Loved by Elvis, Engaged to Sinatra—What Happened to Juliet Prowse?
The dancer-turned-actress was courted by both Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. Her films included Can-Can, The Second Time Around, Dingaka, and G.I. Blues.
Prowse started honing her dancing skills at age four and worked as a dancer in her early twenties in a Paris nightclub when a talent agent discovered her. The British-American dancer’s career would span four decades before being cut short too early.
Career
She shot to fame in 1959 while filming Can-Can, when Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev labeled her can-can dance “immoral.” The scandalous comment catapulted her into the spotlight. Soon after, she starred alongside Elvis Presley in G.I. Blues (1960), and the two had a brief off-screen romance that mirrored their on-screen chemistry.
She became a fixture in Hollywood and television, even landing her own sitcom, Mona McCluskey, in the mid-’60s. Though she never became a full-fledged movie star, Prowse dazzled in Las Vegas, earning top billing and big paychecks. She was named Entertainer of the Year for Sweet Charity and became a familiar face in commercials for L’eggs Hosiery and Mannington Flooring.
Prowse also made memorable TV appearances—from The Muppet Show to hosting ballroom dance competitions on PBS.
Her career wasn’t without drama: in 1987, she survived two leopard attacks during stunt rehearsals, one of which nearly cost her an ear.
Personal life
She was only three years old when her father died, and they subsequently moved to South Africa, where her mother hailed from. It was there her dancing lessons began at age four.
Prowse was briefly engaged to Frank Sinatra in 1962, but ended the relationship after six weeks, choosing to prioritize her career. She later said Sinatra was charming but difficult, especially after drinking.
In 1969, she married dancer Eddie Frazier, but they divorced after eight months. She married actor John McCook in 1972, shortly after giving birth to their son, Seth. They divorced in 1979.
How did Juliet Prowse die?
In 1994, Juliet Prowse was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After a brief remission in 1995, she returned to the stage to tour with Mickey Rooney in Sugar Babies.
Sadly, the cancer returned, and she passed away at her home in Holmby Hillson on September 14, 1996—just eleven days before her 60th birthday.