Michele Carey

Michele Carey (born Michele Lee Henson; February 26, 1942 – November 21, 2018) was an American actress who was best known for her role as Josephine "Joey" MacDonald in the 1966 Western film El Dorado. She appeared in movies and guest-starred in television series in the 1960s and 1970s.

Early life and education Carey was born on February 26, 1942, in Annapolis, Maryland, to Stanley Willard Henson Jr., and Thelma Burnell Henson; her father was working as a wrestling instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy. The family soon moved to Rochester, Minnesota, where her father continued his medical studies. Carey was a piano prodigy who had appeared on live television in Minneapolis and performed with the Rochester Symphony Orchestra. At age 13, she won gold at the Chicago Music Festival performing Paganini Variations, followed by an encore performance at Soldier Field that "brought down the house."

Career After graduating from high school, she was signed by the John Robert Powers Agency and moved to Los Angeles in 1964 with her son to pursue a modeling career.

Later life and retirement

Following her final film appearance in In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro (1986), Carey withdrew from acting and relocated to New Mexico in the 1990s, where she operated an antique store and briefly married a businessman. After marrying Fred G. Strebel in 1999, she returned to California, residing in Hillsborough and Rancho Mirage.

Carey established a successful second career in real estate, buying and renovating properties in Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills, and Malibu with partner Deryl L. Nation. She also worked as a real estate agent and became known as one of the top agents along the California coast between San Diego and Los Angeles. Despite her business success, she notably never referenced her Hollywood career or film work with clients.

After the September 11 attacks in 2001, Carey refused to fly and would instead drive sixteen hours from Newport Beach to Fort Collins, Colorado to visit her aging parents. She continued making this solo drive well into her seventies, despite concerns from family and friends. While maintaining lifelong friendships with Hollywood figures, including actor Earl Holliman, Carey lived privately and continued receiving fan mail from around the world until her death.

Death Carey died at the age of 76 on November 21, 2018, of natural causes in Newport Beach, California. Her father, who had been the oldest living NCAA wrestling champion, died earlier the same year, and her mother had died in 2016. Her son Kevin Troy Schwanke also died before her.

Filmography Film Year Film Role Notes 1965 The Spy with My Face Maggie How to Stuff a Wild Bikini Michele (uncredited) 1966 El Dorado Josephine "Joey" MacDonald Western film 1968 The Sweet Ride Thumper Stevens Live a Little, Love a Little Bernice 1969 Changes Julie 1970 Five Savage Men Alice McAndrew Western film Dirty Dingus Magee Anna Hot Water 1971 Scandalous John Amanda McCanless 1977 The Choirboys Ora Lee Tingle 1985 In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro Ginny Hansen Action film

Television Year Title Role Notes 1964 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Maggie Episode: "The Double Affair" 1965 Wendy and Me RobertaRita TalbotRita Talbot Episode: "The Wendy Mob"Episode: "Danny's Double Life"Episode: "Wendy's Five Thousand Dollar Chair" Burke's Law Bianca Andrade Episode: "Balance of Terror" 1966 T.H.E. Cat Julie Roth Episode: "The Ring of Anasis" 1967 Run for Your Life Margo Episode: "Tell It to the Dead" 1967–1969 The Wild Wild West Gerda SharffLaurette Episode: "The Night of the Feathered Fury"Episode: "The Night of the Winged Terror: Part I"Episode: "The Night of the Winged Terror: Part II" 1969 The Name of the Game Evelyn 'Evvy' Trager Episode: "Blind Man's Bluff" Mission: Impossible Lisa Episode: "The Brothers" The F.B.I. Meredith Schaeffer Episode: "Tug-of-War" 1970 It Takes a Thief Sharon Foster Episode: "Nice Girls Marry Stockbrokers" 1971 Alias Smith and Jones Betsy Jamison Episode: "A Fistful of Diamonds" 1972 Gunsmoke Tara Hutson Episode: "Tara" Love, American Style Mildred (segment "Love and the Impressionist") Episode: "Love and the First Kiss / Love and the Impressionist / Love and the Super Lover" 1973 The Norliss Tapes Marsha Sterns Television film Savage Allison Baker Television film The Six Million Dollar Man: Wine, Women and War Cynthia Holland Television film Adam's Rib Diana Episode: "For Richer, for Poorer" 1974 Dirty Sally Dolly Episode: "Right of Way" 1977 Delta County, U.S.A. Jonsie Wilson Television film Man from Atlantis Belle Episode: "C.W. Hyde" 1977–1978 Starsky & Hutch NikkiCatlin Episode: "Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty"Episode: "Class in Crime" 1979 The Legend of the Golden Gun Maggie Television film Undercover with the KKK Mary Beth Barker Television film A Man Called Sloane The Voice of Effie (voice) Episode: "The Seduction Squad"Episode: "Tuned for Destruction"Episode: "The Venus Microbe"Episode: "Collision Course"Episode: "Samurai"Episode: "Sweethearts of Disaster"Episode: "Lady Bug"Episode: "Architect of Evil"Episode: "The Shangri-La Syndrome" 1980 Death Ray 2000 Effie (voice) Television film 1982 The Fall Guy Crystal Episode: "No Way Out" Rooster Policewoman Television film