10 February 1979) as Maureen Banning ** (Season 4 Episode 18: "The Searcher/The Way We Weren't") (7 March 1981) as Dorothy"Dottie" Cooper ** (Season 5 Episode 15: "The case Agains't Mr. Roarke/Save Sherlock Holmes") (6 February 1982) as Fran Warner ** (Season 6 Episode 12: "The Tallowed Image/Room and Bard") (29 January 1983) as Angela Marckham *'' Vegas (1978 TV series)'' (19 September 1979) (Season 2 Episode 1: "Redhanded") as Merrill Wayne *''

'' (3 January 1981) (Season 1 Episode 6: "Captive Audience") as Susan Braddock *'' Today's F.B.I.'' (27 December 1981) (Season 1 Episode 8: "Skyjack") as Marion *'' McClain's Law'' (8 January 1982) (Season 1 Episode 6: "To Save the Queen") as Anne Wilson *''

T.J. Hooker ''T. J. Hooker'' is an American police drama television program starring William Shatner in the title role as a 15-year veteran police sergeant. The series premiered as a mid-season replacement on March 13, 1982, on ABC and ran on the network u ...

'' (4 December 1982) (Season 2 Episode 10: "Thieves' Highway") as Commissioner Cook *''

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (TV series) ''Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'' is an American musical television series, loosely based on the 1954 film of the same name, which ran on CBS from September 19, 1982, to March 23, 1983.Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earl, ''The Complete Directory t ...

'' (8 December 1982) (Season 1 Episode 11: "Neighbors") as Sophie Barton

Television series regular roles

*'' O.K. Crackerby!'' (1965–1966) (13 episodes) as Susan Wentworth (recurring role) *'' Bracken's World'' (1969–1970) (29 episodes) as Diane Waring *''

'' (1975–1976) (13 episodes) as Claire Kronski *'' Rich Man, Poor Man Book II'' (1976–1977) (10 episodes) as Claire Estep (recurring role) *'' Eischied'' (1979–1980) (6 episodes) as Irene Stefan (recurring role)

TV movie appearances

* ''The Movie Maker'' (1964) as Young Paula Kirsch * '' The Screaming Woman'' (1972) as Caroline Wynant * ''Adventures of Nick Carter'' (1972) as Joyce Jordan (unsold pilot) * ''Jarrett'' (1973) as Sigrid Larsen (unsold pilot) * ''The Girl on the Late, Late Show'' (1974) as Paula * ''Matt Helm'' (1975) as Kronski (TV Movie pilot for series) * ''The Rangers'' (1974) as Edie * ''Risko'' (1976) as Susan Grainger (unsold pilot ) * ''The Courage and the Passion'' (1978) as Brett Gardener * ''Crash'' (1978) as Ginny Duffy * ''Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders'' (1979) as Suzanne Mitchell * ''Women in White'' (1979) as Dr Karen Fletcher * ''Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders II'' (1980) as Suzanne Mitchell * ''Power'' (1980) as Norma Greer * ''Scruples'' (1980) as Eliza (unsold pilot)

Film appearances

*'' None But the Brave'' (1965) as Lorie, Dennis's fiancée (uncredited) *'' 40 Guns to Apache Pass'' (1967) as Ellen Malone *'' Hellfighters'' (1968) as Helen Meadows *'' The Thousand Plane Raid'' (1969) as WAC Lieutenant Gabrielle "Gabby" Ames

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, Laraine Living people 20th-century American actresses American film actresses American television actresses Actresses from Oakland, California 21st-century American women 1941 births