Sheila James Kuehl, a diminutive comedienne, born on February 9, 1941, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, began her acting career as a teenager. She started with a five-season regular role as Jackie, the tomboy daughter of Stuart Erwin and June Collyer, in The Stu Erwin Show (1950),at the age of 10.
She appeared in her first film at age 12, using the stage name Sheila James, with an unbilled role in Those Redheads from Seattle (1953). The next year, she was glimpsed in the MGM classic musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954).
Sheila made appearances on various TV series, including "Mayor of the Town", "My Little Margie", "Date with the Angels", "The Bob Cummings Show", "The Millionaire", and "National Velvet", before landing the role of Zelda Gilroy in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959).
As the obsessed student who only had eyes for the poetic, lovelorn title character Dobie, Zelda's confidence in hooking up with the uninterested Dobie never wavered, despite competition in the form of spoiled, dreamy blonde Tuesday Weld as Thalia Meninger.
Sheila was an instant hit as Zelda, so much so that a 1962 pilot entitled "Zelda" was filmed as a possible spinoff. However, when Hollywood gossip spread that 21-year-old Sheila was a lesbian, the powers-that-be decided to permanently shelve the project.
The actress began to see her popularity, and her ability to find acting jobs, diminish after this. Despite some comedy roles in "Petticoat Junction", "Ozzie and Harriet", and "The Donna Reed Show", she found Hollywood more than reluctant to cast her.
After the show's quick demise, Sheila decided to take a different direction in her life. She found a job as a student campus adviser at UCLA, which led to her appointment as the college's associate dean.
At age 34, and back to using her real name, Sheila Kuehl, she was admitted into Harvard Law School, where she rose to the top of her class and was elected student council president. Thereafter, Sheila returned on a rare occasion to TV and film.
Sheila made bold moves into the political arena on feminist issues and went on to serve as the first openly-gay member of the California State Assembly (6 years) and Senate (8 years). She later focused on community programs and policies as Director of the Public Policy Institute at Santa Monica College and played host of the West Hollywood cable show "Get Used To It".
She also worked in tandem with Planned Parenthood of California in helping to develop legislation. To this day, the former child actress continues to be a strong, vital force in Los Angeles politics.
