• Yvette Mimieux is a 77-year-old retired American actress, writer and producer.
• She is best known for her role in the 1960’s “The Time Machine”, and other notable credits include “Where the Boys Are”, “The Black Hole” and “Dark of the Sun”.
• She was one of the first actresses to openly speak out against patriarchy in Hollywood, and wrote and produced her own movie “Hit Lady”.
• She is currently unmarried, and has no children.
• She has a net worth of approximately $5 million.



Known for movies

Short Info

Net Worth$5 million
Date Of BirthJanuary 8, 1942
SpouseHoward Ruby (m. 1986), Stanley Donen (m. 1972–1985)
Fact1959 Deb Star.


Who is Yvette Mimieux?

Born on 8 January 1942, in Hollywood, California, USA so under the earth sign of Capricorn, Yvette Mimeux is a 77-year-old retired American actress, writer and producer. She started her career in the late 1950s, and quickly emerged as one of the most promising stars of the middle of the 20th century. A former model, she was renowned for her beauty and fashion style, resulting in many invites to assume roles in popular shows and movies from the 1960s, all the way to her retirement at the beginning of the 1990s. She is perhaps best known for her role in the 1960’s “The Time Machine”, an immensely popular science fiction movie based upon H.G. Wells’ novel of the same name. Her other notable credits include “Where the Boys Are”, “The Black Hole” and “Dark of the Sun”. Since her decision to retire, Yvette has maintained a low profile, with sporadic public appearances, and a focus on her many business ventures.

Early Life and Education: Growing Up in Hollywood

Yvette was born to immigrant parents in the very cradle of show business; her mother, Maria del Carmen Montemayor hailed from Mexico, while her father, René Mimieux, was a Frenchman, and this diverse ethnic background contributed to the stunning beauty Yvette became known for. When it comes to her earliest interests, there isn’t much information across any authoritative sources that could clarify specifics about this part of her life, though she is believed to have harbored a passion for art, and in particular acting. This comes as no surprise, given the fact that she often brushed shoulders with some of the brightest stars of the time. As for her education, she first attended an unspecified local high school in her birthplace, from where she matriculated in 1960.

With an acting career in mind, Yvette decided to forego enrolling at any college, and despite the hardships actresses of the time faced on a daily basis, she persevered and earned her place amongst Hollywood’s elite. Just as she anticipated, the road was anything but pleasant.

Career Beginnings: Noticed by Elvis, A Certain Smile, Yancy Derringer and More

Even before matriculating, Yvette began exploring various ways to become a model. Given the fact that she had exotic looks due to her mixed heritage, it was obvious that she could use her attractiveness to gain prominence. Acting was not her first option, and she didn’t even consider it until one fateful day – in 1957, the kind of rock ‘n’ roll and known heartthrob Elvis Presley was looking for attractive women to take on a small role (“girl in a bikini”) in his upcoming movie “Jailhouse Rock”. He organized a beauty contest in which Yvette competed, and reached the finals.

Yvette Mimieux

Despite not winning, Presley complimented her on her looks and charisma, citing that she had a bright future in show business. Also present at the contest was renowned manager Jim Byron, who immediately approached the then 15-year-old Yvette and suggested that she should pursue acting as a full-time job. Encouraged by these positive comments from a rock star and a man with experience in show business, Mimieux started taking acting classes. It paid off when she made her debut in “A Certain Smile”, with a subsequent appearance as Ricky in “Yancy Derringer”.

Making a Name for Herself: The Time Machine, Where the Boys Are, Light in the Piazza and More

After her first two performances, Yvette was noticed by Hollywood directors and producers, with rumors about a rising star swirling around the city. The 1960s were a great decade for her, as she would first appear in “One Step Beyond”, then “Platinum High School”, which turned out to be just an overture for her big breakthrough – the part of Weena in “The Time Machine”.

Keep in mind that the 1960s were a decade dominated by science fiction, and the movie was a box-office hit. It was risky to cast an 18-year-old actress in such a big role, but Yvette had amazing chemistry with Rod Taylor, and ended up leaving her mark on the movie industry forever. The same year, she appeared in yet another critically acclaimed film, “Where The Boys Are” – her role of Melanie Tolman was widely praised, as she proved integral to the success of this cinematographic hit. In 1962, she would appear in a number of movies, amongst which the most significant was “Light in the Piazza”. Afterwards, Yvette went on a rampage, appearing in many TV shows and films, including “Dark of the Sun”

The 1970s: The Most Deadly Game, Jackson County Jail, The Black Hole and More

With the same vigor she displayed at the beginning of her career, Yvette entered the 1970s. Her first role of the decade was in “The Most Deadly Game”, a crime drama centered around a group of highly skilled detectives and agents with a mission to solve the most difficult crimes in their city. Her character, Vanessa Smith, used her college education to solve puzzles and conundrums Jonathan Croft and Ethan Arcane were unable to crack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0vbPBSN7kc

After “Journey Into Fear” and “The Neptune Factor”, Yvette impressed in a lead role in “Jackson County Jail”, a thrilling crime drama in which her character is raped and tortured by a police officer in a jail. The film was a box-office hit, with Mimieux delivering a dazzling performance yet again. Later that decade, she was in “Snowbeast”, “Ransom for Alice” and “Disaster on the Coastliner”, which were the highlights of her streak of successful TV movies. In 1979’s “The Black Hole”, she made a return to science fiction, with the role of candid but cunning Dr. Kate McCrae. By this time, Yvette was already a superstar known around the world.

The Twilight of Her Career: Night Partners, Obsessive Love, Berrenger’s and More

In contrast with the large number of acting credits in the 1960s and 1970s, Yvette decided to tone it down a little in the 1980, only appearing sporadically. One notable role was that of Elizabeth McGuire in “Night Partners”, a housewife who is hellbent on helping the Bakersfield Police Department with a case of rape and kidnapping. While the movie wasn’t highly rated by critics, Yvette was praised for yet another impressive performance.

1984 brought a surprise to all of her fans, as she debuted as a producer in “Obsessive Love”, also playing the lead role in the TV drama about a woman who falls in love with a soap opera star and begins stalking him. Unlike most actors and actresses who embark on such experiments, Yvette’s debut as a producer turned out to be a success and received positive reviews. In “Berrenger’s”, she played the role of Shane Bradley, who turned out to be integral to the plot of this 12-episode show. Her last credit was as Deena Swanson in the Emmy Award-nominated drama series “Lady Boss”; it was a fine exit for the then 50-year-old star.

Yvette’s Impact on Hollywood and The Perception of Women

Yvette Mimieux was one of the first actresses to openly speak out against patriarchy in Hollywood. In the early ‘70s, she wrote her own thriller and took it to Leonard Goldberg and Aaron Spelling, two renowned producers. They liked the script so much that they immediately submitted it to NBC, which resulted in an approval, and the film “Hit Lady” became a success, however, Mimieux was still unhappy with the role of women in the movie industry. ‘The women they [male screenwriters] write are all one dimensional,’ Yvette remarked. ‘They have no complexity in their lives. It’s all surface.

Posted by Yvette Mimieux Forever on Sunday, June 30, 2019

There’s nothing to play. They’re either sex objects or vanilla pudding.’ It turns out that this wasn’t her first attempt at writing, as she had previously written short stories and news articles under an alias. 1984’s “Obsessive Love” was an unprecedented project, mostly because it featured a female stalker. In a New York Times interview, she had the following to say about her second project: ‘I love wild, baroque, slightly excessive theatrical ideas, and because television needs so much material, there’s a chance to get some of those odd ideas done.’

Personal Life: Is Yvette Mimieux Married? Does She Have Any Children?

Despite multiple rumors in recent years, Yvette is currently unmarried, but has been married three times. Her first marriage was at the tender age of 17 in 1959, to Evan Engberger – there is no information about the date of their divorce, nor about the reason. In 1972, she married famous director Stanley Dolen, but the two divorced in 1985. A year later, Yvette entered matrimony with the founder and chairman emeritus of Oakwood Worldwide, Howard Ruby. The two remained married until Ruby’s death in 2011. Mimieux has no children.

Where is She Now?

After her retirement, Yvette stayed out of the public eye. Despite acting being her bread and butter, she focused on other things. According to multiple reports, she’d already started thinking about life after show business, and enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Archaeology. She also started a business selling Haitian products, earning her quite a bit of money. With her salary from acting, she traveled the world and visited famous archaeological sites. In the 1990s, she started a successful real estate business, owning several resorts and buildings in California and Mexico.

Body Measurements: How Tall is Yvette Mimieux?

Yvette Mimieux is 5ft 4in (165cm) tall, and her vital statistics are 34-22-35. It is precisely her blond hair, along with her deep blue eyes that contributed to her iconic image, and made her stand out from the rest of Hollywood’s beauties in the 20th century.

Net Worth: How Rich is Yvette Mimieux?

Have you ever wondered how affluent Yvette really is? According to authoritative sources, she has a net worth of approximately $5 million, as of mid-2019, accumulate due to her impressive work ethic, regularly appearing in movies and TV shows for more than 30 years in a row. Unlike most actors and actresses who have a hard time adjusting to post-Hollywood life, she then successfully invested her funds into apartment complexes and resorts.

Social Media Presence

Thanks to the ever expanding grasp that social media has on worldwide audiences, it is in the best interests of most celebrities to keep their fans informed about their activities and thus maintain and potentially increase their ratings and profit. However, it doesn’t appear as though Yvette is at all preoccupied with maintaining an involvement in this trend, seeing as her presence on social networks is all but ubiquitous at the moment. As a retired actress in the eighth decade of her life, she apparently has no need for social media.

General Info

Full NameYvette Mimieux
Net Worth$5 million
Date Of BirthJanuary 8, 1942
Height1.63 m
ProfessionActor, Businessperson, Anthropologist
NationalityAmerican

Family

SpouseHoward Ruby (m. 1986), Stanley Donen (m. 1972–1985)

Accomplishments

NominationsGolden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama, Golden Globe Award for Best New Star of the Year – Actress, Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star - Female
MoviesThe Time Machine, Where the Boys Are, Light in the Piazza, The Black Hole, Dark of the Sun, Diamond Head, Skyjacked, Toys in the Attic, Joy in the Morning, Three in the Attic, Jackson County Jail, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, The Neptune Factor, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Snowbea...
TV ShowsThe Love Boat, Berrenger's, The Most Deadly Game, Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond

Social profile links

Facts

#Fact
1Ms Mimieux and her husband own the resort located at beachhacienda.com. in Mexico. Many celebrities vacation there. Mr. Ruby is world famous for his National Geographic photographs, especially of polar bears.
21959 Deb Star.
3Actress/Supermodel/Singer Yvette Rachelle was named after her.
4Yvette Mimieux was born in Los Angeles to a French father and a Mexican mother.
5Is also an anthropologist; and a very successful business woman, particularly in real estate.

Pictures

Movies

Actress

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Lady Boss1992TV MovieDeena Swanson
Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception1990TV MovieDanielle Altmann
The Love Boat1984-1986TV SeriesLeni Martek
The Fifth Missile1986TV MovieCheryl Leary
The Fascination1985
Lime Street1985TV SeriesAva Menar
Berrenger's1985TV SeriesShane Bradley
Obsessive Love1984TV MovieLinda Foster
Night Partners1983TV MovieElizabeth McGuire
Forbidden Love1982TV MovieJoanna Bittan
Circle of Power1981Bianca Ray
The Black Hole1979Dr. Kate McCrae
Disaster on the Coastliner1979TV MoviePaula Harvey
Outside Chance1978TV MovieDinah Hunter
Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell1978TV MovieBetty Barry
Ransom for Alice!1977TV MovieJenny Cullen
Snowbeast1977TV MovieEllen Seberg
Bell, Book and Candle1976TV MovieGillian Holroyd
Jackson County Jail1976Dinah Hunter
The Legend of Valentino1975TV MovieNatacha Rambova
Journey Into Fear1975Josette
Hit Lady1974TV MovieAngela de Vries
The Neptune Factor1973Dr. Leah Jansen
Skyjacked1972Angela Thacher
Black Noon1971TV MovieDeliverance
Death Takes a Holiday1971TV MoviePeggy Chapman
The Most Deadly Game1970-1971TV SeriesVanessa Smith
The Delta Factor1970Kim Stacy
The Picasso Summer1969Alice Smith
Three in the Attic1968Tobey Clinton
Dark of the Sun1968Claire
The Desperate Hours1967TV MovieCindy Hilliard
The Caper of the Golden Bulls1967Grace Harvey
Monkeys, Go Home!1967Maria Riserau
The Reward1965Sylvia
Joy in the Morning1965Annie Brown née McGairy
Looking for Love1964Yvette Mimieux
Dr. Kildare1964TV SeriesPat Holmes
Toys in the Attic1963Lily Berniers
Diamond Head1962Sloane Howland
The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm1962The Princess ('The Dancing Princess')
Light in the Piazza1962Clara Johnson
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse1962Chi Chi Desnoyers
Where the Boys Are1960Melanie Tolman
Mr. Lucky1960TV SeriesMargot
The Time Machine1960Weena
Platinum High School1960Lorinda Nibley
One Step Beyond1960TV SeriesNonnie Regan
Yancy Derringer1959TV SeriesRicky
A Certain Smile1958uncredited

Writer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Obsessive Love1984TV Movie story
Hit Lady1974TV Movie

Producer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Obsessive Love1984TV Movie co-producer

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal1985DocumentaryHerself (uncredited)
Hour Magazine1983TV SeriesHerself
All-Star Salute to Mother's Day1981TV SpecialHerself
The Don Lane Show1980TV SeriesHerself
Omnibus1980TV SeriesHerself
The Mike Douglas Show1974-1980TV SeriesHerself - Actress
Good Morning America1979TV SeriesHerself
The David Frost Show1970-1972TV SeriesHerself
The Dick Cavett Show1970TV SeriesHerself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1969TV SeriesHerself - Guest
The 38th Annual Academy Awards1966TV SpecialHerself - Presenter: Best Sound Effects
Arthur Freed's Hollywood Melody1962TV MovieHerself
Here's Hollywood1960TV SeriesHerself
The 32nd Annual Academy Awards1960TV SpecialHerself - Performer
The Bob Hope Show1959TV SeriesHerself

Archive Footage

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel2011DocumentaryDinah Hunter (uncredited)
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color1970TV SeriesMaria Riserau
Lionpower from MGM1967ShortClaire (uncredited)
Hollywood: The Great Stars1963TV Movie documentaryActress 'Diamondhead' (uncredited)

Awards

Nominated Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
1971Golden GlobeGolden Globes, USABest TV Actress - DramaThe Most Deadly Game (1970)
1965Golden GlobeGolden Globes, USABest TV Star - FemaleDr. Kildare (1961)
1960Golden GlobeGolden Globes, USAMost Promising Newcomer - FemalePlatinum High School (1960)

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
Author

Benjy is currently a reporter for BiographyPedia based in Adelaide, Australia. Prior to joining BiographyPedia in July 2019, he was a Bizarre TV reporter and theatre critic at TheSun. Benjy has also written for DailyMail and TMZ. Benjy studied journalism at Goldsmiths University of London, graduating in 2009. You can contact him at [email protected].

1 Comment

  1. Ken tuttle Reply

    Evette went to Hollywood high school and left there and attended Hollywood professional high school

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