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In 1967, after the first successful year of my TV series, That Girl, a Hollywood agent had the idea of my playing the part of Gloria, who had just made headlines by going undercover as a bunny at the Playboy Club, exposing the sexism and poor working conditions endured by the women who worked there. I’d never met Gloria, but I’d read her articles and knew she was smart and passionate about women’s rights, and I was eager to meet her.

A meeting was set up by the agent, and no more than thirty seconds into it, he beamed at us appreciatively from across his desk, and delivered that jaw-dropping hello. “Boy, I don’t know which one of you I’d like to fuck first.”

Boy, did he pick the wrong two women to say that to. I don’t think we heard anything else he said. The meeting and the idea came to an immediate end. It was just the beginning for Gloria and me.

Gloria was my touchstone in those early days of the women’s movement. She brought me into a circle of amazing women who were doing groundbreaking things. She opened my eyes to the power of creating coalitions that actually effected change rather than just talking about it.