Andra Martin, born Sandra Hildur Rehn, was a stunning auburn-haired beauty with piercing blue-grey eyes, hailing from Rockford, Illinois, of Swedish descent. Growing up on her family's farm, she developed a passion for the performing arts, which led her to attend high school in her hometown and nurture her dreams of becoming a star.
Andra's journey began with two years of studying speech and drama at Northwestern University, followed by a move to New York, where she secured her first job as a model while continuing her acting studies under the guidance of renowned acting coach Lee Strasberg. Strasberg was impressed by her natural talent and recommended her to Joshua Logan for a screen test for the female lead in Sayonara (1957) opposite Marlon Brando. Although that opportunity did not materialize, Andra was later signed to a contract with Universal-International.
Universal's publicity machine touted her as a rising star, likening her to Hollywood's biggest names, including Elizabeth Taylor, Betty Grable, and Katharine Hepburn. Unfortunately, her subsequent roles tended to focus on her beauty rather than her acting abilities.
Andra appeared in three films for Universal, including The Lady Takes a Flyer (1957),The Big Beat (1958),and The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958). She also made a few films for Warner Brothers, including Up Periscope (1959) and Yellowstone Kelly (1959). Meanwhile, she became a regular featured leading lady on various popular TV shows, such as Bronco, Cheyenne, 77 Sunset Strip, The Alaskans, Bourbon Street Beat, and Hawaiian Eye.
In her personal life, Andra married Bronco star Ty Hardin in 1958, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1962. She later married a department store heir and then a third time, staying married until her passing on May 3, 2022, at the age of 86.
