Gayle Jenkins, Lady Jenkins (''née'' Hunnicutt; born February 6, 1943) is an American retired film, television and stage actress. She has made more than 30 film appearances.

Early life and education

The daughter of Colonel Sam Lloyd Hunnicutt and Mary Virginia (née Dickerson) Hunnicutt, she was born in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. Accord ...

. Hunnicutt attended the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California S ...

on a scholarship to study English literature and theatre. She worked as a fashion model, then became an actress.

Career

Acting

During her film career, Hunnicutt was typecast as a brunette sexpot. She portrayed Emaline Fetty, a con woman trying to extort money from the Clampetts in two episodes of ''

The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family f ...

'' in 1966. She co-starred with

James Garner James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including ''The Great Escape (film), The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy ...

in the detective film ''

Marlowe Marlowe may refer to: Name * Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593), English dramatist, poet and translator * Philip Marlowe, fictional hardboiled detective created by author Raymond Chandler * Marlowe (name), including list of people and characters w ...

'' (1969), in which her character was a glamorous Hollywood actress. After she moved to England with husband David Hemmings in 1970, Hunnicutt was able to use the finer range of her acting. She and Hemmings co-starred in two horror films in the early 1970's, ''

Fragment of Fear ''Fragment of Fear'' is a 1970 British thriller film directed by Richard C. Sarafian and starring David Hemmings, Gayle Hunnicutt, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Roland Culver, Flora Robson and Arthur Lowe. It was adapted from the 1965 novel '' A Fragme ...

'' (1970) and '' Voices'' (1973). She had a prominent role as Charlotte Stant in

Jack Pulman Jack Pulman (11 July 1925 – 20 May 1979) was an award-winning British television screenwriter, most famous for the critically acclaimed 1976 BBC television series, ''I, Claudius'', based on the novels ''I, Claudius'' and ''Claudius the God' ...

's television adaptation of

Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...

's novel ''

The Golden Bowl ''The Golden Bowl'' is a 1904 novel by Henry James. Set in England, this complex, intense study of marriage and adultery completes what some critics have called the "major phase" of James's career. ''The Golden Bowl'' explores the tangle of int ...

'' (1972). She played Lionel's wife in ''

The Legend of Hell House ''The Legend of Hell House'' is a 1973 supernatural horror film directed by John Hough, and starring Pamela Franklin, Roddy McDowall, Clive Revill, and Gayle Hunnicutt. It follows a group of researchers who spend a week in the former home of a ...

'' (1973) and Tsarina Alexandra in the television miniseries ''

Fall of Eagles ''Fall of Eagles'' is a 13-part British television drama aired by the BBC in 1974. The series was created by John Elliot and produced by Stuart Burge. The series portrays historical events from 1848 to 1918, dealing with the ruling dynasties of ...

'' (1974). She appeared as

Irene Adler Irene Adler is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A former opera singer and actress, she was featured in the short story " A Scandal in Bohemia", published in July 1891. Adler is one of the ...

, opposite Jeremy Brett, in the first episode of the TV series ''

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes ''The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' is a collection of twelve short stories by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle, first published on 14 October 1892. It contains the earliest short stories featuring the consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, w ...

'' (" A Scandal in Bohemia", 1984). She also appeared in another Marlowe mystery in an episode of HBO's ''

Philip Marlowe, Private Eye ''Philip Marlowe, Private Eye'' is an American mystery series that aired on HBO in the United States from April 16, 1983 through June 3, 1986, and on ITV in the United Kingdom. The series features Powers Boothe as Raymond Chandler's title char ...

'' (1983), this time starring

Powers Boothe Powers Allen Boothe (June 1, 1948 – May 14, 2017) was an American actor. He won an Emmy in 1980 for his portrayal of Jim Jones in '' Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones''. He also played saloon owner Cy Tolliver on '' Deadwood'', "C ...

. She had a supporting role in the thriller ''

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, f ...

'' (1985), co-starring Gene Hackman and Matt Dillon. Hunnicutt returned to the United States in 1989 to play the role of Vanessa Beaumont in ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'' until 1991. In 2012, Hunnicutt was featured in an episode of the HGTV reality show '' Selling London''.

Writing

Hunnicutt has written two books. The first, ''Health and Beauty in Motherhood'', was published in 1984. In 2004, she published ''Dearest Virginia: Love Letters from a Cavalry Officer in the South Pacific'', which contains the letters exchanged by her parents during World War II.

Personal life

On November 16, 1968, Hunnicutt married British actor David Hemmings, with whom she had a son, the actor

Nolan Hemmings Nolan Hemmings (born 1970) is an English stage and film actor. He is known for his role as Charles E. Grant in '' Band of Brothers''. Early life Hemmings is the son of British actor/director David Hemmings and American actress Gayle Hunnicutt. ...

; they divorced in 1975. Hunnicutt married journalist Simon Jenkins in 1978. The couple lived in

Primrose Hill Primrose Hill is a Grade II listed public park located north of Regent's Park in London, England, first opened to the public in 1842.Mills, A., ''Dictionary of London Place Names'', (2001) It was named after the natural hill in the centre of ...

, London, where they raised their son Edward. Jenkins was appointed a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are th ...

for services to journalism in the 2004

New Year honours The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, with New Year's Day, 1 January, being marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. A number of other Commonwealth realms also mark this ...

. They divorced in 2009. In 2010, she started dating Richard Evans, tennis correspondent of ''The Daily Telegraph''.

Filmography

*''

The Wild Angels ''The Wild Angels'' is a 1966 American outlaw biker film produced and directed by Roger Corman. Made on location in Southern California, ''The Wild Angels'' was the first film to associate actor Peter Fonda with Harley-Davidson motorcycles an ...

'' (1966) as Suzie *'' P.J.'' (1968) as Maureen Preble *''The Smugglers'' (1968 TV film) as Adrianna *'' Eye of the Cat'' (1969) as Kassia Lancaster *''

'' (1969) as Mavis Wald *''

'' (1970) as Juliet Bristow *'' Freelance'' (1971) as Chris *'' The Love Machine'' (1971) as Astrological girl at party (uncredited) *'' Running Scared'' (1972) as Ellen Case *'' Voices'' (1973) as Claire *'' Scorpio'' (1973) as Susan *''

'' (1973) as Ann Barrett *''

Nuits rouges ''Nuits Rouges'' is a 1974 French-Italian crime and thriller film directed by Georges Franju. The film was released in the U.S. in an English-dubbed version by New Line Cinema under the title ''Shadowman'' in 1975. Cast * Gayle Hunnicutt as La ...

'' aka ''Shadowman'' (1974) *'' The Spiral Staircase'' (1975) as Blanche *'' Strange Shadows in an Empty Room'' (1976) as Margie Cohn *'' The Sell Out'' (1976) as Deborah *''Once in Paris...'' (1978) as Susan Townsend *''The Saint and the Brave Goose'' (1979) as Annabelle West *''Flashpoint Africa'' (1980) as Lisa Ford *''The Million Dollar Face'' (1981 TV film) as Diana Masterson *''

Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Fifteen Years Later Affair'' is a 1983 American made-for-television action-adventure film based on the 1964–1968 television series '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' starring Robert Vaughn and David McCa ...

'' (1983 TV film) as Andrea Mackovich *''Savage in the Orient'' (1983 TV film) as Julian Clydesdale *''Two by Forsyth'' (1984 TV film) *''

'' (1985) as Donna Lloyd *''

Dream Lover "Dream Lover" is a song written by Bobby Darin. Darin recorded his composition on March 5, 1959 and released it as a single the following month. It was produced by Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler and engineered by Tom Dowd. Song background In a ...

'' (1986) as Claire *'' Turnaround'' (1987) as Pat *'' Silence Like Glass'' (1989) as Mrs. Martin *''

Hard to Be a God ''Hard to Be a God'' (russian: Трудно быть богом, translit=''Trudno byt' bogom'') is a 1964 science-fiction novel by the Soviet writers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, set in the Noon Universe. Premise and themes The novel follow ...

'' (1989)

Television

* ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' (TV series, 1966) She portrayed Emaline Fetty, a con woman trying to extort money from the Clampetts in two episodes. * '' Get Smart: It Takes One to Know One'' (1966–67) as Octavia, a KAOS agent. * ''

'' (TV miniseries, 1972) as Charlotte Slant * ''The Ripening Seed'' (1973) as Madame Dalleray * ''

'' (TV miniseries, 1974) as Tsarina Alexandra * '' Thriller'' ("K Is for Killing", 1974) as Suzy Buckley * ''Dylan'' (1978) as Liz Reitel * ''

Return of the Saint ''Return of the Saint'' is a British action-adventure television series that aired for one series in 1978 and 1979 in Britain on ITV, and was also broadcast on CBS in the United States. It was co-produced by ITC Entertainment and the Italian b ...

'' (1979) as Annabelle West * ''A Man Called Intrepid'' (TV miniseries, 1979) as Cynthia * ' (French TV miniseries, 1980's) as Lady Beltham * ''The Martian Chronicles'' (TV miniseries, 1980) as Ruth Wilder * ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...

'' (“The Mallory Quest/Julie, the Vamp/The Offer”, 1980) as Janet Mallory * ''

Taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

'' (1983) as Mrs. Bascome * '' Tales of the Unexpected'' ("The Luncheon", 1983) as Susan Mandeville * ''

'' ("A Scandal In Bohemia", 1984) as

* '' The First Olympics: Athens 1896'' (TV miniseries, 1984) as Mary Sloane * '' A Woman of Substance'' (TV miniseries, 1985) as Olivia Wainright * ''Strong Medicine'' (1986) as Lillian Hawthorne * '' Dream West'' (TV miniseries, 1986) as Maria Crittenden * ''

'' (1989–1991) as Vanessa Beaumont * '' The Saint: The Brazilian Connection'' (1989) as Mrs. Cunningham

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hunnicutt, Gayle 1943 births 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Texas American expatriate actresses in the United Kingdom Female models from Texas American film actresses American health and wellness writers American stage actresses American television actresses Living people People from Fort Worth, Texas University of California, Los Angeles alumni Actresses from Fort Worth, Texas American emigrants to England Wives of knights