Patricia Ann Priest
Encyclopedia
Patricia Ann Priest is an American
actress who is best known for portraying Marilyn Munster
on the television show, The Munsters
(1964–1966).
, who quit the series after the first 13 episodes. The running gag of Marilyn's character was that this normal, beautiful blond woman was keenly aware that she was the "ugly," or "plain" one in a family composed of a Frankenstein's monster
for an uncle, a vampire
for a grandfather, a werewolf
for a cousin, and other equally odd members.
After the series ended, Priest appeared on episodes of TV programs such as Bewitched
, Perry Mason
, and Mary Tyler Moore
, (in which she played Betty White
's character's unappreciated younger sister).
Her only film roles were in Looking for Love
(1964), with Connie Francis
, Easy Come, Easy Go (1967), with Elvis Presley
, and the horror film The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant
(1971), with Bruce Dern
. In a move that angered many fans of the series, Universal Pictures
decided to use starlet Debbie Watson
in the role of Marilyn Munster in the 1966 feature Munster, Go Home!
(1966), instead of Priest, as Watson was under contract to the studio and it had plans to make her a film star.
, Utah
. Her mother was Ivy Baker Priest
, the United States Treasurer from January 28, 1953 to January 29, 1961, whose signature was reproduced on paper money printed during her tenure. Priest was once selected as one of Washington, D.C.
's most beautiful women, when she resided there with her mother.
She retired from acting in the 1980s, but continues to attend some of the nostalgia conventions and "Munster" revivals around the country. She was restoring and selling homes in Idaho
, where she has lived for over two decades, but she is now retired. Married twice, she has two sons.
Priest has been treated for lymphoma
in recent years; her exact condition remains undisclosed. In 2001, Priest was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. She finished maintenance treatments at St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute and is now in remission.
On August 31, 2009, Priest called into The Howard Stern Show as the first celebrity for the 'What Would You Do To Out Produce Baba Booey?' contest.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress who is best known for portraying Marilyn Munster
Marilyn Munster
Marilyn Munster is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom The Munsters, originally played by Beverley Owen with actress Pat Priest later assuming the role. In the original series she is the daughter of Lily Munster's sister, with Herman alluding to her "plain" looks coming from Lily's side of the...
on the television show, The Munsters
The Munsters
The Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,...
(1964–1966).
Show business career
Priest replaced actress Beverley OwenBeverley Owen
Beverley Owen is a classically-trained American actress perhaps most widely known for having played the role of Marilyn Munster during the first season of The Munsters...
, who quit the series after the first 13 episodes. The running gag of Marilyn's character was that this normal, beautiful blond woman was keenly aware that she was the "ugly," or "plain" one in a family composed of a Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. The creature is often erroneously referred to as "Frankenstein", but in the novel the creature has no name...
for an uncle, a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
for a grandfather, a werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
for a cousin, and other equally odd members.
After the series ended, Priest appeared on episodes of TV programs such as Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
, Perry Mason
Perry Mason (TV series)
Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
, and Mary Tyler Moore
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
, (in which she played Betty White
Betty White
Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
's character's unappreciated younger sister).
Her only film roles were in Looking for Love
Looking for Love (film)
Looking for Love is a 1964 romantic musical-comedy film starring popular singer Connie Francis.-Plot:Francis plays Libby Caruso, who has spent a whole month trying to get into show business with her singing, and hasn't succeed. Libby then decides to retire and get a job where she can meet the right...
(1964), with Connie Francis
Connie Francis
Connie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...
, Easy Come, Easy Go (1967), with Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, and the horror film The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant
The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant
The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant is a 1971 science fiction/horror film directed by Anthony Lanza. It is the earlier companion to the 1972 blaxpoitation film The Thing with Two Heads. The film is in the public domain.-Plot:...
(1971), with Bruce Dern
Bruce Dern
Bruce MacLeish Dern is an American film actor. He also appeared as a guest star in numerous television shows. He frequently takes roles as a character actor, often playing unstable and villainous characters...
. In a move that angered many fans of the series, Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
decided to use starlet Debbie Watson
Debbie Watson (actor)
Debbie Watson, is an American movie and television actress.-Career:Born in Culver City, Los Angeles County, California, Watson got her start on television, starring as the boy-struck teenage girl Karen Scott in the 1964 sitcom TV series Karen, the only portion of the largely unsuccessful "90...
in the role of Marilyn Munster in the 1966 feature Munster, Go Home!
Munster, Go Home!
Munster, Go Home! is a 1966 American film based on the hit 1960s family television sitcom The Munsters. It was directed by Earl Bellamy, who also directed a number of episodes in the series...
(1966), instead of Priest, as Watson was under contract to the studio and it had plans to make her a film star.
Personal life
Priest was born and raised in BountifulBountiful, Utah
Bountiful is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 42,552, a three percent increase over the 2000 figure of 41,301...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Her mother was Ivy Baker Priest
Ivy Baker Priest
Ivy Baker Priest was an American political figure. Born in Kimberly, Utah, she was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints....
, the United States Treasurer from January 28, 1953 to January 29, 1961, whose signature was reproduced on paper money printed during her tenure. Priest was once selected as one of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
's most beautiful women, when she resided there with her mother.
She retired from acting in the 1980s, but continues to attend some of the nostalgia conventions and "Munster" revivals around the country. She was restoring and selling homes in Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, where she has lived for over two decades, but she is now retired. Married twice, she has two sons.
Priest has been treated for lymphoma
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
in recent years; her exact condition remains undisclosed. In 2001, Priest was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. She finished maintenance treatments at St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute and is now in remission.
On August 31, 2009, Priest called into The Howard Stern Show as the first celebrity for the 'What Would You Do To Out Produce Baba Booey?' contest.