Template:Realworld Actress Angelique Pettyjohn, born Dorothy Lee Perrins (11 March 1943 – 14 February 1992; age 48), was noted for her work in a number of "B-movies" and TV shows. On Star Trek she portrayed Shahna, an alien whom James T. Kirk seduces in TOS: "The Gamesters of Triskelion".
She was also considered at one time for the role of Nova in the original Planet of the Apes film. In 1967 Pettyjohn and Michael J. Pollard appeared together in an episode of The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., ("The U.N.C.L.E. Samurai Affair"). She also appeared alongside Seymour Cassel and Roger C. Carmel in an episode of Batman the same year.
Angelique was a natural for erotic photography; she even appeared in three hardcore adult films, in 1982. Pictures of her, topless, wearing the Shahna costume and drill thrall harness and collar exist. She was also sometimes credited as Heaven St. John or as Angel St. John for her adult films.
Her appearance in Star Trek initially did nothing to further her acting career, as she was only cast in a series of increasingly worse produced "B-movies", typically made for the drive-ins and the exploitation circuit, such as Hell's Belles (1969), The Curious Female (1970), and Bordello (1974), and which eventually resulted in her appearance in the three hardcore adult movies, the low-point in her career, aggravated by alcohol and drugs abuse, living in a cabin in the backwoods of Virginia at one point.
Still, in a curious turn of events, Pettyjohn's fortunes would take a turn, imperceptibly at first, for the better from 1979 onward, as the Star Trek convention circuit gathered steam, bolstered on by the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. As "The Gamesters of Triskelion" episode was a fan favorite, Pettyjohn found herself in increasingly high demand as a Star Trek convention guest of honor, and has since then vigorously worked the circuit, eventually enabling her to make a living from it, until her last appearance on the circuit in 1989. In the process, she also managed to overcome her bouts of alcohol and drugs abuse.
Her new-found fame on the convention circuit attracted the attention of independent movie makers ("Indies"), which has led to her roles in indie features such as Repo Man (1984), Biohazard (1985) and The Wizard of Speed and Time (1988). In 1989, she was offered employment as an exotic (note: not erotic) dancer on the Las Vegas casino circuit.
She died in Las Vegas of cervical cancer in 1992 at the age of 48.
Filmography
- Films:
- Clambake (1967)
- Body Talk (1982)
- Titillation (1982)
- Stalag 69 (1982)
- Repo Man (1984)
- Famous Ta-Tas (1986)
- TV appearances:
- Mr. Terrific in the episode "I Can't Fly" (01.03), 23 January 1967
- Felony Squad playing Felicia Majeski in the episode "Target!" (01-24), 20 February 1967
- Batman playing 1st model in the episode "A Piece of the Action" (02-51), 1 March 1967
- Get Smart playing:
- Charlie Watkins in the episode "Pussycats Galore" (02-27), 1 April 1967
- A cigarette girl/Agent Charlie Watkins in the episode "Smart Fit the Battle of Jericho" (02-22), 18 February 1967
- Star Trek playing Shahna in the episode "The Gamesters of Triskelion" (02-16), 5 January 1968
- Love, American Style in "Love and the Modern Wife" (01.05), 27 October 1969
External links
- Template:IMDb-link
- Angelique Pettyjohn at Wikipedia