Stella Garcia

Stella Garcia is an American actress who appeared in the films The Private Lives of Adam and Eve, Change of Habit, The Last Movie, and Joe Kidd.

Career

Early roles Garcia's first film role was in the early 1960s in The Private Lives of Adam and Eve. In 1963, she had a small part in the Elvis Presley film Fun in Acapulco as the Señorita at Torito's.

Success At the beginning of the 1970s, she was cast in the film The Last Movie (1971), which was the second directorial effort for Dennis Hopper, who had just finished Easy Rider. In the film she played Hopper's girlfriend, and the review from Variety included positive recognition for her part in the movie. Soon after, she was cast by Universal Studios as the female lead in the western Joe Kidd (1972), starring Clint Eastwood. She played Helen Sanchez, a Mexican-American activist and lover of Luis Chama, played by John Saxon. Her performance received positive reviews, especially from the Los Angeles Times. Despite the attention she attracted for The Last Movie and Joe Kidd, her acting career subsequently began to decline. She appeared in one other film during the 1970s, the Albert Band-directed She Came to the Valley, as a Christmas party guest.

Later years In 1996, she played the part of Maria in the film Eye for an Eye which starred Sally Field and Kiefer Sutherland. Her final film role was in 1997, as a South African businesswoman in the film Playing God.

She attended the April 25, 2014 screening of Dennis Hopper's The Last Movie at Paramount Studios, Hollywood, California. Garcia arrived at the event with Jodi Wille, director of the documentary The Source Family.

Filmography Title Year Role Director Notes The Private Lives of Adam and Eve 1960 Friday Mickey Rooney, Albert Zugsmith Fun in Acapulco 1963 Señorita at Torito's Richard Thorpe Uncredited Change of Habit 1969 Singer William Graham drama; Uncredited The Last Movie 1971 Maria Dennis Hopper Uncredited, Recognition for her role in a review from Variety Joe Kidd 1972 Helen Sanchez John Sturges Positive reviews, incl. one from LA Times. She Came to the Valley 1973 Christmas Party Guest #20 Albert Band Eye for an Eye 1996 Maria John Schlesinger Playing God 1997 South African Businesswoman Andy Wilson (final film role)