Elegant and English, Elizabeth Shepherd was positioned to become a star. In fact, she actually was cast as the first Emma Peel for the classic spy series The Avengers (1961-1969). But after shooting two episodes, she left and Diana Rigg took the gig. Instead of ruining Ms. Shepherd’s career, the move proved she’d enjoy greater success as a character actress. Indeed, the hardworking hottie has been employed steadily ever since — from playing the title role on the TV show Amelia (1961) to popping up alongside Hilary Swank in the aviator biopic Amelia (2009). In between, Liz appeared on stage (Conduct Unbecoming, December Fools), on film (The Queen’s Guards, What Every Woman Wants, Invitation to the Wedding), and on television (Saturday Playhouse, All My Children, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit). The busy Brit also made many miniseries (The Cleopatras, The Bastard, Bleak House, Buddenbrooks) and TV movies (End of Summer, The Piano Man’s Daughter, NTSB: The Crash of Flight 323). During the 1990s, the boob tube babe could be seen on Side Effects (1994-1996) and The Adventures of Shirley Holmes (1996-1998) and heard on Silver Surfer (1998). Elizabeth also lent her sexy presence to horror flicks, such as Roger Corman’s The Tomb of Ligeia (1964) and Damien: Omen II (1978). Yet Mr. Skin was more turned on by her titillating turn as an adulterous wife of a Navy commander in the war drama Hell Boats (1970). The PG-13 picture features James Franciscus, Magda Konopka, and Ms. Shepherd’s bare breasts! Land ho!
