Wende Wagner(1941-1997)
- Actress
- Stunts
Beautiful, vibrant-looking 60s actress Wende Wagner (her real name) was
born in Connecticut in 1941. Of French, German and Native American
heritage, her exotic looks would later serve her well on TV and in
motion pictures. She inherited her athletic genes from her parents; her
father was a former Olympic swimming/diving coach turned Naval
Commander and her mother was a champion downhill skier.
The sweet-looking beauty entered the entertainment arena as a model and
made her TV debut in 1959 on the Wagon Train (1957) western series. Very much a
free spirit, she was more interested in surfing and traveling around
the world than a career. She combined both passions when she earned
work as an underwater female stunt double for Lloyd Bridges on his hit series
Sea Hunt (1958) as well as the TV series The Aquanauts (1960), which took her to ideal
tropical settings. She also stunted for such movies as September Storm (1960)
co-starring Joanne Dru and Mark Stevens.
On that movie set, she met and subsequently married fellow stunt diver
Courtney Brown (he was Mr. Stevens' double in that film), who coached her in
underwater shooting. They had a daughter, Tiffany. During this time,
they based their lives in the Bahamas where most of their shooting
occurred. They divorced, however, after a short time and she returned
to Hollywood where she won the role of an Apache girl in the movie
Rio Conchos (1964) with Richard Boone, Anthony Franciosa and Stuart Whitman. A few years later, she
married actor James Mitchum, Robert Mitchum's eldest son, but they too split.
Wende's career continued in the 60s with a couple of movies and a role
in the The Green Hornet (1966) TV adventure series but she eventually dropped out of
sight. Little was heard from her until reports of her death from cancer
in 1997.
born in Connecticut in 1941. Of French, German and Native American
heritage, her exotic looks would later serve her well on TV and in
motion pictures. She inherited her athletic genes from her parents; her
father was a former Olympic swimming/diving coach turned Naval
Commander and her mother was a champion downhill skier.
The sweet-looking beauty entered the entertainment arena as a model and
made her TV debut in 1959 on the Wagon Train (1957) western series. Very much a
free spirit, she was more interested in surfing and traveling around
the world than a career. She combined both passions when she earned
work as an underwater female stunt double for Lloyd Bridges on his hit series
Sea Hunt (1958) as well as the TV series The Aquanauts (1960), which took her to ideal
tropical settings. She also stunted for such movies as September Storm (1960)
co-starring Joanne Dru and Mark Stevens.
On that movie set, she met and subsequently married fellow stunt diver
Courtney Brown (he was Mr. Stevens' double in that film), who coached her in
underwater shooting. They had a daughter, Tiffany. During this time,
they based their lives in the Bahamas where most of their shooting
occurred. They divorced, however, after a short time and she returned
to Hollywood where she won the role of an Apache girl in the movie
Rio Conchos (1964) with Richard Boone, Anthony Franciosa and Stuart Whitman. A few years later, she
married actor James Mitchum, Robert Mitchum's eldest son, but they too split.
Wende's career continued in the 60s with a couple of movies and a role
in the The Green Hornet (1966) TV adventure series but she eventually dropped out of
sight. Little was heard from her until reports of her death from cancer
in 1997.