Debra Paget dazzled audiences in her prime, especially in Elvis Presley’s film debut, *Love Me Tender*. Director Cecil B. DeMille praised her as being “touched by the hand of God,” and even Elvis was captivated by her beauty.
At just 22, Debra was a prominent Hollywood star when she joined the cast of *Love Me Tender*.
She first met Elvis on June 5, 1956, during *The Milton Berle Show*, where his provocative performance of “Hound Dog” shocked conservative America. Debra had mixed feelings about meeting him, having heard mostly negative things.
When they met, Elvis greeted her warmly and impressed her with his sincerity. A few months later, while filming *Love Me Tender*, he called Debra “the most beautiful girl he had ever seen” and became close to her family.
Although Elvis proposed after the film, Debra turned him down due to her parents’ objections and her feelings for Howard Hughes. She later married actor David Street but fondly remembered Elvis throughout her life.
Debra retired from acting in 1964 and now lives a quiet life at 89. Interestingly, Elvis sought to marry other co-stars as well, emphasizing his romantic nature in Hollywood.
