Paula Prentiss was born to her parents Thomas Ragusa and Paulene.

Thomas Ragusa is a professor of social sciences at the University of the Incarnate Word.

Her father is of Sicilian descent. Her younger sister, Ann Prentiss, was also an actress.

She attended Lamar High School in Houston, Texas. While studying acting at Northwestern University in 1958, she met her husband, Richard Benjamin.

His intelligence and height astounded her. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer spotted her while she was still a student at Northwestern and offered her a film deal.