Nancy Kovack

She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for an appearance on Mannix.

• Name — Nancy Kovack • Born — 11 March 1936 • Birthplace — Flint, Michigan, U.S. • Education — University of Michigan • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1958–1976 • Credits — *Medea in Jason and the Argonauts • Femme fatale in Star Trek "A Private Little War" • Emmy Award nomination as Barbara Sonderman in Mannix

In 1936, Nancy Kovack was born in Flint, Michigan. Her father, Michael A. Kovack, was the manager of a General Motors plant. With an alleged IQ of 152, Kovack graduated high school early, entering the University of Michigan at the age of 15 and graduating in 1955, when she was 19. Kovack worked as a model and beauty queen, ultimately becoming one of the Glee Girls for Jackie Gleason and a hostess on the game show Beat the Clock.

In 1958, Kovack appeared in the original Broadway production of The Disenchanted. Kovack also starred in Hollywood film roles, such as Strangers When We Meet (1960) with Kirk Douglas and Kim Novak. • Illustration — Kovack as Medea in Jason and the Argonauts (1963). One of Kovack's most notable early film roles was as the high priestess Medea in Jason and the Argonauts (1963). Kovack also starred in other 1960s films and episodes, including Diary of a Madman (1963) with Vincent Price, The Outlaws Is Coming (1965) with The Three Stooges, Sylvia (1965) with Carroll Baker, The Great Sioux Massacre (1965), The Silencers (1966) with Dean Martin, Tarzan and the Valley of Gold (1966) with Mike Henry, Frankie and Johnny (1966) with Elvis Presley, and Carl Reiner's directorial debut, Enter Laughing (1967). Kovack spent years in Iran, and starred in three films that were made there, returning to the United States in 1968. Kovack appeared on a number of television series including Bewitched (3 episodes, playing both Darrin Stephens' ex-girlfriend and Samantha Stephens' nemesis, Sheila Sommers and Darrin's Italian client Clio Vanita), Batman (episodes 5 and 6), I Dream of Jeannie, Get Smart, Perry Mason, 12 O'Clock High, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Invaders (episode "Task Force" (1967)), Burke's Law, Family Affair (episode "Family Plan" (1968)), The Name of the Game, and Hawaii Five-O (episode "Face of the Dragon" (1969)). Kovack notably appeared in a key role as a native medicine woman and femme fatale in one of the original Star Trek episodes, "A Private Little War" (1968). In 1969, Kovack was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for an appearance in the Mannix episode Sing a Song of Murder (S7E9). Kovack's last film role was in Marooned (1969), a science-fiction drama starring Gregory Peck and Gene Hackman. Credited as Nancy Mehta, she played the murder victim in the TV movie/series pilot Ellery Queen (also known as Too Many Suspects, 1975).

In 1969, Kovack married Indian conductor Zubin Mehta, who was music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and later the music director of the New York Philharmonic. Kovack left Hollywood primarily to prioritize her marriage and family. Until 2006, Kovack and Mehta spent some months of the year in residence in Munich, Germany, where Mehta was the music director of the Bavarian State Opera. As of 1978, Kovack was reportedly a Christian Scientist. In the early 1990s, Susan McDougal worked as Kovack's personal assistant. After her employment ended, Kovack took legal action against McDougal for alleged embezzlement. McDougal was acquitted in 1998 on all twelve charges. A suit by McDougal in 1999 for malicious prosecution ended in a settlement.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1960 — Strangers When We Meet — Marcia • 1961 — Cry for Happy — Camille Cameron • 1962 — The Wild Westerners — Rose Sharon • 1963 — Diary of a Madman — Odette Mallotte • Jason and the Argonauts — Medea • 1965 — The Outlaws Is Coming — Annie Oakley • The Great Sioux Massacre — Libbie Custer • 1966 — The Silencers — Barbara • Frankie and Johnny — Nellie Bly • Tarzan and the Valley of Gold — Sophia Renault • Diamond 33 — Linda • 1967 — Enter Laughing — Linda aka Mrs. B • Town's Hero • 1968 — Shab-e-fereshtegan • 1969 — Marooned — Teresa Stone

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1958 — The Verdict Is Yours — Prizefighter's Girl — Episode: "Morris vs. Dakis" • 1959-1961 — The United States Steel Hour — Various — 3 episodes • 1963 — Kraft Mystery Theater — Episode: "Talk to My Partner" • Kraft Suspense Theatre — Melinda Davis — Episode: "The Name of the Game" • 1963-1965 — Burke's Law — Various — 4 episodes • 1963-1966 — Perry Mason — Dina Brandt/Carla Rinaldi — 2 episodes • 1964 — The Alfred Hitchcock Hour — Karen Osterman — Episode: "The Second Verdict" • 12 O’Clock High — Lt. Irene Cooper — Episode: "Appointment at Liege" • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre — Sheila DeNault — Episode: "Parties to the Crime" • Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea — Monique — Episode: "Hail to the Chief" • 1964–1969 — Bewitched — Sheila Sommers/Clio Vanita — 5 episodes • 1965 — Honey West — Nicole — 2 episodes • I Dream of Jeannie — Rita Mitchell — Episode: "The Moving Finger" • 1965-1966 — The Man from U.N.C.L.E. — Victoria Progue/Miss Flostone — 2 episodes • 1966 — Batman — Queenie — Episode: "The Joker is Wild/Batman is Riled" • The Wackiest Ship in the Army — Marie/Coral — Episode: "The Ghost of Lord Nelson-San" • 1966-1968 — The F.B.I. — Miss Grace Kagle/Ava Ritter — 2 episodes • 1967 — I-Spy — Bronwyn — Episode: "Apollo" • 1967 — The Invaders — June Murray — Episode: "Task Force" • 1968 — Star Trek: The Original Series — Nona — Episode: "A Private Little War" • Family Affair — Michelle Reid — Episode: "Family Plan" • 1969 — Get Smart — Sonja — Episodes: "The Day They Raided the Knights" • Hawaii Five-O — Dr. Alexandria Kemp — Episode: "Face of the Dragon" • 1969-1973 — Mannix — Barbara Sonderman — 3 episodes • 1971 — Love, American Style — Shirley — Segment: "Love and the Rug" • 1975 — The Invisible Man — Carolyn Klae — Episode: "The Klae Dynasty" • 1976 — Cannon — Charlotte Frawley — Episode: "Blood Lines"