Introduction
Trudi Ames (born Trudi Ziskind) is a former actress most notable for her uncredited but memorable role in Bye Bye Birdie as Kim's best friend Ursula. She also had a notable role as Libby in Gidget Goes to Rome and was an extra in Gypsy.
In a TV special on January 7, 1965, she was named by ABC as one of the twelve most promising young actresses. She later appeared on such television series as The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Make Room for Daddy, Green Acres and The Dick Van Dyke Show (she had worked with Van Dyke in Bye Bye Birdie).
Personal life
The daughter of Louis Ziskind, a social worker for Los Angeles' Jewish Committee for Personal Service, Ames married and divorced Steven R. Lenenberg.
Post-acting career
Her post-acting life has included teaching in the Los Angeles area public schools for twenty years, and working for the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1978-83 as a brakeman and locomotive engineer.
As Prashant Ziskind, she has worked as a life transitions coach, particularly for creative people including performance artists.
Filmography
- The Impossible Years (1968) as Francine
- Cinderella (1965) as Daughter
- The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1960), 2 episodes as Jenny
- The Dick Van Dyke Show (1965) 1 Episode as Margie
- Gidget Goes to Rome (1963) as Libby Bennett
- Bye Bye Birdie (1963) as Ursula (uncredited)
- Gypsy (1962) as Scottish Girl (in Uncle Jocko Scene) (uncredited)