Nancy Kovack

Kovak was born in Flint, Michigan.[1] Her father was the manager of a General Motors plant.[2] She enrolled at the University of Michigan when she was 15 years old and graduated by age 19. She was an active participant in beauty contests, winning eight titles by the time she was 20.

Kovack became interested in acting when after visiting New York City to attend a wedding. After working as a model, she became one of the Glee Girls for Jackie Gleason.[3]

She has appeared on a number of television series including Star Trek, Bewitched (playing Darrin Stephens' ex-girlfriend and Samantha's nemesis, Sheila Sommers), Batman (episodes 5 and 6), I Dream of Jeannie, Get Smart,[4] Perry Mason, 12 O'Clock High, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Invaders (episode "Task Force" (1967)), Burke's Law,[5] Family Affair (episode "Family Plan" (1968)) and Hawaii Five-O (episode "Face of the Dragon" (1969)). She appeared in a key role as a sexy native medicine woman and femme fatale in one of the most sobering of the original Star Trek episodes, "A Private Little War" (1968). In 1969, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for an appearance on Mannix.[6]

In addition to her guest appearances on television programs, Kovack was hostess of the game show Beat the Clock.[7]

As her profile increased, Kovack began to gain roles in Hollywood movies, most notably as the high priestess Medea in Jason and the Argonauts (1963). She also had roles in Diary of a Madman (1963) with Vincent Price, The Outlaws Is Coming (1965) with The Three Stooges, Sylvia (1965), 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).[5]

On Broadway, she appeared in The Disenchanted. Her last film role was in Marooned (1969), a science-fiction drama. Credited as Nancy Mehta, she played the murder victim in the made-for-TV movie/series pilot Ellery Queen (also known as Too Many Suspects; 1975).[5]

Besides her acting in the United States, Kovack starred in three films that were made in Iran.[8]

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. Until 2006, the Mehtas spent some months of the year in residence in Munich, Germany, where Mr. Mehta was the music director of the Bavarian State Opera. Mehta is currently music director for life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra[9] and the main conductor for Valencia's opera house. Mehta is also the chief conductor of the Maggio Musicale festival in Florence, Italy.[10]

Susan McDougal (known for being a part of the Whitewater controversy) worked as Kovack's personal assistant in the early 1990s. 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.[11]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nancy Kovack.

• Nancy Kovack on IMDb
• Nancy Kovack at the Internet Broadway Database
• Nancy Kovack profile, cultsirens.com; accessed February 16, 2015.
• Nancy Kovack at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• Nancy Kovack at AllMovie