Debra Paget Biography
Debra Paget is an American actress and entertainer who was born and brought up in Denver, Colorado, United States of America. She is widely known for her performances in Cecil B. DeMille’s epic The Ten Commandments (1956) and in Elvis Presley’s film debut, Love Me Tender (1956), as well as for the risqué (for the time) snake dance scene in The Indian Tomb (1959).
Paget began her career as a child actress in the late 1940s, appearing in films such as Cry of the City (1948) and Broken Arrow (1950). She quickly rose to stardom in the early 1950s with roles in films such as Les Misérables (1952), Prince Valiant (1954), and Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954).
In 1956, Paget starred in two of her most memorable films: The Ten Commandments and Love Me Tender. In The Ten Commandments, she played Lilia, the water girl who Moses (Charlton Heston) falls in love with. In Love Me Tender, she played Cathy, the love interest of Elvis Presley’s character, Clint Reno.
10 Quick Facts About Debra Paget
Debra Paget Age
Paget is 90 years old. She was born on 19 August 1933, in Denver, Colorado, United States. She celebrates her birthday on 19 August every year and her birth sign is Leo.
Debra Paget Height
Paget stands at a height of 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m). Her body measurements are 33-24-35 inches.
Debra Paget Weight
Paget Weighs 52 kg (115 lbs). She has blue eyes and dark brown hair.
Early Life and Education
Paget was born on August 19, 1933, in Denver, Colorado. Her mother enrolled her in dance and drama classes. In Los Angles, she studied at Hollywood Professional School. At 14, she was enrolled in Fox Studio School. Paget got her first professional acting job at eight, while her stage debut was in Shakespeare’s ‘Merry Wives of Windsor’ in 1946.
Rise to Fame
Debra Paget’s rise to fame began in the early 1950s with a series of high-profile roles in major films. She quickly became one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood, known for her beauty, talent, and versatility.
One of Paget’s first major roles was in the 1950 western film Broken Arrow, in which she starred opposite James Stewart. The film was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to establish Paget as a leading lady.
Paget followed up Broken Arrow with a string of successful films, including Les Misérables (1952), Prince Valiant (1954), and Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954). In 1956, she starred in two of her most memorable films: The Ten Commandments and Love Me Tender.
Debra Paget Family, Parents
Paget was born to her parents Margaret Allen (née Gibson) and Frank Henry Griffin in Denver. Her father Frank, was a painter while her mother Margaret, was an actress on stage. In the 1930s, the family migrated from Denver to Los Angeles, California, in order to be close to the developing film industry.
Debra Paget Siblings
Paget spent her childhood with her three siblings, two sisters named Marcia (Teala Loring) and Leslie (Lisa Gaye), and a brother named Frank (Ruell Shayne). Marcia was an actress who appeared in over 30 films during the 1940s, and Leslie was an actress, and dancer.
Debra Paget Husband
Paget was married to David Street actor and singer on January 14, 1958. Later they divorced on April 11. 1958. She was also married to Budd Boettichier (the director)on March 27, 1960, but they divorced On August 24.1961.
Later Debra got married to Ling-Chieh Kung, a wealthy Chinese-American oil industry executive on April 19, 1962. They had a son together, Gregory Kung, who is her only child. They separated in 1980, after her third marriage, she retired from acting.
Debra Paget Children
Paget and her ex-husband Ling-Chieh Kung have one child together, a son named Gregory Kung.
Debra Paget Salary
Details about Paget’s salary are not yet disclosed. However, information about how much she makes will be updated as soon as it is available.
Debra Paget Net Worth
Paget has an estimated net worth of $10 million dollars as of 2023. This includes her assets, money and income. Her primary source of income is her career as an actress and entertainer. Through her various sources of income, Debra has been able to accumulate a good fortune but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle.
Debra Paget Measurement and Facts
Here are some interesting facts and body measurements you should know about Debra.
Debra Paget Wiki
- Full Names: Debralee Griffin
- Popular As: Debra Paget
- Gender: Female
- Occupation / Profession: Actress and Entertainer
- Nationality: American
- Race / Ethnicity: White
- Religion: Christian
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
Debra Paget Birthday
- Age / How Old?: 90 years old
- Zodiac Sign: Leo
- Date of Birth: 19 August 1933
- Place of Birth: Denver, Colorado, USA
- Birthday: 19 August
Debra Paget Body Measurements
- Body Measurements: 33-24-35 inches
- Height / How Tall?: 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m)
- Weight: 52 kg (115 lbs)
- Eye Color: Blue
- Hair Color: Dark Brown
- Shoe Size: 8 (US)
- Dress Size: 4 (US)
- Breast Size: 33 inches
- Waist Size: 24 inches
- Hip Size: 35 inches
Debra Paget Family and Relationship
- Father (Dad): Frank Henry Griffin
- Mother: Margaret Allen (née Gibson)
- Siblings (Brothers and Sisters): Lisa Gaye, Teala Loring, Frank Griffin
- Marital Status: Divorced
- Husband/Spouse: David Street (1958-1958), Budd Boetticher (1960-1961), Louis C. Kung (1964- 1980)
- Dating / Boyfriend: Single
- Children: Sons (Gregory Kung) Daughter(s) (None)
Debra Paget Net Worth and Salary
- Net Worth: $10 Million
- Salary: Under Review
- Source of Income: Actress and Entertainer
Debra Paget Career
At eight, while her stage debut was in 1946 in Shakespeare’s’ Merry Wives of Windsor is when paget got her first professional acting job. In 1948, she moved in film noir Cry in the City.’ 20th Century Fox was impressed with her performance and signed a long-term contract with her.
In 1950 when she got her first prominent role in the western’ Broken Arrow,’ which was a huge success, she was just out of college. It was also her first 20th Century Fox movie. She received top billing from Fox for her performance in the 1954 adventure film Princess of the Nile.’
Although the film at the box office was not a huge success, Debra’s fan mail started flooding. She was tested for the lead role in’ Sheena: The Jungle Queen’ 1953 but was not selected for it. However, in 1956 she worked alongside Elvis Presley in’ Love Me Tender’.
Presley was smitten by her beauty, and she later claimed he wanted to marry her. Debra played Lilia’s role in the epic religious drama film’ The Ten Commandments’ 1956, for which she never auditioned.
She was asked to report to Paramount directly to start filming. Her last work with Fox was’ The River’s Edge’ in the 1957 film noir adventure. She made two films with Paramount before going to Germany. Her energetic dance scenes in’ The Indian Tomb’ 1959 became very popular and will always be remembered for them.
She also worked in the same year in’ The Tiger of Eschnapur,’ which was also a huge success. Debra appeared in the historical drama Cleopatra’s Daughter 1960 and the epic adventure Rome 1585 1961, both shot in Italy. Her last film The Haunted Palace belonged to the genre of horror and it was released in 1963.
She appeared on television shows throughout her career. Her most notable work was the show The Rawhide between 1960 and 1962. Also, she participated in radio plays for Family Theater in the 1950s. Paget hosted her own show “An Interlude with Debra Paget” in the early 1990s.
Debra Paget Indian Tomb
Paget did the snake dance scene in The Indian Tomb (1959). Which is a 1959 German-French-Italian adventure drama film, produced by Artur Brauner.
Debra Paget Rawhide
Paget appeared as Laura Ashley in the episode “Incident of the Garden of Eden” on CBS’s Western series, Rawhide in 1960. She returned to Rawhide(an American Western TV series starring Eric Fleming and Clint Eastwood)to play the part of Azuela in the episode “Hostage Child” along with James Coburn in 1962. The series was produced and directed by Charles Marquis Warren.
Debra Paget On Elvis
Debra Paget was Elvis Presley’s first leading lady in films, co-starring with him in Love Me Tender “1956”.
While Love Me Tender was Elvis’ first film, it was Paget’s 20th picture, although she was only 17 months older than the 21-year-old Presley. (Debra began her motion picture career at the age of 15. Her big break came in 1950, when she appeared opposite James Stewart in ‘Broken Arrow’.)
Paget: ‘Although I usually don’t form an opinion of a person until I have met them’, ‘frankly I looked forward to my first meeting with Elvis Presley with mixed emotions. I’d heard and read a lot about this new young singing sensation from Tennessee – and most of it was not complimentary’. ‘The first thing I recall was the way he greeted us. When Mr. Berle introduced us, Elvis grabbed my hand firmly and said, ‘I’m glad to meet you, Miss Paget’.
Then he shook my mother’s hand with equal vigor, excused himself, and a couple of minutes later came back with a chair for her. We were together for only a couple of hours but sometimes you can learn more about a person in a short span of time than in weeks of seeing one another constantly. I felt I did. From the very beginning, Elvis impressed me as a pleasant, sincere, obliging young man’.
Debra Paget Movies and TV Shows
- 1948 – Cry of the City as Teena Riconti
- 1949 – Mother Is a Freshman as Linda
- 1949 – It Happens Every Spring as Alice
- 1949 – House of Strangers as Maria Domenico
- 1950 – Broken Arrow as Sonseeahray
- 1950 – Fourteen Hours as Ruth
- 1951 – Bird of Paradise as Kalua
- 1951 – Anne of the Indies as Molly LaRochelle
- 1952 – Belles on Their Toes as Martha Gilbreth
- 1952 – Les Misérables as Cosette
- 1952 – Stars and Stripes Forever as Lily Becker
- 1954 – Prince Valiant as Ilene
- 1954 – Princess of the Nile as Princess Shalimar/Taura
- 1954 – Demetrius and the Gladiators as Lucia
- 1954 – The Gambler from Natchez as Melanie Barbee
- 1955 – White Feather as Appearing Day
- 1955 – Seven Angry Menas as Elizabeth Clark
- 1956 – The Last Hunt as Indian girl
- 1956 – The Ten Commandments as Lilia
- 1956 – Love Me Tender as Cathy Reno
- 1957 – The River’s Edge as Margaret Cameron
- 1957 – Omar Khayyam as Sharain
- 1958 – From the Earth to the Moon as Virginia Nicholl
- 1959 – The Tiger of Eschnapur as Seetha
- 1959 – The Indian Tomb as Seetha
- 1960 – Cleopatra’s Daughter as Shila
- 1960 – Why Must I Die? as Dottie Manson
- 1961 – Most Dangerous Man Alive (shot in 1958) as Linda Marlow
- 1961 – Rome 1585 as Esmeralda
- 1962 – Tales of Terror as Helene Valdemar
- 1963 – The Haunted Palace as Ann Ward
Notable Travel, Events, and Experiences
Debra Paget was a well-traveled woman, and she had many notable travel experiences throughout her life. Here are a few examples:
- In 1954, Paget traveled to Egypt to film the biblical epic The Ten Commandments. She spent several months in Egypt, and she was able to visit many of the country’s most famous landmarks, including the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx.
- In 1956, Paget traveled to Japan to perform with Elvis Presley in a series of concerts. The concerts were a huge success, and Paget was able to experience Japanese culture firsthand.
- In 1958, Paget traveled to India to film the adventure film The Indian Tomb. She spent several months in India, and she was able to visit many of the country’s most sacred sites, including the Taj Mahal and the Ganges River.
- In 1962, Paget traveled to Australia to film the horror film The Last Voyage. She spent several months in Australia, and she was able to visit many of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, including Sydney Harbor and the Great Barrier Reef.
Future Aspirations and Goals
Debra Paget retired from acting in 1965 to focus on her family. She married three times and had one son. She became a born-again Christian in the 1980s and hosted her own show, An Interlude with Debra Paget, on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN).
At the age of 89, Paget is still living a full and active life. She is a grandmother and enjoys spending time with her family. She is also involved in a number of charitable causes, and she continues to speak out about her faith.
In a recent interview, Paget said that her future aspirations and goals are to continue to live a happy and healthy life, to spend time with her loved ones, and to make a difference in the world. She also said that she is grateful for the blessings in her life, and she is looking forward to the future.
Social Impact: Philanthropic, Charitable and Community Involvement
Debra Paget has been involved in a number of philanthropic, charitable, and community causes throughout her life. She has a passion for helping others, and she is always willing to give back to the community.
Here are a few examples of Paget’s social impact:
- She was a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations in the 1950s and 1960s. In this role, she traveled around the world to raise awareness of important issues such as poverty and hunger.
- She is a supporter of the Christian Children’s Fund, a charity that provides food, shelter, and education to children in need around the world.
- She is also a supporter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, a charity that works to find a cure for multiple sclerosis and to improve the lives of people with the disease.
- In the 1980s, she hosted her own show, An Interlude with Debra Paget, on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). The show featured interviews with celebrities and religious leaders, and it promoted traditional Christian values.
- She is also a frequent speaker at churches and other religious organizations. She shares her story and her faith with others, and she encourages them to follow their dreams and to make a difference in the world.
Debra Paget Awards Accomplishments and Achievements
Debra Paget received the following awards and accomplishments:
- Golden Boot Award (1987) from the Motion Picture and Television Fund for her contributions to the development and preservation of the western tradition in film and television.
- Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1960) at 6411 Hollywood Blvd.
- She was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Female in 1951 for her performance in Broken Arrow.
Paget’s achievements include:
- Starring in some of the most popular and successful films of the 1950s and 1960s, including The Ten Commandments, Love Me Tender, and Les Misérables.
- Working with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Cecil B. DeMille, Elvis Presley, and James Stewart.
- Being a role model for many young women and a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations.
Legacy
Debra’s legacy is that of a talented actress and dancer who made a significant impact on the entertainment industry during the 1950s. Her beauty and talent made her a popular leading lady in Hollywood, and she became known for her performances in films like “Broken Arrow,” “The Ten Commandments,” and “Love Me Tender.”
Debra’s work helped to define the Hollywood glamour of the era, and her performances continue to be celebrated by fans of classic cinema. Her portrayal of Native American women in “Broken Arrow” and “The Indian Tomb” (1959) has been particularly noted for challenging stereotypes of Indigenous peoples in Hollywood films.
In addition to her work in film, Debra was also a talented dancer and made significant contributions to the dance scenes in films like “The Princess and the Pirate” and “Belles on Their Toes.”
Hobbies and Interests
- Reading: Paget is a voracious reader, and she enjoys reading a variety of genres, including fiction, non-fiction, and religious texts.
- Writing: Paget is also a talented writer, and she has written several books, including a memoir and a children’s book.
- Music: Paget is a gifted singer and dancer, and she enjoys playing the piano and guitar. She also enjoys listening to music, and her favorite genres include classical, jazz, and pop.
- Travel: Paget loves to travel and experience new cultures. She has visited many countries around the world, and she enjoys learning about different languages and customs.
- Spending time with family and friends: Paget is a devoted family person, and she enjoys spending time with her son, grandchildren, and siblings. She also has a large circle of friends, and she enjoys socializing and spending time with them.
- Philanthropy and charitable work: Paget is passionate about helping others, and she is involved in a number of philanthropic and charitable causes. She is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations, and she is also a supporter of the Christian Children’s Fund and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Personal Beliefs
Debra Paget is a devout Christian. She became a born-again Christian in the 1980s, and her faith is very important to her. She has said that her faith gives her strength and guidance in her life.
Paget’s personal beliefs are based on the teachings of the Bible. She believes in the power of prayer and the importance of forgiveness. She also believes in the importance of living a life that is pleasing to God.
Paget is open about her faith, and she often shares her story with others. She encourages people to follow their faith and to make a difference in the world.
Quotes
“I never wanted to be a star. I just wanted to be an actress. The star thing was a problem because I was too young and too vulnerable to handle it.”
“I don’t have any regrets. I did what I loved, and I have some wonderful memories from my time in Hollywood.”
“I’ve learned that it’s important to be yourself and to follow your own path. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do.”
“My faith is the most important thing in my life. It gives me strength and guidance every day. I believe that God has a plan for my life, and I am trusting Him to lead me.”
“My beauty was my curse. It never allowed me to be just another actress, but it also prevented me from playing the roles I wanted to play.”
“I never thought I was anything special. I was just a girl who loved to dance and act, and I was lucky enough to make a career out of it.”
“I’m grateful for all the blessings in my life. I’ve had a wonderful career, and I have a loving family and friends. I’m truly blessed.”
“I believe that we all have a responsibility to make the world a better place. I’m committed to doing my part, and I encourage others to do the same.”
Final Thoughts
Debra Paget is a true Hollywood icon. She was one of the most popular and successful actresses of the 1950s and 1960s, and her films continue to be enjoyed by audiences today. She was also a role model for many young women and a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations.
Debra Paget Contacts
You may also like to read the Bio, Career, Family, Relationship, Body measurements, Net worth, Achievements, and more about:
About InformationCradle Editorial Staff
This Article is produced by InformationCradle Editorial Staff which is a team of expert writers and editors led by Josphat Gachie and trusted by millions of readers worldwide.
We endeavor to keep our content True, Accurate, Correct, Original and Up to Date. For complain, correction or an update, please send us an email to informationcradle@gmail.com. We promise to take corrective measures to the best of our abilities.
ncG1vNJzZmihnpu8s7nAraCoppOnrqW4xGeaqKVfmbKjvsBmp5qflal8