Nancy Kovack (born March 11, 1936) is a retired American film and television actress.
Starting in Broadway, she gained roles in films with one of her notable early roles being the high priestess Medea in Jason and the Argonauts (1963). She continued with several film roles including in such films as Frankie and Johnny (1966) with Elvis Presley, but also appeared on many TV shows including as a femme fatale in one of the original Star Trek episodes, "A Private Little War" (1968). She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for an appearance on Mannix.
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Early life
In 1936, Nancy Kovack was born in Flint, Michigan. Her father, Michael A. Kovack, was the manager of a General Motors plant.
With an alleged IQ of 152, Kovack graduated high school early, entering the University of Michigan at the age of 15 and graduating in 1955, when she was 19.
Kovack worked as a model and beauty queen, ultimately becoming one of the Glee Girls for Jackie Gleason and a hostess on the game show Beat the Clock.
Acting career
In 1958, Kovack appeared in the original Broadway production of The Disenchanted.
Kovack also starred in Hollywood film roles, such as Strangers When We Meet (1960) with Kirk Douglas and Kim Novak.
One of Kovack's most notable early film roles was as the high priestess Medea in Jason and the Argonauts (1963).
Kovack also starred in other 1960s films and episodes, including Diary of a Madman (1963) with Vincent Price, The Outlaws Is Coming (1965) with The Three Stooges, Sylvia (1965) with Carroll Baker, 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).
Kovack spent 2+1⁄2 years in Iran, and starred in three films that were made there, returning to the United States in 1968.
Kovack appeared on a number of television series including Bewitched (3 episodes, playing both Darrin Stephens' ex-girlfriend and Samantha Stephens' nemesis, Sheila Sommers and Darrin's Italian client Clio Vanita), Batman (episodes 5 and 6), I Dream of Jeannie, Get Smart, Perry Mason, 12 O'Clock High, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Invaders (episode "Task Force" (1967)), Burke's Law, Family Affair (episode "Family Plan" (1968)), The Name of the Game, and Hawaii Five-O (episode "Face of the Dragon" (1969)).
Kovack notably appeared in a key role as a native medicine woman and femme fatale in one of the original Star Trek episodes, "A Private Little War" (1968).
In 1969, Kovack was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for an appearance in the Mannix episode Sing a Song of Murder (S7E9).
Kovack's last film role was in Marooned (1969), a science-fiction drama starring Gregory Peck and Gene Hackman. Credited as Nancy Mehta, she played the murder victim in the TV movie/series pilot Ellery Queen (also known as Too Many Suspects, 1975).
Personal life
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.
Kovack left Hollywood primarily to prioritize her marriage and family.
Until 2006, Kovack and Mehta spent some months of the year in residence in Munich, Germany, where Mehta was the music director of the Bavarian State Opera.
As of 1978, Kovack was reportedly a Christian Scientist.
In the early 1990s, Susan McDougal worked as Kovack's personal assistant. 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.
