Person Biography:
Connie Stevens, born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingolia, is a Brooklyn-born actress, singer, and businesswoman of Italian/Sicilian and Irish descent. She is the daughter of Eleanor McGinley and Teddy Stevens, a band singer and jazz musician, respectively. After her parents divorced, Connie was raised by her grandparents.
She began her career in the entertainment industry in the late 1950s, forming a vocal quartet called "The Foremost" with three men, who later became part of the popular group The Lettermen. She then moved to Hollywood, where she formed another vocal group, "The Three Debs," while working as an extra in films.
Connie's breakthrough role came when comedian Jerry Lewis cast her in his comedy "Rock-a-Bye Baby" (1958). She then landed a starring role in the TV series "Hawaiian Eye" (1959) as "Cricket Blake," a singer/photographer, and became an instant teen idol.
In the 1960s, Connie attempted to broaden her image with more serious roles in films like "Susan Slade" (1961),"Parrish" (1961),"Palm Springs Weekend" (1963),and "Two on a Guillotine" (1965). She also appeared in TV shows, westerns, and game shows.
In the 1970s, Connie refocused on her singing career, performing in nightclubs and hotels, and eventually became a Las Vegas headlining act. She also appeared in a few films, including "Never Too Late" (1965) and "Way... Way Out" (1966),again with Jerry Lewis.
In the 1980s, Connie continued to work in film and television, appearing in TV movies, episodic shows, and films like "Grease 2" (1982) and "Back to the Beach" (1987). She also married singer Eddie Fisher and had two daughters, Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher, who both became actresses.
After experiencing financial difficulties in the 1990s, Connie launched a successful career in the infomercial industry, creating her own beauty line and turning her financial situation around. She has since appeared in a few films and TV shows, including "Love Is All There Is" (1996),"James Dean: Race with Destiny" (1997),and "Search Engines" (2016),which starred her daughter Joely.
Connie has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was elected secretary-treasurer of the Screen Actors Guild in 2005. She has been out of the limelight since suffering a stroke in 2016, but made a brief return to films with "By the Rivers of Babylon" (2025),again with Joely.
