Leslie Graves

Leslie Marie Graves (September 29, 1959 – August 23, 1995) was an American actress.

This article is about the American actress. For the nonprofit executive, see Leslie Graves (nonprofit executive).
Leslie Graves
Born
Leslie Marie Graves

(1959-09-29)September 29, 1959
Silver City, New Mexico
DiedAugust 23, 1995(1995-08-23) (aged 35)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Height4 ft 11 in (1.50 m)
Spouse(s)Jerry Schoenkopf

Early years

Leslie Graves's father, Michael Graves, was a theatre actor and introduced her to the entertainment industry when she was about 10. She started her career with a small role in the Broadway play A Cry of Players (1968–1969), written by William Gibson, and then she moved to acting for TV series, including Sesame Street (1969, first 13 episodes), The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1971, in the episode titled "Baby Sit-Com"), and Here We Go Again (1973),.[1]

In the late 1970s, she left Hollywood, supposedly to move with a boyfriend to Texas, where she worked on a shrimp boat for three years.[2]

Career

Graves's return to Hollywood in early 1980 was marked by some nude photoshoots. Phillip Dixon shot her for Oui, a Playboy corporation affiliate and put her on the cover in November 1980 and again in May 1981 with a shoot by five photographers). At that time, rumors arose about her involvement with Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione and an argument with Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner.[2][3]

She had small roles in two exploitation movies: Piranha II: The Spawning (1982) and Death Wish II (1982).[4] In 1982, CBS cast her in the role of Brenda Clegg in the daytime soap Capitol.

In late summer 1984, Graves left the CBS show due to a serious drug problem and a heroin overdose, but her departure was reported as stress-related. Her last public appearance was a nude photo shoot by Jean Rougeron published in the October 1984 issue of Oui.

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1970 Mary Tyler Moore Dee Dee TV series
1973 Here We Go Again Cindy Standish TV series
1981 Piranha II: The Spawning Allison Dumont directed by James Cameron
1982 Death Wish 2 Nirvana's Girl #2 directed by Michael Winner
1982-84 Capitol Brenda Clegg #1 TV series, final appearance

Personal life

Leslie Graves was married and had two children. On August 23, 1995, she died of an AIDS-related illness in Los Angeles.

References
  1. Bob Leszczak (2012). Single Season Sitcoms, 1948-1979: A Complete Guide. McFarland. ISBN 0786468122.
  2. Alice Koenisberg (1984). "Soaps' Young Sirens". Daytime TV Magazine.
  3. Jason Bonderoff (1987). Soap opera babylon. Perigee Books. ISBN 0-399-51291-8.
  4. Paul Talbot (2006). Bronson's Loose!: The Making of the Death Wish Films. iUniverse, Inc. ISBN 0595379826.
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