1960s starlet and Elvis Presleys costar begged Playboy not to publish racy pics after her big break in Hollywood
Stella Stevens was in dire need of a paycheck when Playboy came calling.The actress, who was groomed to be the next Marilyn Monroe before she made her own mark during the final years of Hollywood’s golden era, died in 2023 at age 84. She’s now the subject of a new documentary by her son Andrew Stevens, “Stella Stevens: The Last Starlet.” It features commentary by Quentin Tarantino and Vivica A.Fox, among others.In the film, viewers learn how Stevens, who had a young son to feed, took an offer to pose nude for the magazine.
It cemented her role as a sought-after screen siren, but it came at a price.“She was alone in Hollywood, barely 18 years [and] broke with no source of income,” Andrew told Fox News Digital. “A photographer and his wife came to her, and they said, ‘We shoot for this magazine called Playboy, and we’ll pay you $5,000 if you do a layout.’ Stella said, ‘It was a job, and I needed a job.I had a child to support.
I was a single person living in LA and I didn’t know anyone.So I took the work.’”Before stripping down, Stevens was discovered at a department store in Memphis.
She was flown to Hollywood for a screen test and then signed a three-year contract with 20th Century Fox.While Stevens filmed three movies in six months, she was dropped by the studio over a work card technicality.Despite the $5,000 offer, Stevens said Playboy founder Hugh Hefner told her after the racy shoot that he would only pay her half.
To earn the rest, she had to work as a hostess at one of his clubs.“She’s quoted as saying, ‘I told him to shove it, I will not,’” said Andrew.Stevens signed a new contract with Paramount.She scored a co-starring role in “Li’l Abner” as Appassionata Von Climax.
She was determined to get her photos back before they went to print. “She called Hugh Hefner and said, ‘I have this big Hollywood movie now… please don’t publish the photos.I’ll buy them back from you,’” said Andrew.
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