# Antoinette Bower (1932-2026) \[Sylvia in ST:TOS Catspaw\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2026, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antoinette-bower-1932-2026-sylvia-in-st-tos-catspaw/1031605 "2026-07-11T19:56:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2026, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antoinette-bower-1932-2026-sylvia-in-st-tos-catspaw/1031605/1 "2026-07-11T19:56:10Z")
April 30. [Link.](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/antoinette-bower-dead-star-trek-twilight-zone-prom-night-1236644450/) While never an A-Lister, she was a very busy actress, possibly best remembered as one of the aliens in the ST:TOS episode “Catspaw” and “Eve” in the TZ ep “Probe 7 Over and Out” with Richard Basehart. I always thought of her as “the actress with the big hair.” Reports of her death started circulating two months ago, but only in the past day has it been confirmed in the press. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2026, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antoinette-bower-1932-2026-sylvia-in-st-tos-catspaw/1031605/2 "2026-07-11T20:24:35Z")
I think I first saw her as the wife that Dick Van Dyke wanted to get rid of so much that he was willing to shoot _himself_ on COLUMBO. As far as I can tell, she was never not great. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2026, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antoinette-bower-1932-2026-sylvia-in-st-tos-catspaw/1031605/3 "2026-07-11T20:39:29Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I think I first saw her as the wife that Dick Van Dyke wanted to get rid of so much that he was willing to shoot _himself_ on COLUMBO. One of my favorite episodes of that series. 👍 She was also the wife of a Middle Eastern prince on _ **Mission: Impossible** _. The prince’s evil brother ran a clandestine slave trade, and the IMF arranged for her to be _almost_ sold at auction. You can imagine what the prince did when he found out what was going on behind his back, and it was **not** nice! 😠 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2026, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antoinette-bower-1932-2026-sylvia-in-st-tos-catspaw/1031605/4 "2026-07-11T21:55:16Z")
I remember her as an emotionally shattered girl in Combat! who refused to leave her garden. She had very little dialog, and she spoke entirely in French, so she had to do most of her communicating with her face and body.