Karen Steele was born on March 20, 1931, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Percy Davis Steele, a Bostonian of English descent and a career Marine, and Ruth Covey Merritt, a Californian of French and Danish heritage.

Her childhood in Hawaii exposed her to Japanese and Hawaiian languages, and at the age of 13, she suffered a severe surfing accident that led to 22 operations to rebuild her leg with wires and metal.

Despite the challenges, she pursued her dreams and attended the University of Hawaii before studying acting at Rollins College in Florida for a year.

Karen Steele began her career as a cover girl and model before transitioning to acting. Her first professional work was on the radio program "Let George Do It," and she made her film debut in an uncredited role in "The Clown" (1953).

Her breakthrough came in 1955 when she played Virginia in the critically acclaimed drama "Marty," which won four Academy Awards.

Throughout her career, Karen Steele appeared in more than 60 roles in film and television. She starred in westerns and dramas, working with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including James Garner, Clint Eastwood, Roger Moore, Burt Lancaster, Randolph Scott, Glenn Ford, and Kirk Douglas.

Some of her notable roles include Mrs. Lane in "Ride Lonesome" (1959) and Eve McHuron in the "Star Trek" episode "Mudd's Women" (1966).

In 1973, Karen Steele married Dr. Maurice Boyd Ruland, a psychiatrist at the Mohave Mental Health Clinic, and they resided in Golden Valley, Arizona.

She passed away on March 12, 1988, just eight days shy of her 57th birthday, in Kingman, Arizona.