A slim brunette leading lady of film and TV, Barbara Parkins made her feature debut in the crime drama "20,000 Eyes" (1961) but really came to public attention as the oft-married Betty Anderson on the popular primetime soap opera "Peyton Place" (ABC, 1964-69). In her second feature, the high profile but trashy "Valley of the Dolls" (1967), she was cast as an aspiring actress with roots in New England, a role that was not much of a stretch from her TV persona. In its day, the film was widely dismissed by critics, but by the 1990s it enjoyed popularity as a camp classic. While never a major
Began appearing in guest spots on TV shows like "Dr. Kildare" and "Leave It to Beaver"
Co-starred as Betty Anderson in the TV serial "Peyton Place" (ABC), the first soap opera to become a major hit in primetime, airing up to three times per week
1967
Co-starred in "Valley of the Dolls", an embarrassing adaptation of the Jacqueline Susann novel
1971
Played a traumatized rape victim in ABC movie "A Taste of Evil", starring Barbara Stanwyck
