Leslie Parrish, born Marjorie Hellen on March 13, 1935, in Melrose, Massachusetts, is an American actress, model, writer, producer, and activist. She grew up in Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania, and was a promising piano and composition student at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music. However, financial constraints led her to modeling, which eventually opened the door to her acting career.

Leslie Parrish began her modeling career at the age of 19, working for the prestigious Conover Agency in New York City. Her transition to acting saw her initially under contract with Twentieth Century Fox and later Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. She made her film debut in 1955, and her first significant film role was as Daisy Mae in the 1959 musical comedy "Li'l Abner."

She is perhaps best remembered for her role as Jocelyn Jordan in the 1962 classic "The Manchurian Candidate," where she starred alongside Laurence Harvey and Frank Sinatra. She also appeared in "For Love or Money" (1963), "Three on a Couch" (1966), and "The Giant Spider Invasion" (1975).

Her versatility shone in her numerous guest-starring roles on television, including popular shows like "Star Trek" (1967), "Batman," "The Wild Wild West," "Perry Mason," and "The Big Valley" (1968).

Leslie Parrish also became involved in activism, particularly as a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War. She was a member of the Jeannette Rankin Brigade, a group of notable women who fought against the war. Her passion for social causes extended to environmentalism, where she founded a wildlife sanctuary on Orcas Island in Washington State.

Leslie Parrish married twice. Her first marriage was to songwriter Ric Marlow in 1955, ending in divorce in 1961. In 1981, she married pilot and author Richard Bach, whom she had met during the filming of "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" (1973). They divorced in 1999.