Priscilla Barnes (born 1953 or 1954[1]) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Terri Alden in the ABC sitcom Three's Company between 1981 and 1984. Barnes also has appeared in films, including A Vacation in Hell (1979), Licence to Kill (1989), Stepfather III (1992), The Crossing Guard (1995), Mallrats (1995), The Devil's Rejects (2005) and The Visitation (2006). From 2014 to 2019, Barnes played Magda Andel in the CW comedy-drama series Jane the Virgin.
Barnes was born in Fort Dix, New Jersey,[1] the third of four children of a father who was a major in the United States Air Force and a mother who was a homemaker. Her childhood was marked by a series of moves across military bases throughout the country before her family settled in Lancaster, California. After graduating from Antelope Valley High School at age 17, Barnes relocated to San Diego, working as a waitress and a dancer.[1]
Barnes' first break came when Bob Hope saw her in a local fashion show and invited her to join his troupe for a 1973 performance at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. She subsequently moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in showbusiness.[1] She appeared as an Amazon in The New Original Wonder Woman alongside Lynda Carter as the title character. Her second break came at 19 when she met Peter Falk, who offered her a one-line part in an episode of Columbo. This led to a series of bit parts in films such as The Seniors (1978) and Delta Fox (1979).
While working as a hostess at a Hollywood nightclub, Barnes posed nude for the "Pet of the Month" photo layout in the March 1976 issue of Penthouse magazine under the pseudonym Joann Witty. Penthouse later wanted to republish the photos under Barnes' real name in 1982 after she had become famous for Three's Company. The issue was argued in court, as Penthouse wanted a judge to rule on the legality of publishing the pictures using Barnes' real name. The case involved a handwritten addendum to the standard model release contract that all models sign. When Penthouse lost the initial case, it appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The appellate court mostly sided with Barnes and ruled that the handwritten addendum was legally binding, precluding Penthouse from republishing the photos using Barnes' real name.[2]
In 1976, Barnes began studying acting with coach Sal Dano, whose students included Tom Selleck, Robert Hays and Catherine Bach. In 1978, she played a leading role in the CBS action series The American Girls, which was canceled after seven weeks. Subsequent parts included the horror film Tintorera and television series such as Starsky & Hutch, Vega$, Kojak, The Rockford Files and The Love Boat, as well as the 1978 TV version of The Time Machine and the 1979 television film A Vacation in Hell. In 1980, Barnes landed a supporting role in the romantic comedy film Sunday Lovers.[1]
In 1981, Barnes was cast as Terri Alden on the ABC sitcom Three's Company after Jenilee Harrison served as interim replacement to Suzanne Somers, who had left the series as a result of contractual dispute with producers. The part, which is Barnes' most notable role, brought her instant public recognition.[1][3] Barnes initially auditioned for the role of Chrissy Snow in 1976 but lost the part to Somers.[citation needed] She stayed with the show through the series finale in 1984, appearing in a total of 70 episodes.
In the 1998 TV program E! True Hollywood Story, Barnes called Three's Company the "three worst years" of her life. She revealed that after shooting the first few episodes, she felt "uncomfortable" on the set, mostly because of tension among the cast members, and unsuccessfully petitioned the producers to release her from her contract.[4] Barnes has retained her friendship with costars Joyce DeWitt and Richard Kline, with whom she has made public appearances.[5] Barnes was portrayed by actress Anne Ross in the 2003 television movie Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company.[1]
In 1982, Barnes starred in the Aaron Spelling made-for-television film The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch. After Three's Company was canceled by ABC in 1984, Barnes accepted guest-starring roles on television shows such as Hotel, Murder, She Wrote and Highway to Heaven. In 1987, she starred in the pilot for the sitcom She's the Sheriff, playing the title role. Barnes later left the project and was replaced by Suzanne Somers.[6] The following year, Barnes returned in a starring role in the action comedy Traxx opposite Shadoe Stevens.
In 1989, Barnes appeared in the James Bond film Licence to Kill as Della Churchill and in the underwater sci-fi/action thriller Lords of the Deep. In 1992, she starred in the NBC television movie Perry Mason and the Case of the Reckless Romeo with Raymond Burr and in the horror film Stepfather III. In 1995, she appeared in the cult comedy film Mallrats and in The Crossing Guard with Jack Nicholson. Barnes made a cameo appearance in the 1999 comedy-drama film Mumford and appeared in many other smaller independent and made-for-television movies during 1990s and 2000s. She appeared in the 2005 horror film The Devil's Rejects, directed by Rob Zombie.[7] and the films Thr3e (2006), The Visitation (2006) and American Cowslip (2009). In 2012, she costarred as Vicey Hatfield in Hatfields and McCoys: Bad Blood. In 2013, she appeared in Disaster Wars: Earthquake vs Tsunami.[8] In 2007, Barnes appeared at the annual New York International Fringe Festival as Hillary Clinton in Nick Salamone's play Hillary Agonistes.[9]
In 2014, Barnes was cast in a recurring role as Magda Andel, the mother of Petra (played by Yael Grobglas), in the CW comedy-drama series Jane the Virgin.[10] The series ended in 2019 after five seasons. Barnes appeared in a total of 41 episodes. In 2019, Barnes appeared in the Bloomington Playwrights Project's production of Christy Hall's To Quiet the Quiet.[11]
Barnes married actor Ted Monte.[12][13]
