- Marsha Hunt, Vampira (US: Old Drac), 1974. Also seen for Old David Niven’s countess, who suddenly turns black (and beautiful) after a faulty blood-transfusion in the (limp) UK comedy seen (by the US, only) as a (late) riposte to Mel Brooks, circa 1974. “If you liked Young Frankenstein, you’ll love…” (Hardly!)
- Catherine Schell, Space: 1999, TV, 1976-1978. Teresa was the Halle Berry of her day… as Christie Love on film and TV series… Direct from quitting Mission: Impossible, Martin Landau and his wife, Barbara Bain, studied the other casing. More trouble than they were worth, they did not want anyone pinching their shine. US writer Fred Freiberger (credited as a more English-sounding Charles Woodgrove) wanted Teresa Graves or the singer Brenda Arnau as Maya, the Moonbase Alpha science officr. However, CBS was worried about their third lead being Black.. Francesca Annis was also in the mix but the married creator-producer team of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson called back Schell, who had played a different alien in the opening episode, Guardian of Piri. Catherine wasn’t sure about a series – “greed won out in the end.”
Birth year: 1948Death year: 2002Other name: Casting Calls: 2