Barbara Rhoades

Facts

• During the initial years of her career, Barbara signed an exclusive long-term contract with Universal Pictures in 1967 to appear in guest roles in numerous television series, such as Hilda in It Takes a Thief in 1968, Bunny in Love American Style in 1969, La Von in The Partridge Family in 1970, and McMillan & Wife from 1972-1973, along with many others.
• When she was seven years old, she began taking dancing lessons, and coincidentally her first break on the television was also as a dancer.
• For 18 months from the year 1964, Rhoades played a showgirl on Broadway in the famous musical Funny Girl.

• In various interviews, she has stated that her on-stage abilities were enhanced during her performances in Summer Stock productions at the Cecilwood Theater in Fishkill, New York.

• After having appeared in several well-grossing and box office-successful films like The Goodbye Girl that grossed $102 million and Up the Sandbox that grossed $305 million, her net worth is approximately over $1 million as of now.

• Barbara's keen interest in the theater and fashion industry was met with strong disapproval from her parents, who preferred she concentrate solely on her academic pursuits to eventually join the family business.

Biography

Born and raised in Poughkeepsie, New York, Rhoades began acting in the late 1960s, appearing in guest roles on several television series, including It Takes a Thief, Ironside, Mannix, McMillan and Wife, Columbo, Kojak, Alias Smith and Jones, Love, American Style, The Odd Couple, The Six Million Dollar Man, Maude, Trapper John, M.D., Murder, She Wrote and Law & Order. She was a regular cast member of the 1977 situation comedy Busting Loose, portraying Melody Feebeck, and in 1989, as Jessica Gardner on Generations

Rhoades appeared in a number of films during the 1970s, including There Was a Crooked Man... (1970), opposite Kirk Douglas and Henry Fonda, and Up the Sandbox (1972) starring Barbra Streisand. She played a police officer, "No Balls" Hadley, in 1977's The Choirboys and a Las Vegas hooker who picks up Art Carney along the road during his Oscar-winning performance in Harry and Tonto (1974). She also had roles in Scream Blacula Scream (1973) and The Goodbye Girl (1977). In 2007, she appeared in First Born with Elisabeth Shue.

In 2011, she had a recurring role on the American Soap opera One Life to Live as Irene Manning, childhood best friend of Victoria Lord (Erika Slezak). She was also a frequent panelist on the popular game show Match Game '78, hosted by Gene Rayburn.