Darlene Tompkins (born Darlene Perfect; November 16, 1940 – July 18, 2019) was an American actress.
Biography Tompkins was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 16, 1940.Darlene Tompkins at the British Film Institute Her parents were divorced when she reached the age of five and she took the surname of her stepfather. Her family performed in plays and vaudeville, and she had an early goal to be a Hollywood actress. At the age of twelve she was mauled by a dog which left her very self-conscious: "I got my chest scarred up from that. I always wore blouses and sweatshirts to cover myself." To help overcome her shyness, she was entered into beauty contests by her mother. Her subsequent beauty pageant victories attracted some attention and she started modelling and appeared in commercials.
Her first acting role was in Beyond the Time Barrier (1960). She then co-starred opposite Elvis Presley in Blue Hawaii (1961). She had a role in My Six Loves (1963) and played parts in several television shows.
Her career was interrupted by her marriage to Larry McFall; they had two sons. She tried to resume acting again when their marriage ended in 1974, but by then she was in her thirties and had difficulty landing roles. After that she worked as an extra and stand-in. She also did stuntwork in Charlie's Angels and Starsky & Hutch. In 1983 she married Walter F Kightly and retired from acting, but was a regular at Elvis film festivals and conventions.
Tompkins and Kightly divorced in 2001 and Tompkins married for a third time in 2003. After suffering complications following a stroke, Tompkins was taken off life support and died on July 18, 2019.Darlene Tompkins at the British Film Institute She was survived by her third husband and sons.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1960 Wake Me When It's Over Girl in Bikini Uncredited1960 Beyond the Time Barrier Princess Trirene 1961 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Tim's Girlfriend Season Episode 25: "Museum Piece"1961 Sea Hunt Ginny, Chan's Girlfriend Season 4 Episode 9: "Hot Tracer"1961 The Ladies Man Working Girl Uncredited1961 Blue Hawaii Patsy Simon 1963 My Six Loves Ava Johnson 1963 Fun in Acapulco Miss Stevers Uncredited1964 Wendy and Me June Season 1 Episode 5: "George Burns While Rome Fiddles"1967 A Guide for the Married Man Bosomy Blonde Uncredited, (final film role)
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