Teresa Graves
Nude

Everything’s bigger in Texas which may account for the signature hairstyle, hoop earrings, and talent belonging to Teresa Graves. After graduating from high school, the Houston native started singing with The Doodletown Pipers. But she soon turned to acting via the variety shows Our Place (1967) and Turn-On (1969). Like her co-stars Goldie Hawn, Barbara Feldon, Lily Tomlin, and Judy Carne, Teresa’s career really took off when she became a regular performer on NBC’s sketch comedy hit Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In (1969-1970). By 1974, the ebony ingénue starred in the ABC movie Get Christie Love! which spawned a spinoff series of the same name. Based on Dorothy Uhnak’s novel The Ledger, the undercover cop saga marked the first time in TV history for an African-American woman to have her own one-hour police procedural series. Alas, the show wasn’t renewed after its first season. But thankfully its star could also be seen on the big screen with David Niven in Vampira (1974). Re-titled Old Dracula, the horror comedy has Teresa donning super alluring attire. Yet, here at Skin Central, we prefer the starlet’s nude debut in the action flick That Man Bolt (1973). The R-rated blaxploitation movie stars Fred Williamson but the real scene stealers are Teresa’s beautiful bare breasts! Unfortunately, the sexy stunner retired in 1983, and prematurely died from a fire in 2002. But she leaves behind a legacy: whether on film (Black Eye) or on TV (The Funny Side), Teresa made an impact on the entertainment industry. RIP Ms. Graves.