Our naked celebs content about Barbara Rhoades

Barbara Rhoades is an American actress best known for her sharp comedy and cult‑film presence of the late 1960s and 1970s. She’s a fan favorite as the clever lady bandit Penelope “Bad Penny” Cushings opposite Don Knotts in The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968).

Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, Rhoades trained as a dancer from childhood, spent 18 months on Broadway in Funny Girl, and quickly became a familiar face on television with appearances on classics like Columbo, Kojak, Mannix, Bewitched, The Odd Couple, and later Law & Order. She was also a series regular on Busting Loose (1977) and Generations.

Her film credits include There Was a Crooked Man… (1970) with Kirk Douglas and Henry Fonda, Harry and Tonto, Scream Blacula Scream, The Choirboys, and the Oscar‑winning The Goodbye Girl. A frequently shared bit of Hollywood lore: during Crooked Man, Rhoades later said she didn’t realize a scene would require full nudity until filming unfolded; the explicit footage was ultimately cut from U.S. releases. Fun fact: early in her career she signed a long‑term exclusive contract with Universal Pictures.