Nancy Westbrook

In an era when Hollywood was saturated with blondes, Nancy Sheryle Westbrook held the distinction of being that rare African-American starlet who graced the screen in mere walk-on roles. Although she never achieved the fame of Lena Horne or Dorothy Dandridge, she broke barriers by portraying gorgeous and non-stereotypical characters onscreen. She was adopted by a Reverend and his wife shortly thereafter. She was considered a scholar by her classmates, as she excelled during her K-12 education. She was accepted to New York University, but declined so she could focus on the performing arts. Although her aspirations leaned towards acting, she had become a successful model since settling in Hollywood in 1952. She was crowned in various pageants including Jane Swimsuit Queen and Queen of the Home Show, while posing for various issues of the Hollywood Reporter and Jet. She was discovered by Howard Hughes, who cast her in Son of Sinbad (1955) as the Slave Girl who yells "It's Sinbad! He's in the Harem!" Nancy found success onscreen by starring in movies like East of Sumatra (1953), Wings of the Hawk (1953), and The Egyptian (1954), which became box-office successes. Her parts began to dwindle, and she moved to New York hoping for more opportunity on Broadway. She starred in Ziegfeld Follies at the Winter Garden Theater. Her part in the latter production -in addition to landing her appearances on "What's My Line" and "Ed Sullivan"- earned her a screen test with Universal Pictures, but nothing materialized. As her career cooled, she modeled fashion for brands like Lilly Dache and McClelland. After marrying her partner of several years, she retired from modeling and became a secretary for a local public relations firm. After a lengthy illness, she in New York City, New York, survived by several nieces and nephews.