Nancy Walters

Nancy Walters (born Nancy Driver[1] on June 26, 1933 – September 29, 2009) was an American model, actress and minister.

Walters on Strike It Rich in 1957

Early years

Walters was born in Mount Plymouth, Florida, and brought up near Mount Plymouth and Zellwood, Florida.[2] A bone infection that was incurred when she was four years old prevented her from standing until her teenage years.[3] When she was seven years old, she spent eight months in a hospital for treatment of the infection.[4] After she finished high school, she went to secretarial school and took a business law class, both of which were in line with her plans to be a lawyer's secretary.[5]

Career

Her career in modeling included appearances in magazines, including Glamour, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar,[5] and Mademoiselle.[6]

In 1955, Walters left modeling and began working on the NBC game show The Big Payoff.[7] In 1958 she was also on the CBS show Strike It Rich.[8]

Walters polished her acting skills in productions at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.[9] On Broadway, she performed as a singer in Ankles Aweigh (1955).[10] A 1957 newspaper article described her as a protege of Bernie Wayne.[11]

In 1960, Walters signed a film contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with her first film for that studio being Bells Are Ringing (1960).[12] She was in several movies including Blue Hawaii, The Singing Nun and Monster on the Campus. Over the years she was a guest star on several television shows, including 77 Sunset Strip, Gunsmoke, The Monkees, and Get Smart.[13] Her film and television career ended after 1967.

After her husband was killed in Vietnam, Walters joined an evangelical group.[14] She became an ordained minister and was living in Las Vegas, Nevada when she died at the age of 76.[15]

Personal life

On March 10, 1962, Walters married Lt. Paul Warren Payne, a jet pilot in the U.S. Navy, in Las Vegas, Nevada.[16]

Recognition

Walters was one of 13 actresses selected as Deb Stars of 1958.[17]

References
  1. Wadsworth, Charlie (June 13, 1961). "Hush Puppies". The Orlando Sentinel. Florida, Orlando. p. 18. Retrieved July 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "In Movies". The Orlando Sentinel. Florida, Orlando. January 31, 1958. p. 3. Retrieved July 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Nancy Walters". Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Pennsylvania, Williamsport. September 22, 1959. p. 9. Retrieved July 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Rand, Sumner (June 5, 1960). "Nancy Walters Gets Her Big Chance". The Orlando Sentinel. Florida, Orlando. p. 46. Retrieved July 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Star Once A Cripple". Quad-City Times. Iowa, Davenport. October 30, 1960. p. 64. Retrieved July 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Elvis' Women;Nancy Walters". Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  7. Wilson, Earl (November 12, 1955). "It Happened Last Night". Courier-Post. New Jersey, Camden. p. 5. Retrieved July 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Nancy Walters: The Private Life". Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  9. "Nancy Walters Gets Contract at MGM". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. June 3, 1959. p. 41. Retrieved July 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Nancy Walters". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  11. "Career Looms". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. March 9, 1957. p. 23. Retrieved July 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Contract for Model". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. May 11, 1960. p. 13. Retrieved July 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Internet Movie Database". Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  14. Campbell, Ramsey (February 16, 2003). "Acting Bug Bites Again". The Orlando Sentinel. Florida, Orlando. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  15. "Elvis' Women:Nancy Walters". Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  16. "Nancy Walters Weds Jet Pilot In Las Vegas". Orlando Evening Star. Florida, Orlando. April 2, 1962. p. 3. Retrieved July 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Future Stars". Idaho State Journal. Idaho, Pocatello. September 28, 1958. p. 32. Retrieved July 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.


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