IN Magazine
For the Girl of Today, The Woman of Tomorrow
May 1966
"This is My Hollywood"
A four-star panel reports on the faces and places that are go-go this month
Greetings to all you earthlings from a girl who's "Lost in Space." I play Judy - the older daughter of a marvelous space-wandering family. Fortunately, Mark Goddard - who plays my dad's assistant - is also up in space. He makes things sort of heavenly!
Anyway, the editors asked me to tell you something of my life and how I arrived in Hollywood. You see, I'm living proof of the fact that someone can be discovered sitting in a restaurant! I was born in Norway, and when I was little I went to live in Detroit, Michigan. My father was a professor of philosophy at Wayne University, and my mother was also a teacher. Seven years ago, we came to California and I enrolled at the Hollywood Professional School. By then, I had decided that I really wanted to be an actress.
That's when I was "discovered." I was sitting in a little restaurant eating a platter of spaghetti. I noticed some people at the next table looking at me. I guess I'm a born ham, because I twirled my spaghetti with an extra flourish. Finally one the men who had been staring at me came over to my table and said, "Are you interested in doing a motion picture?" I just looked at him, dropped a few noodles, and nodded. He gave me his card and told me to call him at the studio. He said he was about to make a picture called "Lolita." Anyway, I finished my spaghetti, went home and told my parents. My father thought it was all baloney, but I thought the man sounded very sincere. My mother said why didn't we just call and see. I called and the man -- James Harris -- invited me to come to the studio and read for the part. Obviously, since my name isn't Sue Lyon, I didn't get the role. Still, as a result of that reading, I came to the attention of an agent who took me under his wing. Within a matter of three months, I appeared on several of the top television shows and I've been working ever since.
Last year, producer Irwin Allen was looking for a girl to co-star in "Lost in Space." He'd seen a part I did on TV in "The Greatest Show on Earth," but couldn't remember my name. All he could remember was one thing I wore -- some very large, dangling earrings. He told his staff to "find the girl with the wild earrings!" Crazy? Talk about Cinderella and that glass slipper!
As for my life away from the studio, I'm a teen-age bride. A while back, I was at the beach standing by the water, waiting to go in with some friends. At the last minute, they all decided to get a suntan instead. So I was just standing by myself, looking out to sea, when I noticed this very handsome young man watching me. (There went the ham in me again!) After a few minutes, he came over and introduced himself. He said his name was Terry Treadwell, and wanted to know if I would like to learn how to body surf. Naturally, I said yes. I let him teach me, even though I'd been body surfing for years! (Well, we females have to play games, too!) Anyway, he was very polite, not the least bit forward . . . and when we came out of the water, he held my hand. I thought he was so nice and considerate and sweet. so when he asked me out for that night, I said yes. At the time, we were both sort of seeing other people. but six months later we were married.
Terry is studying psychology an San Fernando State College; he's also a teaching assistant. We have a small apartment near the beach in Santa Monica. I've become a real housewife. I mean I cook and take care of our place. Terry doesn't mind me working, in fact he loves me to be independent (but I only get an allowance of $15 dollars a week, which doesn't go very far). Yet I figure when you get married, it doesn't matter how much you earn or how much your husband earns, just as long as everything you do for the house is together -- for each other -- while still reserving some part of yourself to be yourself. It's a funny thing, but Terry's mother worked in the film industry for many years. She always wanted him to marry an actress, And then we met. You see, it's hard to say what life has in store for you, or when love will come your way. All I can tell you is, when Mr. Right appears, you'll know it. Incidentally, since both of my parents were teachers, I think it's great that I fell in love with someone who has an academic-type career, too.
Before I forget, since "Lost in Space" is not yet seen in color (it will be soon), we've received a lot of mail asking us to describe our space suits. Here goes. I wear gold ski pants which taper down to fit snugly into gold Couréges-style boots. On top, I wear a tunic of gold trimmed with burnt orange; underneath that, I have a matching orange turtleneck sweater. So now, if you are contemplating a space trip, you'll know what the "in" outfit is!
Oh, there's just one one more thing you might like to know. Since I'm grown up and settles, and my brother Dan is in the Air Force, my parents -- who are retired -- want to do something in which they could utilize all their years of training. At the moment, they are very seriously considering joining the Peace Corps. I'm so thrilled for them I can't begin to tell you; it's wonderful to be part of a family that cares so much about others.