Biography for
Paula Prentiss More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

4 March 1938, San Antonio, Texas, USA

Birth Name

Paula Ragusa

Height

5' 10" (1.78 m)

Mini Biography

Discovered by a talent scout at Northwestern University in 1958, Paula Prentiss was signed by Metro Goldwyn Mayer and teamed with Jim Hutton in a string of comedies. She rapidly became one of the best American comediennes of the 1960s. Her funny voice inflexions, free acting style and brunette good looks established her as a leading lady in comedies of the screwball type, although she is very good at dramatic roles, too. Not much attracted to the Hollywood scene, she has retired from films on several occasions, due also to illness and motherhood, but she is always admired and welcome whenever she makes a comeback. She and her husband, the actor and director Richard Benjamin are the parents of Ross Benjamin and Prentiss Benjamin.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Edgar Soberón Torchia <cimas@sinfo.net>

Spouse

Richard Benjamin

(26 October 1961 - present) 2 children

Trivia

Older sister of actress Ann Prentiss. Ann displayed acute signs of emotional and mental problems in later years and in 1997 was convicted in a Santa Monica, California court of terrorizing her family, making terrorist threats, assault with a firearm, battery, and solicitation to commit the murder of Paula's husband, Richard Benjamin, and their own father. Ann was sentenced to 19 years in jail for the crimes. She died in 2010.

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#91). [1995]

Chosen by Cannes Film Festival as one of the "500 Names that Made Cannes". [1999]

Member of Pi Beta Phi sorority

Mother of Ross Benjamin and Prentiss Benjamin.

Paula and Penny Fuller were both in the play, "Wonderful Town", at Northwestern University, where they both were students.

Personal Quotes

One day during shooting [What's New Pussycat (1965)], I just climbed up the ropes to the catwalk and started walking the beams. Very loudly and clearly I called down to everyone on the set, 'I'm going to jump.' A French technician grabbed me, and there I was, hanging by one arm. [After transfer to the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic in New York]: It was horrendous. You're crazy because they say you're crazy. It was especially horrible because I couldn't figure out how to do what they wanted me to so I could get out.

"He & She" (1967) was worth it after what we'd been through. By working together we learned to live with each other again. It took me a long time to find myself and I'm still looking around corners to see if I'm there. I used to wonder, why does Dick love me? After the baby [Ross Benjamin] was born, I could turn around and see it in myself.

Before I had the baby [Ross Benjamin] I felt lonely going to work. Now I have deeper, more generous feelings. I feel whole, like a human being.