The wacky, fun-loving Jennifer Delora carved her own little niche as a prominent B movie star for the better part of the 1980s which in-turn spilled into the 1990s. A career that appeared to take off forthwith, after grabbing an early start at the tender age of four. Jennifer has tackled the trials and tribulations common to the acting trade with a positive outlook and a unique sense of humor which shows up in many of her performances. Don’t think for a second that there are simply bubbles blowing behind her lively character as she is armed with two .45s which come in the shape of a PhD in Psychology and Hypnotherapy. After losing her hearing, Jennifer realised the potential to promote the use of Deaf performers and dedicates a great deal of her time to teaching and consulting to create a wider understanding of Deaf Culture. It takes an exceptional personality to not only forge on after some personal set-backs but help others in the process. Presenting Jennifer Delora, B-Queen, Doctor, Technical Advisor and Screenwriter. This leaves the possibilities endless for what might come next…
How did you initially get into acting? I’m guessing looks and talent had something to do with it!
Don’t know about ‘looks and talent – I was only 4. HOWEVER, inside me there was a fire. My desire to do it actually came to being when I was a little girl and saw Leslie Ann Warren’s version of “Cinderella”. I said, “I want to do that”. Then, at age five, in Kindergarten made my ‘theatrical debut” as a snowflake in the Christmas show at school. I knew at 4 I wanted to be a ‘star’ (didn’t really know what that meant or what ‘acting’ really was, but knew that I wanted to do those movies and TV and the things I saw growing up even at that age, I knew that I would do it.
Professionally speaking, I had some interesting turns. In upstate NY from Jr. High on through HS and community theatre in the Hudson Valley/Adirondacks/Catskills, I did every show to be done. From musical comedies to comedies to dramas, sometimes doing two shows at once while choreographing for another local high school, pageants, and doing Renaissance Faires, Shakespeare and so forth, Summer Stock, tours – Regional theatre: you name it – I did it. From Mazeppa in Gypsy (being brought in dress rehearsal night fresh off of starring as Ado Annie in “Oklahoma”, to “The Diary of Anne Frank” to “Harvey” and many classics and Vaudeville shows and so forth). They did a Pepsi Commercial locally and put out a casting call for local non-paid extras. I had done so much theatre work at that point I went to the front of the line, told them who I was and so forth (had “delusions of grandeur” even then) and of course they put me in it and I got a featured part in it. I of course had to drink so much Pepsi that I haven’t touched it since. Then there was an ad when I was 18 (barely) from Warner Brothers that was shooting about 1 hour from my parent’s house at the Concorde Hotel (a famous hotel from the “Borscht Belt” era) called “Soup for One”. Not being one to stand in line or tolerate the ‘little people syndrome’, I sent a Woolworth photo booth photo, hand written ‘resume’ of everything I’d done since I was 5 and a letter of why they should just cast me period to WB in LA. Apparently they found my approach quite charming and paid for me to have a hotel room and be featured extra with about 100 SAG people they brought from the city (the local folk never made it in; they didn’t need that many and had brought in SAG actors). Nevertheless, they kept me.
Then onset, the director picked me out of the crowd for a ‘silent bit’, which was featured in the film. I was SO scared because I was NOT SAG and being in trouble for some reason, that I kept saying no. However, the other actors convinced me and the director wouldn’t take no for an answer. So, I did it but didn’t tell him my name and I never got a credit. However, I was “girl at phone” and Christine Baranski was “girl at bar” so looking back my persistence clearly started at an early age but my fear of being ‘caught’ as a non SAG actor being picked out of this group of ‘pros’, I never got a credit in it. But doing that was huge for me. Then I moved to the city when I was 19 and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts after auditioning and being accepted and it all went from there. Again I think it has always been more persistence, personality, and range of abilities more than talent that got me the work I got although I did a lot of things, I have mentioned that I feel I haven’t been given THE opportunity to TRULY show the immense capabilities I have to play a really great ‘real’ role. I was cast in so many out there, cartoon-ish characters (always compared to Lucy or Carol Burnett in the way of very physical and over the top – the hair got dyed red as a result of working with a stage director who’d worked with Lucy in “Wildcat” on Broadway, and then did my first film as a fluke.
In that era of the 80’s it was completely different than it is now. Stage actors didn’t do TV, films, or commercials and none of them mixed you were one or the other, and I was a triple threat: singer, dancer, actress, so Broadway was my goal. After doing my first film, then going back to stage, then doing the pageant which got me so much publicity for the ‘de-crowning’ for 7 seconds of topless in a shower scene, I rode the publicity and got the calls for the other work and boom, got a film career. Doing topless then was a huge deal too; many wouldn’t do it and it was very ‘taboo’. Now you get full-on naked, do simulated sex scenes and get Oscar nominations. So again, I look back on most of my films and they were SO tame they’re “Disney” and yet at that time they were risky in terms of not being afraid to take off my top when asked for, or needed. I didn’t have to do that in all my films, but when it called for it, I didn’t mind. So the willingness to do that, and also play the weird, off the wall characters that were so over the top, gave me a reputation as easy to work with, professional, “one take Jennifer’: someone they could count on to deliver whatever it was they wanted. So I’m proud of that. I need someone who will give the role that can show the real range of my abilities now but still would do another low budget B independent in a minute: they’re the best, and so much fun and the fan base is AMAZING. HUGE. Even now some 20+ years after my 1st film and almost 20 since the publicity and jump start, the fans are immensely supportive and right there loving the films I did when I go to the conventions it really blows me away and makes me really appreciate the genre all over again. You don’t sit around and wait in a trailer or have a stand in: it’s “gorilla” it’s down and dirty, it’s doing it yourself and working, working and more working not sitting and waiting so I like that.
At my age, I look better than ever, no one guesses my age or thinks I’m even over 30 and I’m in better shape than ever. So…. I’m hoping that works in my favor for anyone who wants me for their projects, I’m well prepared and the life I’ve lived, the things I’ve lived through and the studying I’ve done professionally and with the PhD’s, give great additions to the arsenal for the real mainstream hard core characters I’d like to play. Sometimes however, my looks get in the way and I’m the ‘sexy girl’, the ‘pretty girl’, ‘the bod’, the bimbo or hooker and not seen as one who can play homeless or gritty and I can and am a total chameleon.
You were a regular performer in Chuck Vincent’s mainstream films beginning with a turn in “Young Nurses in Love” (1986). How did this association begin and what led to such an amazing working relationship that saw you appear frequently in his films up until his untimely death in 1991?
Chuck’s death was devastating to me even though we had remained in touch right until then and I was one of the first to know about his illness, I was floored. While my first movies were with Tim Kincaid and Cynthia DePaula, (Bad Girls Dormitory 1985, Robot Holocaust 1987) it was Chuck who really gave me a career. In reality, I had gone in for an audition with Lem his casting director for a film before YNIL (actually filmed Dec 1987) and apparently, Chuck HATED me. I was in the midst of huge publicity, Page Six and so forth for my Miss Ulster County (for Miss America) Vanessa Williams-esque de-crowning. I left town before even hearing about whether I got a role or not to, do a theatrical tour in the south and got a call from Lem about his convincing Chuck to use me. I turned down the first movie, and took YNIL.
Chuck loved me in person and during rehearsals loved what I had created for Bunny, which was different, but there were a couple of actresses who didn’t have any “characterization” and he kept taking mine and giving them to other actresses. On the first day of filming once I was in hair and makeup and costume and heels, Bunny came to life coming down the hall and I arrived to shoot and Chuck said in a squealing voice “I LOVE IT, who the hell are you?”. When I told him he just laughed hysterically and said ‘go for it’ – no direction, just let me go the roll and Bunny came to life. After that, I was always gainfully employed, and became a staple in Chuck’s small group of ‘studio contract player stars’ which included Jane Hamilton at the time. After that, I starred in “Deranged” and many more with Chuck including the series “Electric Blue” for playboy channel, which was a comedy where we could show boobs.
From those films, I of course gained a name and good rep in the business and got calls for other films and was called for numerous projects by people who were doing projects and needed a real power hitter, someone who could come in, do the job in a take and get the job done. Luckily, that was me.
Chuck was an incredible man and always let me ‘play’. I got to play characters that I would NEVER have been able to do or been given in ‘mainstream’ films and he would normally just let the camera go and continue to roll getting a lot of great improvisation, and said “Just do your ‘Jennifer’ thing; and the results are pretty funny. He trusted me to do what I did, and would give directions to go past the top, over the top, past the edge and over the cliff and hold nothing back, which was fantastic. I also spent so much time there I learned about editing, was one of the only people besides him to see the dailies and editing in progress, learned to produce, work a camera etc, which helped me later in producing and working in other aspects of the industry I love. Chuck and I also had a great personal relationship and I was asked of all those he worked with to travel to LA and Las Vegas and so forth to film festivals to promote the films we’d done and were doing and it was fantastic to dine at the Brown Derby and have parties thrown in my honor. In fact, many people thought that Chuck and I were an ‘item’ for those that didn’t know he was gay, which was hysterical to us but he told me once I was a muse for him once he met me and that meant the world to me. I miss him all the time and will be thankful forever to him for his friendship, his trust in me and his appreciation of me, and always made sure I was working and out there getting what he thought I deserved. Not many actors can say that and even though I was a ‘Queen of the B’s”, millions of wanna-be actors throughout over 100 years of film history would have killed to have done ONE of the films or roles I got to do: that makes me one incredibly blessed and lucky girl!
Chuck Vincent is somewhat of an enigmatic figure as not a great deal is known about him with the exception of his homosexuality and the art he injected into his adult movies. What was Chuck like on a personal level?
On a personal level, he was an incredible, awesome, giving, caring, loving human being of the highest calibre. True blue and loyal and loving, nurturing and playful. Funny as hell and one hell of a guy (and cook). Often made me homemade incredible gourmet meals in his home above the studio where we would talk for hours of everything. I actually never even knew of his work in adult movies or his impact on them or that the people (some of them) were ex adult film stars until about 3 films into working with him. Then at about age 26 I rented “Roommates” and a few others, and watched them as regular films and found them to be amazing and not even pornographic. They had good acting, stories, characters and reality in them and not gross explicit sex scenes that had nothing to do with what was going on. I was impressed.
Working with Chuck was heaven. Knowing I was getting up at 4 am to get out to Long Island City for a 5 or 5:30 am makeup call, was like a kid in a candy store. Whatever he wanted me to do, whatever I was given to wear, whatever characterizations and ideas he had, I was happy to do and looked at each day as a wonderful adventure that it truly was. It was like getting up and going to Disneyland for actors every day for all the years I worked with him. On a personal level, we shared a lot of time and talks and rarely if ever were our talks about the movies but life, and everything but film usually. Quite an amazing man; smart, talented and hysterically funny. I’m sure you would get the same comment from anyone. He COULD go on tirades, but they were funny and usually spurned on by someone not doing THEIR jobs, not knowing their lines, stupid stuff that would set anyone off, including me.
How hard did the news of his death affect you? Was his decline from HIV gradual or quite sudden?
Well Chuck’s circle of friends (and mine) from the Platinum Pictures group were dying off like flies which was just one after the other of sadness. I asked him many times if he had it and he said to me he refused to be tested he didn’t want to know. Therefore, although I was sure he had it, I could see a difference in his appearance but we NEVER discussed it. We discussed LIFE not death. Therefore, even though I knew he had it, he knew he had it, we didn’t focus on it and he tried many out of country treatments and finally moved to FLA and died very quickly. Therefore, even though I knew, I was still heartbroken and shocked. His spirit was very much SO alive and SO vibrant that you really never thought he would die, so when he did it was horrendous. Still is hard to believe he’s not around. A great loss to my life and to the film community.
You made many appearances in erotic thrillers and soft-core fare such as numerous roles in the “Electric Blue” series throughout the 1980s. You walked the line between porno and straight movies early in your acting career. Were you ever close to opting for a career as a porn actress?
Yikes no. Not that I’m saying that’s ‘bad’ or judging it. While working with Chuck I met many porn stars to whom he gave opportunities to get out of ‘the biz’ and mainstream, and they were ALL lovely, amazing people who became good friends and still are. However, they even were VERY protective of me. They called me “the actress” and protected me from the people who approached me on a regular basis and offered HUGE amounts of money to do adult films but I knew I would never do it – just not my bag. It’s interesting that they are looked at as ‘walking the line’ when nowadays they are so “Disney” compared to what is made now. They were just risky in the 80’s and doing topless which is all I did, never more, was considered a huge risk for actors then. Now it’s on regular primetime TV. I never thought I walked that line. To be on Electric Blue was huge because that was the very beginning of Playboy Channel’s existence and we were ONLY allowed to show topless and for limited times so I never thought anything of it. As Julia Roberts says in Erin Brokovich: “they’re called Boobs, Ed”. I never walked the line: they were mainstream low budget movies that HAPPENED to include some ex and current porn stars – it was fun they were nice and when working on our films they were working on regular movies; I wasn’t exposed to anything remotely ‘pornographic’ at all.
Many of Chuck’s regular performers didn’t make another film appearance following his death, after a long list of credits in his films. Why do you think that is and what do you think is the reason for your resonance?
Hmmm-tough one. Many saw that as their career, I saw it as the stepping stones and springboard TO my career and continued my direction and hard work and moving onward and upward. No one really has done anything from most of the films I’ve done but me. I think it says more about my person than my talent frankly. I’ve yet to be given THE opportunity to show my full range of abilities but my person, my drive my willingness to play the fool (or devil or whatever) never stopped. I think it was about perception. I never looked at what I did as ‘low budget’, “B”, or ‘bad’, just great for what they were. Period. I think it was THAT attitude that kept me working and others stopping and not being able to get ‘past’ those films. I saw them as great opportunities to play characters I’d NEVER get to play in the mainstream world and did what I could with what I was given and LOVED every second of it!!!! I think that is the difference.
Your acting credits were brought to a halt in around 1996. Was there a reason you stopped performing in films so abruptly?
I’ve actually continued working. I’ve taken some time for some surgeries, and while doing that and other mainstream films, I also got my PhD’s and produced some award winning productions, shorts and a TV series for the Deaf audiences and so forth. I even took some time to teach at NYU; all while still working and writing scripts, producing, technical advising, doing “Sex & the City”, “Law & Order SVU” and more and am now doing the convention circuit and loving it. I’m a member of the TV Academy (ATAS) and did many things with them and the Emmy’s and worked a lot with the Deaf Theatre Company and choir I established. I also did a lot of work getting work for other disabled actors, and winning awards for that (CA Governor’s Distinguished Service Award), Media Access Awards and so forth. I was acting in (and still do) deaf and hearing roles in mainstream shows and movies; working with big stars like Ann Margret, JoBeth Williams, Kris Kristofferson and more. Life is GOOD; life is GREAT life is moving along just fantastically. I’ve also been doing celebrity fundraisers for battered women, and other causes I believe in. And working in between, so no complaints. But beware world reading this: I have NEVER disappeared – I am here, I am woman hear me roar and I am.
You are a lady of many talents as you have a PhD in Psychology and Hypnotherapy as well as doing some wonderful work in the Deaf community. Was this pursuit always a separate passion of yours next to acting?
Goodness no! A total fluke of taking lemons and making them into lemonade!
I actually lost my hearing, had time when I moved on to larger budget films and trailers, and went and got my BA in one year loved it and just kept going and could do the work while on location and on sets and so forth and just did it for fun really. Then it became a vehicle to educate the entertainment industry to how to utilize deaf and hard of hearing performers to the maximum ability. Also I wanted to expose Deaf Culture and the language of American Sign Language (ASL: a language in and of itself, not just ‘hand gestures’ and so forth as thought, but of complex linguistic structure and comprehensive linguistic development); I needed to use it for myself communicatively and therefore saw an opportunity to be able to mainstream it more.
These were never passions next to acting; they came out of necessity in my life and BECAME passions I was able to integrate into my life as me, and as an actor, then producer and so forth. The door to my hearing closed somewhat but it opened so many others. On the other hand, perhaps I should say I took it and used it to open those doors instead of just sit back and let them close on me, and help others in the process. No complaints.
I discovered that you have taught ASL to a variety of well-known personalities such as Ann-Margret and JoBeth Williams. What is involved in acquiring the skill?
ASL is the 3rd most used language in the United States. No it is not international, different countries have different ‘sign languages’ unique to their country and even states in the US, similar to dialects, have their own signs. It’s frankly the most beautiful language when used properly. I was given the opportunity to work with some amazing people, AND be in projects AND do the technical advising, teaching and working with amazing people. The products were all award winning, and made me proud that I was able to show deafness and ASL in the right and proper manner, matching the uniqueness of Deaf Culture and the language at its best in accordance with the story and script. I taught Kris Kristofferson, Kellie Martin, Ellen DeGeneres and so many more. All of these people became friends and are fantastic; let me work them to death and took the learning of it very seriously. I’ve won many awards for that work as well and have been able to see those projects get awards and be thanked that if it had not been for me, it would not have been the project it was is incredibly gratifying. I’ve seen other projects that I have not worked on and there is a big difference in the reality and the realistic usage of the language and culture when a properly trained and knowledgeable person is not on set doing the amount of work I did on these projects. I was often under beds, on top of filing cabinets, under the camera and so forth EVERY hour of filming to make sure everything even when signing was NOT being used, was true to the environment created in including deafness, deaf related issues, characters and language. I love acting and always will but I’m so fortunate to also do this and produce and create in every aspect of the business that I’m never bored, and don’t have to talk about the infamous “big project” every unemployed actor talks about that doesn’t happen: I’m too busy actually working!
Something I’ve wanted to ask you, what was it is like to be an exploding crack-addicted hooker in Frank Henenlotter’s “Frankenhooker” (1990)? A memorable scene indeed!
Doesn’t EVERY wannabe actress begin by saying “Hey mommy I wanna play a crack hooker who blows up topless” when they’re a kid???? I mean, I thought it was a career goal. It was SO much fun. It was actually my first “SAG” film and Frank Henenlotter hired me because he was a fan of my work. Angel was a great character and according to the film companies and fans, the most memorable character. I had a lot of fun with that role. I had played a number of hookers in movies past and always had to find a way to make each one different. With Angel I just decided to make it be more of a Jennifer type on super crack and make the hooker LOVE what she does and that she has fun with it is not debased by it but is a good time gal, so that made her fun to play and easy and memorable. There was a lot of me in her which I’d never interjected into a character before.
It’s coming out on DVD with extras with Frank H. and Gabe Bartolos (SFX) doing the commentary, a short interview with Patty Mullen and a long one with me and a special photo gallery of my behind the scenes photos and my voice narration around April or May 2006 – uncut and FAB so its exciting. My blow up was actually interesting. My dummy fizzled and burned instead of blowing up on first try. So I had to stick around for many hours and wait while they made another dummy, painted it and did the teeth and hair and everything (these dummy’s looked EXACTLY like me so it was weird: hair dyed to match, same crystal necklaces from the same store, hair dyed to match, teeth made from molds of our teeth, you name it) and on second shot, it blew it was great and wild.
Which body part of yours did Jeffrey Franken salvage for his monster?
He wishes every part, but he got the legs! I’m the LEGS. Even on the box cover, I’m the ONLY one in the film in ‘fishnet’ (they were actually flowered) stockings and they end up ‘fishnets’ on Patty, aka Frankenhooker, but they’re supposed to be my legs. Yeah that was cool and it’s on the back of the box cover where he’s under my legs and chooses them. Fun.
What was horror maestro Frank Henenlotter like to work with?
A Blast! Fun, quiet, creative genius. There were some problems with the film company and a couple of uncooperative girls brought in, and I’m very easy to work with and so I was able to bring a good time to the set, ease tension and make the crack scene all improved where Frank just said, “Jenn lead the way” and I did and had a BLAST – we cranked music, and danced and just had FUN FUN FUN!
Do you ever count yourself lucky that you only had a bit part in the Hulk Hoag vehicle “Suburban Commando” (1991) considering it is one of the most important films of the 1990s?
Hehehehe! You have no idea. I mean I had NOTHING before that movie. Nothing. It was THE career opportunity I’d been dreaming of since childhood. The deep characterization that went into it was so evident; I was shocked when the Academy overlooked my performance. Actually that was my first film when I had moved to LA and had stopped doing B films. That tiny little nothing role turned into a HUGE money maker for me because I went into something like double or quadruple ‘golden time’, something like your day rate per hour or something because I was supposed to be there for a few hours that turned into about 36 straight hours.
It was fun to work with Christopher Lloyd, he’s fantastic and shy so we talked about horses. I was given a direct exact line reading for the role so it certainly wasn’t my shining moment. Hulk came to the set and hit on me, he was married (was the second time I’d seen him the first was at the VSDA in Vegas where he tried the same thing), his scenes ended up being put off til another day so he left but I wasn’t crazy about him, found him rude. I hung out with the teamsters and never spent a moment in my trailer; I had too much fun just hanging with everyone. I was the only girl on set the entire time so it was WAY fun and all the guys were fabulous. Just getting to be in a scene, regardless of the movie itself with Chris Lloyd is memorable to me. I still get residuals from it some 15+ years later – no complaints. Same for Frankenhooker, still get residuals from it regularly so it still pays the rent.
Do you feel that Hulk Hogan has been unfairly passed over for any acting accolades?
Hehehehe! Well I KNOW he was just DEVASTATED by not getting the Academy nod. I mean, his performance, the acting the meaning, the intense amount of talent and incredible acting chops he had to put into that incredible historical piece of film history, is just amazing. It’s devastating there were no nominations: especially for his performance. Just devastating. I still cry for his loss. He missed out on the rotten tomato award. Hey I’ve been a nominee for Billy Bob or whomever it is from the 90s, (perhaps you can find the right name) I think it’s Joe Bob Briggs? Drive in Academy Award 3x and several rotten tomatoes myself.
I think it was what it was; a vehicle for a famous wrestler at the time. The fact that I still get residuals from it and people know me from it for such a small role, cracks me up. I didn’t get to work with Hulk but it was what it was and people like it for having him in it just because of the wrestling craze and I’m friends with Capt Lou Albano, Iron Shiek and so forth and a bunch of wrestlers who are dear friends so it’s all in a day’s work and it was a vehicle for his popularity at the time. He didn’t do another movie or role like that since, so I’m sure he even realizes what it was for and like I said, it still rents, still is out there and being watched, so it has a valued popularity I’m thankful for and if it’s because of Hulk. He’s a legend in wrestling, quite a character and I think is probably a decent guy. It was my first NON ultra low budget, non sag, ‘gorilla filmmaking’ films, so for me it was a big deal at the time. I take it all for what it’s worth and it’s all worth a lot to me. Each experience is meaningful and I have incredible very clear memories of every minute of all of them so I’m just an incredibly lucky girl.
In “Deranged” (1987), you acted alongside infamously outspoken blacklisted porn star Jerry Butler (aka Paul Siederman). How was that experience?
Fine. He played Jane’s husband, my lover in “Deranged”, we had several scenes together and a mini love scene. He was very professional, never really knew anything about his “porn” work or any of that or about his apparently being “blacklisted”. I ran into him a long time ago, several years after working together (after he married the girl who played Tuesday on the Addams Family) and he was nice and normal. Don’t know anything other than that. But he was professional to work with but then again, Chuck DEMANDED that, so I didn’t have an unpleasant experience with him at all he was very respectful and good to work with frankly.
I’ve heard you have made some notable TV guest appearances on some hit shows such as HBO’s Sex and the City and Ellen. Tell me a little about that experience?
Well not much to tell. My scene in Sex & the City got cut for time, and Ellen was fun. They had originally written a great Guest Starring role for me where Ellen takes a sign language class and it was a GREAT script and funny. Then they changed it because they needed to make some story changes with the forthcoming “coming out” episodes happening (I was there during the mellay and Ellen’s wanting to come out and them not wanting her to, she was fantastic and fun and great to work with and she was going through a really difficult time at that time). So….they changed the script to make the deaf character a romantic interest for another character and Ellen’s participation was a little less, and I did the technical consulting on it. It won a lot of awards for it’s inclusion of deaf characters and I got to cast a lot of deaf actors in it as extras and so forth. Even got to translate Shakespeare from that linguistic pentameter to English to ASL, really cool. Was a great experience even though I didn’t do an on camera role I was paid for both jobs as if I had done a Guest Starring role AND as a Tech Advisor (Tech paid more too hehehe). It was great. Again, no complaints everyone was fab had a great time.
You were saying that you have written numerous treatments and screenplays. Take this chance to pitch some of your ideas to any potential investors.
Hmmmm tempting… WELL, if there are any out there with real interest, I have some GREAT scripts: from low budget thriller Chuck Vincent actually was planning to do before he died, to one that was written for Ann-Margret and she and Ed Asner as well as others have expressed interest in, and a thriller about a DA in Louisiana; I have several properties and they’re great and have gotten a lot of great feedback so I have them ready to roll if someone is interested in doing them. I met and became friends with Sybil Danning at a recent convention; the 2 Queen of the B’s were a pretty hot photo op I guess, but she’s a doll. I know she has some great projects to go and we both talked about wanting to work together so hers or mine would be great to have us in together: would be a B market hit for sure! So they range from low budget to higher marketability projects that can be done on any budget really. The stars I’ve approached who have expressed interest, love the way I write characters and make the visual so easy to see happen before your eyes. That comes from all the acting and all the films I’ve done and knowing how to write good characters I want to play and others would want to play as well.
I’m just curious, what role did you play in “Alexa” (1988)? I know that it was Michael Imperioli’s first film.
I haven’t seen it since I did it but I actually did a favor for Chuck on that one; don’t even know what credit I got. But he needed someone to come in and do something right and fast because they were so behind budget and behind in production it was crazy. I was going to do a lead in it but was working on something else so he called in a favor to come in and do a really great candlelit dance love scene type seduction and that’s it. Because it was Chuck (and he paid me an obscene amount of money as well), I did it in a minute for him. It was fast, easy and turned out beautiful. Don’t even know how much of my face you see; I haven’t seen it in forever. I didn’t much care for how the movie itself turned out but I liked how my scene came out. I came in, did the scene in about an hour, and left and got them back on track, got them a scene he needed and that was it. Just doing a paid favor for someone. I said yes before I knew how much I’d even be paid because it was Chuck and he rewarded me greatly for doing it for him so it was fine, it was Chuck. He knew he could count on me to bring it home and I did. Fun and lucrative day and a great scene. It’s all candlelit lingerie …nice. I THINK I’m by myself in it, I don’t remember anyone else being on set but me. Don’t remember much about it but what I was wearing and what I wasn’t. Hehehehehe.
What is your dream role? The role you have been longing to play your whole career and beyond?
That is the toughest question any actor faces. Every role for me is a dream role because I’m living the dream. I’m still willing and wanting to do B lower budget stuff, horror whatever, and would fit right in on Wysteria Lane so there are lots. Actually one of the roles in my film “Voice of Reason” is actually a role I wrote because it’s a dream role. The ultimate role of a strong female character but I also love playing any role so there is no one ‘dream role’. I make every role I do my dream role; the ultimate one hasn’t been written yet. It’s out there and I’ll make each one my dream role. One thing I’d LOVE to do is take on either Velma or Roxie in Chicago on Broadway or “Charity” in “Sweet Charity” or do a great Broadway show of a great drama or comedy on Broadway would be a dream come true for sure! But in movies, they’re all dreams too and every one is great and I love every one I do. So anyone reading …bring em on!!!!!
