Whatever Happened to ‘The Munsters’ Star Pat Priest?

THE MUNSTERS, Pat Priest, on-set, 1964-66 (1965 photo by Curt Gunther) — Curt Gunther/Everett Collection

Patricia “Pat” Priest, who turns 89 on August 15, 2025, will always be remembered as Marilyn Munster, the sunny, all-American niece on The Munsters. As the one “normal” member of her spooky TV family, she brought a warmth that balanced the show’s eccentric humor. But did you know that her life and career extended far beyond the cobwebbed walls of 1313 Mockingbird Lane including a film with Elvis Presley?

When The Munsters ended, Priest moved on to a variety of television and film projects. She guest-starred on popular series like Perry Mason, Bewitched and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Success followed Priest after the show’s cancellation, including a memorable role opposite Elvis Presley in the 1967 film Easy Come, Easy Go. One day on set, she mentioned to Elvis that she was in the market for a new car. “Oh Elvis, I could never afford one of your cars,” she told the Idaho 6 News. “And he said ‘I have a 1965 Cadillac Convertible with black leather interior’ and I said that sounds really nice, and I said ‘how much?’ He said ‘3000 dollars,’ and I said ‘sold.’ I wrote him a check.”

EASY COME, EASY GO, Pat Priest, Elvis Presley, 1967

Everett Collection

She explored more unusual roles, including the cult horror film The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant and small parts in Looking for Love and Airport. But not all moments in her career were easy. When Universal decided to make Munster, Go Home! in 1966, Priest was replaced in the role of Marilyn because the studio wanted a younger actress. She later admitted it was a blow, but she kept her perspective, choosing to remember her time on the series fondly.

By the late 1970s, Priest decided to step away from Hollywood. She chose a quieter life in Idaho with her second husband, Fred Hansing and her two sons, and found success restoring and selling homes. She also ran an antiques business with her sister. Despite leaving acting, she became a favorite at fan conventions, often appearing with Munsters co-star Butch Patrick. She never shied away from her most famous role and enjoyed sharing behind-the-scenes stories with fans.

PARSIPPANY, NJ - APRIL 30: Butch Patrick and Pat Priest both of The Munsters attends the Chiller Theatre Spring Expo 2011 at Hilton Parsippany on April 30, 2011 in Parsippany, New Jersey.

Bobby Bank/WireImage

However, in 2001, Priest was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She underwent treatment in Idaho and was eventually declared in remission. Surviving cancer gave her an even greater appreciation for the life she had built. She has often said that everything after her diagnosis felt like a gift.

In recent years, Priest has enjoyed a peaceful retirement in Eagle, Idaho, though she has remained connected to her fans. In 2022, she returned to The Munsters in a small way, voicing the Transylvania Airlines announcer in Rob Zombie‘s reboot film. She also appeared as a restaurant guest in the 1995 TV film Here Come the Munsters. In 2020, she told the Senior Voice Alaska, “I’ve done everything I wanted to do and gone everywhere I wanted to go. I’m 83 now and whatever happens in the future is all just pluses.”