Actress Stella Stevens, best known for costarring alongside Elvis Presley in Girls! Girls! Girls! and the original The Nutty Professor, passed away on Feb. 17 at the age of 84.
According to IMDb, Stella, who began acting in 1959, has been in about 142 projects, which consisted of films and television shows. Stella’s most recent work was in 2023’s animated film Quakers, where she plays a character named Nutty the Squirrel.
According to a statement released by her son, Andrew Stevens, to CNN, the star’s cause of death stemmed from her longtime battle with Alzheimer’s. Andrew informed the publication that at the time of his mother’s passing, Stella was in “hospice care for quite some time with stage seven Alzheimer’s.” The producer went on to share how he wants Stella to be remembered by fans, saying:
“Alzheimer’s is an insidious disease which affected not only my mother, but my grandmother and great aunt. Hopefully, my mother’s work will be remembered for her collaborations with some of the entertainment industry’s biggest icons.”
In addition to Andrew’s remarks, the actress’ brother-in-law, Bruce Kulick, paid tribute to her on Twitter by uploading a touching caption of how Stella has reunited with her late husband, Bob Kulick.
As the news circulated online about Stella’s death, many fans and those who have worked or spent time with The Poseidon Adventure star sent their condolences and shared their special memories.
Wonder Woman series star, Lynda Carter worked with Stella on the television movie The New, Original Wonder Woman, where the late actress played the character Marcia. While retweeting a fan’s post about Stella being the first “female enemy” of Wonder Woman, Lynda expressed that it was a “pleasure” working with her.
Joe Crosswicks claimed that he will never forget Stella after recalling the moment they met 25 years ago in New York, and through this encounter, he saw a “smart, sweet and vulnerable” side of the actress.
At the same time, a third social media user remembered Stella’s life by uploading a press photo of her iconic film, The Nutty Professor.
While an individual brought up how significant Stella’s career in the entertainment industry has been, The person claimed that the actress, when given a role she was able to “display a winning mix of vulnerability and intelligence.”
No additional details have been released at this time.