Biography
Though the Rank Organization starlet had been imported to the United States by 20th Century Fox to play Elvis Presley's love interest in "Flaming Star" (1960), Steele proved an ill-fit for the Hollywood cookie cutter and was replaced after a week of shooting. An actor's strike drove Steele back to Europe, where her haunting beauty was used to good effect in a string of Gothic horror films, beginning with Mario Bava's "Black Sunday" (1960). In …
Latest Tv Credits
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Career Milestones
1991 | Reprised the role of Julia Hoffman for the short-lived series revival of "Dark Shadows" | |
1991 | Starred as Dr. Julia Hoffman on Dan Curtis' NBC miniseries revival of the 1960s ABC supernatural soap opera "Dark Shadows" | |
1989 | Served as producer of the epic sequel miniseries "War and Remembrance" (also acted) | |
1983 | US TV producing debut, served as an associate producer on the hugely successful ABC epic miniseries "The Winds of War" (also acted); first collaboration with producer-writer-director Dan Curtis | |
1980 | Retired from features after the death of her ex-husband, screenwriter James Poe | |
1980 | Last film role, "Silent Scream"; played mute family member kept in attic | |
1978 | Played Dr. Mengers, a military officer, in Joe Dante's "Piranha" (scripted by John Sayles) | |
1978 | Played one of the New Orleans prostitutes in Louis Malle's "Pretty Baby" | |
1977 | Rare mainstream Hollywood supporting role in "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden"; most of her footage was cut from the final version of the film | |
1975 | Played a small memorable role in "They Came From Within/Shivers/Frissons", an early horror feature from Canadian writer-director David Cronenberg | |
1974 | Starred as a sadistic, repressed lesbian warden in Jonathan Demme's directorial debut "Caged Heat", a slightly superior exploitation flick | |
1969 | US TV acting debut, "Honeymoon With a Stranger", an ABC mystery TV-movie | |
1966 | Acted in Volker Schlondorff's "Young Torless", a French-West German co-production; played what was reportedly her favorite film role--a prostitute visited by a boarding school student | |
1962 | Answered an open casting call and won a role in Federico Fellini's "8 1/2"; played the small but memorable role of mistress of one of the protagonist's friends; Fellini reportedly wanted her for more scenes but she was committed to leaving Rome for a starring role in "The Horrible Dr. Hitchcock"; one of the rare early films in which her voice was not dubbed | |
1961 | US film debut, Roger Corman's "The Pit and the Pendulum"; voice dubbed by another actress | |
1960 | Debut in starring role, "Black Sunday/Mask of Satan/La Maschera Del Demonio", an Italian film about witchcraft; first horror role; directorial debut for Mario Bava (released in US in 1961) | |
1958 | Feature acting debut, a one line bit part as a student in the British comedy "Bachelor of Hearts" | |
1957 | Joined an acting repertory company | |
| Studied to become a painter | ||
Awards
1989 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries in War and Remembrance |