Elena Verdugo

Born in Central California in 1925, Elena Verdugo appeared in her first film "Cavalier of the West" (1931) as a six-year-old dancer. In her teens and into her twenties, Verdugo was typecast in minority roles, but fortunately that didn't mean she missed out on all the juicy parts.

In "The Moon and Sixpence" (1942), Verdugo played the Tahitian object of desire in the story inspired by the life of painter Paul Gaugin. She played a gypsy girl in "House of Frankenstein" (1944), featuring Dracula, the Werewolf, and Frankenstein's Monster.

In the 1950s, television offered an opportunity to break out of her rut. She was cast in the title role of the TV adaptation of the popular radio series "Meet Millie" (CBS, 1952-56), a comedy following the life of a young secretary living with her mother in Manhattan. Her flair for comedy continued to be on full display in appearances on "The Red Skelton Hour" (NBC, 1951-1953, 1970-71; CBS, 1953-1970) and "The New Phil Silvers Show" (CBS, 1963-64).

She had a recurring role on the department store-set "Many Happy Returns" (CBS, 1964-65) and was a series regular on the sitcom "Mona McCluskey" (NBC, 1965--66). Verdugo's most well known role was Consuelo Lopez, the dedicated nurse on the long-running "Marcus Welby, M.D." (ABC, 1969-1976). She was nominated for Emmy Awards for her role in 1971 and 1972.

Verdugo made a few more appearances after the show ended, including reprising her role in the TV movie "The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D." (ABC, 1984). Elena Verdugo passed away in 2017.