ina Roman (January 8. 1934 -)
Height: 'petite" Weight: Eyes: sea-green Hair: black Marriages: (1) Philip Sudano, writer actor (1955 - 1959, divorced)        Son: Ross* (Nov 28. 1955 - ) (2) Alvin Michael Rosenfeld aka Michael Rhodes, agent, producer       (Jun 4. 1961 - Feb 1974, divorced)        Two daughters:        Laura (Feb 18. 1967 -)        Camila (Nov 1. 1969 -) (3) Harvey Myron Krasner (May 5. 1978 - 1987, divorced) (x) David Hughes  (April 2012 - , present) Siblings: Suzanne "Suzie" (1942 - )
Nina was born in Brooklyn on January 8, 1934, as Nina Fried, the daughter of Jewish immigrants from Europe. Her father, Jack ****, was an Austrian who worked as a shoe store manager, while her mother, Clara (or Claire), was Russian. “Yeah, at three years old, I knew I wanted to be a dancer. My dad said that when he held me in his arms and music was playing, my feet would start moving, and he’d say, ‘Oh, dancer.’ And he sang—he had a lovely voice. He was quite artistic himself, even though it wasn’t his profession. He loved the arts. He loved showbiz.” Her mother’s life was deeply affected by a tragic past. She escaped from Russia during a pogrom, where she witnessed the murder of her mother and brother simply because they were Jewish. This traumatic experience left her mentally and emotionally scarred, making her paranoid and fearful even in safe situations. The stories she grew up with, Nina said, instilled in her a steely sense of moral duty and a strong idealism. Coming from diverse backgrounds made for an interesting upbringing, as multiple languages were spoken in the household. Nina, who speaks four languages, grew up in a multilingual environment, which she found enriching. “It was great that way—you learn about different cultures.” Living in the U.S. also exposed her to a wide variety of foods, languages, and customs. As a child growing up in Brooklyn, her family wasn’t wealthy, but she was rich in imagination. Even then, she knew she wanted to make a difference in the world—while also pursuing her dreams of becoming a dancer and an actress. Living near Times Square, she took dance lessons on Broadway, getting off at 42nd Street and walking to the CBS building, where her classes were held.
Young Nina left Brooklyn for Los Angeles with her mother, father, and aunt, traveling by car. The journey wasn’t without challenges—they broke down several times—but it gave her the chance to see the country, or at least a stretch of it along the iconic Route 66. Initially, Los Angeles felt like a letdown compared to the energy of New York City, especially Hollywood and Vine, which didn’t live up to her expectations. “...It was a drugstore, a little coffee shop, a bank, and a department store—I thought, they must be kidding... Everything was one story, and people were so laid-back. I would walk quickly, and someone would ask, ‘Where’s the fire?’ I was disappointed and homesick.” In New York, she had just been elected president of her club and longed to return. “I wanted to go back to New York. But my parents said, ‘This is God’s country, and this is where we’re staying.’ I was a teenager—I didn’t have a choice.” Her father made a living as a salesman in a jewelry store. She attended Hollywood High School while working at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre to help fund her dance and acting studies. She trained under Michael Chekhov, studying alongside notable actors such as Akim Tamiroff, Feodor Chaliapin Jr., John Barrymore Jr., and Ann Revere. The atmosphere was distinctly Russian, with many of her fellow actors being blacklisted due to McCarthyism, which had derailed numerous careers in the entertainment industry. When Nina started using her stage name, Nina Roman, or why she chose it, remains unknown. However, she used it throughout her screen career. In 1952, she was named Best Actress among all high school and college students in Los Angeles. The following year, at just 18, she landed her first television role, playing a Brooklyn stripper alongside Ray Milland in an episode of Meet Mr. McNutley (also known as The Ray Milland Show, CBS, 1953). “No stripping, of course,” she recalled. “It was just getting out of a taxi and doing things. I was really surprised by how many takes it took for Ray Milland to answer the phone. It wasn’t him—I think it was a technical issue. Twenty-three takes, and I thought, oh my God. It was my first experience, and it was so different from stage work...” At the time, she was still part of the Chekhov Stock Company, which performed in Agora. She was also a dancer—a Nick Castle dancer—and trained with Nico Charisse, the ex-husband of Cyd Charisse. “Dancing is wonderful. With the music, you’re transported—it’s magical. It’s a high that only dancers truly understand. But it’s fabulous.”
She married actor-writer Philip Sudano in Tijuana, Mexico in 1955, and later that year, on November 28, their first son, Ross*, was born in Los Angeles. “…and after that, you’re not going to go on the road.” She was able to stay home while pursuing her acting career, securing an agent and taking all the necessary steps to move forward in the industry.  “Went on the interviews and got the jobs. Not every time. I'll never forget. I went on one interview and they said, we want a combination of Kim Novak and Elizabeth Taylor. I said, it was really brazen. I guess you want a tall, short, blonde brunette with one blue-brown eye. You know, it's like, what is that? ... I didn't get it.”
Above left: This painting of Lucrezia Borgia and her “Bratislavian Sheep Dog” was used in the storyline and as a prop in The Shaggy Dog (Disney, Mar 19. 1959). In September 1958 Nina Ramon put on an elaborate Renaissance gown and a jeweled tiara, took in her hand a golden chalice, and then, assuming a poisonous expression sat for her portrait by artist Rafael Montalboddi. This portrait was all that was seen of her in the movie. Above right: Nina in a publicity shot for 77 Sunset Strip (ca 1959)
Above: Photo from the Peter Gunn series with Craig Stevens and Nina Roman ("Criss Cross", NBC, Sep 28. 1958)
On December 24, 1958, after two months of separation, Nina was awarded custody of her three-year-old son and granted $50 per month in child support, pending her divorce in 1959. Between 1959 and 1960, she appeared in numerous publicity photos for Steve Ellingson's U-Bild woodworking patterns, which were featured in various newspapers. In 1959, she made her big-screen debut as a college girl in director Sam Fuller’s crime drama The Crimson Kimono (Columbia, Aug 21. 1959). Around this time, she also studied with actor Bruce Dern, whom she considered—alongside Michael Chekhov—one of the two most influential figures in her career, as their approaches were entirely different. She later met her second husband, agent and producer Mike Rhodes, when she called to schedule an interview. That meeting sparked their courtship, during which Nina paid close attention to her intuition and the small gestures. “He bought me one rose—it was all he could afford at the time. But that one rose meant more to me than a dozen long-stemmed roses with diamonds. He was thoughtful.” They married in Los Angeles on June 4, 1961.
Above: Nina Roman (R) as the maid in "Miniature" an episode from the popular Twilight Zone (ABC, Feb 21. 1963) with Claire Griswold (L).
She had roles (she was one of Miss Kitty’s saloon girls)  in Gunsmoke (CBS, Oct 9. 1965 - Mar 4. 1974, min. 4 episodes) and in several episodes of Wagon Train (ABC, Mar 30, 1964, min. 1 episode). That provided her with one of the highlights of her life. When she was at Grammar's Chinese Theater she used to watch Bette Davis on the screen. “And I was just so taken with Bette Davis. I thought she was so phenomenal. And I finally got cast as one of her girls. It was like a scene out of a movie, almost out of 'All About Eve'. I walked up to her and I was so choked because when you realize a dream in life.. And here you are working with her. Doing five days with her on a film. I got so emotional about it, and she looked at me, and she started to cry and stood up, and she held me. We rocked together. It was just so beautiful. And the next day, I saw her walking towards me, and she brought me coffee and donuts.”
Above: Nina Roman is featured regularly in the NBC's Morning Star Monday-through Friday daytime color series; She portrays Liz Mitchell in this half-hour drama revolving around a young aspiring fashion designer in New York City. (Nov 1965)
She was starring in a soap opera called Morning Star (NBC, Oct. 18. 1965 - May 27. 1966, min. 6 episodes). “I was under contract to Columbia Studios. And one day I was sitting in hair and makeup at the NBC studios in Burbank when Robert Kennedy walked in. He walked into the room and everything stopped,”  remembering the day she met the charismatic young senator. Kennedy had been brought in to be prepped for Meet the Press, filmed in the same studio. They got the photographers out. They wanted to publicize it. Nina decided to tell him how much she admired his strength, his work on poverty. “I told him how much I admired his brother and how much I admired him because of the mafia thing, how I admired that they were trying to clean up government." She went on: “I said if ever you decide to run for president, I will work for you. I promise you.” He laughed it off, and assured her he had no such plans. They chatted about politics and world affairs. He said: “Well, what do you do?” She told him she was an actress, and he asked how often she appeared. “Every day.” Kennedy was humble. He asked how many pages a day, and when she replied 30 pages, he was amazed. “You memorize 30 pages a day?” “I do,” she said. “I could never do that,” he said, “But my brother Jack, he could memorize just looking at something very quickly. I never had that ability, and I admired that in him and I admire that in you.”
Above left: Nina Roman (L) with Robert Kennedy and, on the right, Elizabeth Perry from the TV soap Morning Star (NBC) December 1965. Above right: Nina Roman has discovered painting. Here she is with some of her creations, including a portrait of her 10-year-old son (upper right). When not painting, she portrays a troubled single girl on NBC's daytime serial, Morning Star (Binghampton Press, March 19. 1966).
Above: Nina Roman in The Wild Wild West ("The Night of the Assassin", CBS, Sep 22. 1967) with Phyllis Davis.
When Kennedy announced his candidacy for president, Nina became a fundraiser. She organized several events, including a wine and cheese gathering for Ethel Kennedy and a train ride called the Kennedy Cannonball, which ran from L.A. to Bakersfield. Her son, Ross, worked alongside her. Nina, who knew many entertainers and celebrities—Nancy Sinatra being a close friend—quickly organized an event at a local disco, The Factory. “We called it a ‘happening’ back then,” she recalled. The event was a huge success, and Kennedy sent her a personal telegram thanking her. The momentum built, and Kennedy’s prospects began to shine as brightly as the California sun. That's the reason why Nina Roman was in the Ambassador Hotel in 1968 when Robert Kennedy was shot just a few feet from the senator on the night he won the 1968 California Democratic primary, and face to face with his confessed killer.

She was invited to come to the Ambassador Hotel the night of June 4. 1968 to meet him again. The night had been euphoric, filled with laughter and joyous celebration. Nina was waiting — she had been asked to “get” Kennedy and direct him to the Salinger press room as he came offstage. But the entourage swept him the other direction, through the kitchen toward the Colonial room. “No, no, that’s the wrong way, he’s supposed to come over here.” She ran after them as he was moved offstage. “Suddenly, he turns to his right and went straight ahead towards the Colonial, the other press room ... then, as I’m looking at him, I heard pop.’ ”...Then, to her left, ahead of the senator, she saw him, Sirhan Sirhan, standing on top of a steel kitchen table. Only two shots had been fired. As they brought him down, more rang out to her right, close behind senator Kennedy**. Rapid gunfire, 12, maybe 13 in all. .. “Then I look down and I see the senator has fallen. He’s lying on the floor. He has been shot.” She remembers screaming, “Oh my God, no, oh my God, no.” Then she collapsed and fainted. When she came to Senator Kennedy lay on the floor, blood spilling out around his head. His wife, Ethel, knelt beside him. In all, six people had been shot, one fatally. Kennedy would be pronounced dead in hospital later that day. Her son, Ross Rhodes*, remembers the night of the shooting clearly; how his parents’ sobs woke him, how he pushed off his blankets and stumbled through the bathroom that connected his bedroom to the room with the TV. He was 13 years old and had never seen his mother cry.
Above: Nina Roman, American athlete and actor Rafer Johnson, actress Shirley MacLaine, among the California delegation on the first day of the 1968 Democratic National Convention, held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois, 26th August 1968.
After that, she quickly distanced herself from politics. The assassination had a profound impact on her, as it did on the political landscape. Living in Tarzana, CA, she had a third child and shifted her focus to other fundraising efforts, her acting career, and even opened a fitness studio. There, she taught fitness to notable clients such as Paul Newman, Cheryl Tiegs, Cher, and Richard Simmons. Just (Feb 1974) divorced from Michael "Mike" Rhodes, one of the series' producers (who also wrote the episode "Caesar's Last Sleep"), Nina Roman played Grace, Inspector Queen's secretary in Ellery Queen (NBC, Sep 18. 1975 - Apr. 4. 1976, 7 episodes).
Top left: A scene from Ellery Queen's "The Adventure of Miss Aggie's Farewell Performance"  (NBC, Oct 19. 1975) Top right: Jim Hutton (Ellery) and Nina Roman (Grace) in Ellery Queen's "The Adventure of The Judas Tree"  (NBC, Feb 1. 1976) Above left: Nina in Ellery Queen's "The Adventure of Caesar's Last Sleep"  (NBC, Mar 14. 1976). Above right: Nina Roman as Inspector Queen's secretary Grace with David Wayne (Inspector Queen) and Jim Hutton in "The Adventure of the Disappearing Dagger" (NBC, Apr 4. 1976).
After 1977 she somehow disappeared from the screens, Harvey Myron Krasner became her third husband when they married on May 5. 1978. She ventured into the real estate business in Beverly Hills and, according to an interview with Gloria Crichton, became deeply involved in spiritual and metaphysical practices. In the 80s she only did a few episodes for the series Emerald Point N.A.S. (CBS, Dec 12. 1983 - Mar 12. 1984, 2 episodes). In 1983, she came as a tourist to Vancouver, fell in love with the city and eventually moved here. She started the acting department of Vancouver Film School, (1996) and was teaching independently after that.
In the 90s, primarily based in Vancouver, she somewhat revived her acting career on television and appeared in The X-Files (Fox, Nov 10. 1996), Millennium (Fox, Jan 15. 1999). Her last screen performance was as a famous actress in the series Secret Agent Man ("The Face", UPN, Jun 2. 2000). Right: As Nina Rhodes she did interviews for a program called Contact (1999) (YouTube).
She married David Hughes in April of 2012 becoming Nina Rhodes-Hughes. With her husband, she had moved to Bowen island five years earlier and has been involved in island theatre since. The feeling of community she gets here is of great import to her, she says, especially now that she must again deal with the resonance of an experience “emblazoned” on her psyche. She was contacted by University of Massachusetts professor and freedom-of-information advocate Philip Melanson, who was writing a book raising questions about the RFK assassination — including various threads of evidence pointing to more than eight gunshots and a possible second assassin. She recalled Melanson showing her a transcript of her 1968 interview with FBI detectives. There were more than a dozen errors in the document. Her interview with CNN in 2012 sparked a worldwide resurgence of interest in the assassination. However, despite the attention this new account garnered, it did not lead to any major legal developments. The case remains officially closed. In October 2012 she directed Dead Man's Cell Phone, starring Cameron and Minns, Rosie Montgomery, Laurel Bailey and Tina Nielsen. Nina Rhodes-Hughes produced and directed a local version of the play Noah's Ark written by Pittsburgh's Ginny Cunningham based on James W. Douglass book JFK and the Unspeakable at the Canadian Memorial Centre for Peace in Vancouver, British Columbia, March 9. 2013. She was public relations director for the Century Plaza Hotel where she got Jesus Christ Superstar to stay at our hotel and Porgy and Bess. The ballroom was filled with the orchestra, to play the whole score from Porgy and Bess. “Oh, wonderful. So that was a coup. I had to really make a lot of phone calls.” Nina combined her work with an innovative approach to fundraising, recognizing the potential of interlinking art with charitable efforts to drive community support and participation. When asked in an interview why, despite being quite successful, she didn’t go on to fame, money, and glory, she explained that she closed the doors and became deeply involved in charity work and fundraising. “I've always wanted to explore so many areas in life... The money wasn't all for me. I do enjoy money—I think we should all have all that we need and want. And yet, I always thought I wanted fame too, but as I grew older, I realized the driving force underneath was always to be in service—to really help, to make a difference, basically.”
Above: Glorious photo of Nina and David "being happy".
Notes: *   Ross assumed the name of her second husband Mike Rhodes and became      a successful actor himself. ** She is one of the few witnesses who reported the presence of a second gunman.      CNN had warned her not to read the comments from readers on the website where      Johnson’s story was published, but she did and found them hurtful. She was accused      of seeking money and derided for not coming forward earlier. Had she defended      herself, she would have said she seeks no reward and that she did come forward,      only no one listened. Nina found local support on Bowen Island. *** "She had a third child..." (3) **** Jack's parents were Samuel and Ray (Rachel), his siblings: Louise, Sall,           Henry, Fred, Max and Ettie. All dates for movies are for the first US release. All dates for TV programs are original first airdates. All dates for (radio) plays are for the time span the actor was involved. Programs, facts or dates in red still need confirmation.
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Other references (1) IMDb (2) "The night they killed Bobby" by Denise Ryan (The Vancouver Sun, May 5. 2012) (3) "B.C.-based actress Nina Rhodes-Hughes speaks of RFK’s assassination"       by Denise Ryan (The Vancouver Sun, May 3. 2012) (4) "RFK assassination witness willing to testify for Sirhan Sirhan’s lawyers"       by Brad Johnson & Michael Martinez (CNN, July 9. 2012) (5) "Canadian witness to RFK assassination claims there was 2nd shooter"       (National Post, May 1. 2012) Additional video & audio sources (1) Nina Rhodes-Hughes interview by Gloria Crichton May 5. 2012 YouTube (2) Helen Shaver interview with host Nina Rhodes Contact, 1997 YouTube (3) Melinda full movie (MGM, Dec 3. 1972) YouTube (4) A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes Annette Funicello Story      full movie (CBS, Oct 22. 1995) YouTube
This profile is a part of Ellery Queen a website on deduction. The person above acted in the Ellery Queen TV series in 1975-1976. Click Uncle Sam if you think you can help out...! Many of the profiles on this site have been compiled after very careful research of various sources. Please quote and cite ethically!
Page first published April 1. 2025  Version 1.0 - Last updated April 1. 2025

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