# Brenda Benet

Brenda Benet (born Brenda Ann Nelson; August 14, 1945 – April 7, 1982) was an American actress. She is best known for her roles on the soap operas The Young Marrieds (1965–1965) and Days of Our Lives (1979–1982). She was also featured in an episode of Hogan's Heroes in 1970.

## Early life

Benet was born Brenda Ann Nelson in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California; later, her family moved to South Gate. She graduated from South Gate High School, attended Los Angeles City College, then studied at the University of California at Los Angeles, majoring in languages. She studied with San Francisco Ballet, was featured in several productions of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, was a musician who played piano, flute and violin, and was fluent in five languages.

## Career

Her first acting roles were in 1964, with appearances on Shindig! and The Young Marrieds. She eventually became an actress very much in demand for roles in episodic primetime television in the 1960s and 1970s, including I Dream of Jeannie, McHale's Navy, Daniel Boone, Mannix, The Green Hornet (TV series), My Three Sons, Hogan's Heroes, Love, American Style, Wonder Woman, The Love Boat, and The Courtship of Eddie's Father. She also had a major role in the feature film Walking Tall (1973).
She portrayed Lee Dumonde on the daytime serial Days of Our Lives, a role she played from 1979 until her death in 1982.

## Personal life

Benet's first marriage was to The Donna Reed Show actor Paul Petersen in 1967. In 1969, Benet left Petersen for actor Bill Bixby.
After her divorce from Petersen became final, Benet married Bixby in 1971. The couple had a child, Christopher Sean, in September 1974, and then divorced in 1980.
Benet became lovers with her 17-year-old personal secretary, Tammy Bruce. Later, Benet and Bruce lived together for nearly a year before Bruce moved out in 1982.
Benet experienced a number of personal and professional challenges after her divorce from Bixby. Her role on Days of Our Lives made her extremely unpopular with fans; Benet's character was breaking up one of the show's popular couples, Doug and Julie, and fans were outraged. However, Benet's most personal challenge occurred when her six-year-old son Christopher died in March 1981. While they were on a weekend ski trip at Mammoth Lakes, Christopher suffered acute epiglottitis, going into a coma and cardiac arrest after doctors subsequently carried out a tracheotomy.

## Death

Benet was devastated by her son's death and sank into a severe depression. On April 7, 1982, she died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her home in Los Angeles. She was 36.

## Filmography

Film :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1965 | Beach Ball | Samantha | |
| 1965 | Harum Scarum | Emerald | Alternative title: Harum Holiday |
| 1967 | Track of Thunder | Shelly Newman | |
| 1973 | Walking Tall | Luan Paxton | Listed in credits as Brenda Benét |
| Television ||||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1964 | Wendy and Me | Shamir | 1 episode |
| 1965 | McHale's Navy | Karema | 1 episode |
| 1965–1966 | The Young Marrieds | Jill McComb #4 | Unknown episodes |
| 1966 | The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. | Gizelle | 1 episode |
| 1966 | Daniel Boone | Princess Little Fawn | 1 episode |
| 1966–1970 | My Three Sons | Elyse Maureen | 2 episodes |
| 1967 | The Iron Horse | Kitty Clayborne | 1 episode |
| 1967 | The Green Hornet | Girl | 1 episode |
| 1967 | I Dream of Jeannie | Eleanor | 1 episode |
| 1968–1969 | It Takes a Thief | Nicole Angela Peters | 2 episodes |
| 1968–1970 | Hogan's Heroes | Janine Robinet Marie Bizet | 3 episodes |
| 1969 | The High Chaparral | Anita de Santiago y Amistad | 1 episode |
| 1969 | To Rome With Love | Tina | 1 episode |
| 1969 | The F.B.I. | Stewardess | 1 episode |
| 1969–1972 | Love, American Style | | 3 episodes |
| 1970 | Death Valley Days | Chela | 1 episode |
| 1970 | Paris 7000 | | 1 episode |
| 1971 | The Most Deadly Game | Mindy | 1 episode |
| 1971 | The Courtship of Eddie's Father | Brenda | 1 episode |
| 1971 | The Men From Shiloh, the rebranded name of The Virginian | Susan Masters | 1 episode |
| 1971–1975 | Mannix | Ellen Parrish (S4-Ep16) Edie | 2 episodes |
| 1972 | Wednesday Night Out | | Television movie |
| 1972 | Search | Carol Lesko | 1 episode |
| 1973 | The Horror at 37,000 Feet | Sally | Television movie |
| 1973 | The Magician | Joanna Marsh/Osborne | 1 episode |
| 1976 | Tattletales | Herself | 5 episodes |
| 1977 | The Love Boat | Maureen Mitchell | 1 episode |
| 1978 | Wonder Woman | Morgana | 1 episode |
| 1978 | Fantasy Island | Ginny Winthrop | 1 episode |
| 1979 | Carter Country | Natalya | 1 episode |
| 1979–1982 | Days of Our Lives | Lee DuMonde Carmichael Williams | 255 episodes |
| 1980 | The Incredible Hulk | Annie Caplan | 1 episode |
| 1982 | Father Murphy | Rachel Hansen | 1 episode, (final appearance) |