Risqué Ingénue
Traci Lords was more popular in France for a reason. With the age of consent being lower than it is in America, her claim to fame made her less of a guilty pleasure. When she was interviewed for the October 1988 issue (#17) of Impact, Traci talked about her premature entrance into the sleaziest genre imaginable: “I don't really know what to think about it. What I feel is both very intense and very ambiguous. It was never a walk in the park, I assure you: I even lived through some atrocious moments. Some people around me had such an influence on me that I found myself in impossible situations. That's why I started writing my autobiography: not to make money, I could have done that back when everyone was knocking on my door, but to warn those who dream of making love in front of a camera or appearing on the centerfold of Playboy. I want to tell them that this job is anything but pleasant, even if it has allowed me to know myself better.”
In the June 1990 issue (#27), journalist Guy Giraud wrote about a film known in English as Traci, I Love You (1986): “At the beginning of May, she arrives in France to shoot Traci, Je T'aime by Jean-Pierre Floran, with the current French sex stars, including Patinette (Marilyn Jess). She first spends a few days in Paris to visit the capital and also to get information, because she wants to open a branch of T.L.C. in order to distribute her films in France. She then leaves to celebrate her birthday with a weekend in Italy, then goes to the Cannes Film Festival where the film is to be shot. She is of course the darling of the festival, performs at the Circus, a trendy club there, triggers riots at each of her releases... Everyone wants to see her and be seen in the company of the p*rn star; all the journalists and photographers trample each other to pin her to their list of conquests.”
He also wrote: “She enjoys all this, and meets her idol, Christophe Lambert, yes, the tall young bald guy who crosses eyes, but unfortunately cannot realize her fantasy: "making love with Christophe Lambert at the top of the Eiffel Tower, even if it is cold and not very comfortable." At the end of the festival, she returns to Paris to shoot a few additional scenes of the film, make contacts for its sequel which is to be shot in the fall, and make one last tour of the capital's clubs. This sequel to Traci, Je T'aime will never be filmed. Indeed, on June 11, ‘86, the Los Angeles police arrive at Traci Lords' house and arrest her. Her parents filed a complaint with the juvenile police so that the little girl stops her activities. One of the two parents works for the American Department of Justice and it makes him feel bad to see his daughter, consecrated queen of X, at the very moment when Reagan launches a major offensive against American hardcore.”
Her best interview for the magazine was the February 1993 issue (#43), albeit reporter Emmanuel Itier makes a big deal out of Traci being born in 1969 instead of what has always been regarded as her birth year - 1968. About her background, she said: “My mother moved to Los Angeles when I was just 13 years old. My parents had already divorced because my father, who worked in steel, was a chronic alcoholic. As a teenager, I often blamed him for everything that was wrong with me. Today, I no longer hate him, I rather feel pity for him. When I left Ohio, I remember being happy at the idea of no longer seeing him. He scared me so much at the time. In Los Angeles, I very quickly fell into a vicious circle of drugs and sex. I acted in p*rn films for three years, without ever stopping. I was not an adult. It was an incident; the drugs pushed me to these acts of debauchery. It was not really me who appeared in these films, but the dark side of my personality. Drugs brought out these demons that took control of my personality. Usually, on set, I was completely wasted, I didn't really know what I was doing. Finally, I hit rock bottom when people around me died of overdoses. From then on, I decided to end p*rn and drugs when I was 18 and still had my whole life ahead of me. I ran away and hid, while the government put behind bars those who had hired minors.”
Amnesia or selective memory from a cherry picker who lost her cherry too early: “I don't really remember how I went from being a nude model to a p*rn actress. I think someone convinced me that no one would see these films. Since I was drinking a lot, taking drugs, and not communicating with my family, especially my mother, everything happened very quickly. They say that I shot 100 p*rnos in three years. I would say more like twenty because the directors used several cameras for each take. They would put as much film as possible in the can and use it later, re-editing the same sequences at will. It must also be said that I didn't make a fortune in p*rn. My total fees must have been no more than $60,000. I didn't see any of it, my agent took it all.”
Leaving Hell for Heaven: “In fact, the best therapy was to learn drama, to take acting classes. I was trained, for the most part, at Lee Strasberg's Actor's Studio in New York. I was able to play Maggie in an adaptation of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. For two to three years, I went through a period of exorcism. Every day, I fought against my inner demons. I wanted to start my life over. Fortunately, I was young. At 30 or 35, the transition would have been much more difficult, if not impossible. At first, I did theater, I posed for magazines, fashion photos, avoiding falling back into the nude. At 20, I made the decision to become a real actress. Embodying characters that I was not and thus expressing feelings buried inside me fascinated me. I could finally express myself. Acting is a form of psychological and physical release. Today, at 24, I know that it was the right choice, even if cinema is only one facet of my passions. I also devote myself to singing, to my family, to charities for problem kids, those who, like me, have made mistakes and are trying to get back on the right path. Having a family helps you considerably in life. I know something about it since the absence of my father largely contributed to sinking me into the mess.”
Her singing career: “It started out as a misunderstanding. Capitol wanted to make me another Samantha Fox, exploit my physical image and provide me with insipid songs. But I had my own creations in mind, strong songs that drew on my life experiences. The people at Capitol wouldn't have it. To them, I was just a product. So I left to sign a contract with MCA. There, I'm preparing a first album on lyrics that I wrote myself. My songs are a bit like The Cure, Siouxsie & the Banshees. They are sometimes very surreal. Some tunes are more rhythmic, more pop, a bit like Sinead O'Connor. I wrote a first song called Children of the Night, and when Richard Marx pulled the rug out from under me by using the same title, I wanted to strangle him. How can a kid raised in luxury all his life talk about Children of the Night?”
How she is perceived in the movie industry: “I always have this problem with the "professionals of the profession" - they always take me for Traci X. Most of the projects that I am offered contain erotic elements. I systematically refuse them. I do not wish to lower myself to that anymore. Accepting these offers would be to deny my fight as an actress and a woman, namely to try to raise the status of women. We live in a world controlled by men, and gender equality is only an illusion. One of my priorities is to turn away from any role that exploits women as sexual objects, prey, or toys of men. My past in p*rn continues to play tricks on me. I can't get certain roles; I auditioned for Dracula and Cool World, in vain. But my lack of experience also counts. And then, I am not as profitable as actresses like Winona Ryder and Kim Basinger.”
Film review: “Basic Instinct, I find the character of Sharon Stone too violent and erotic, without justification. She acts like an animal, she only follows her impulses and that's exactly what I avoid doing. Falling under the slavery of my instinct, of my animal side, led me to my downfall in p*rn. So, that's enough. It's time to prove to people that I'm not the whore they imagine, to move on to roles that allow me to show what I have inside me, to affirm that I'm a full-fledged actress and not just a curvy girl!”
About nudity in a non-erotic film: “Roger Corman asked me to do it after Not of This Earth, where I had agreed to take my clothes off. But that was my first non-p*rn film; I had to make it known that I was capable of doing something other than p*rn. After that, I said no to all the roles where the nudity was more important than the character. After Not of This Earth, Roger Corman offered me other films of the same genre. Since they barely varied, I gave up. I like to alternate roles, change registers, not just play the charming idiots or the women of action. If you are successful in one field, you are labeled for a long time. It quickly becomes very boring and it sometimes takes years to remove the label.”
Action heroine: “From time to time, it's very nice to play the "macho woman", to let off steam in very physical roles. But it's also trying because of the stunts, the action scenes. I came out of the shoot of Intent to Kill exhausted, but the film allowed me to release my my inner rage. However, as an actress, you can't get much satisfaction from this kind of film. Holding a gun and running under bullets doesn't really allow you to showcase your talents. In the same style, I like horror films. Horror is a field that gives you the opportunity to express the dark and pessimistic sides of your personality. I recently shot The Tommyknokers, a mini-series for television based on a book by Stephen King. I love Stephen King. I hope to appear in The Stand for which I just auditioned. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the production and the director accept my application!”
About a film that never saw the light of day: “Object of Desire was truly a huge disappointment to me. The concept, a romantic affair between a psychopath and a star, was excellent. But, unfortunately, the film was never completed. The unedited film sits on a dusty shelf somewhere in Hollywood. This shipwreck is entirely the producers' fault. In parallel with the shooting of Object of Desire, they were trying to realize two other projects in which they invested everything, including the budget of the current film. Since they never managed to raise the necessary financing, everything fell through - both projects and Object of Desire! I now have my unfinished film...like Marylin Monroe. I hope The Nutty Nut does not meet the same fate.”
Hollywood's hypocrisy regarding sex: “At this level, Hollywood is changing, some taboos are falling. Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct and Madonna with her music videos and Body of Evidence have something to do with it. Hollywood now tolerates sex, which was unthinkable ten years ago or even just a year ago. Today, people seem less hypocritical about sex. P*rn cinema is in sharp decline, which is great because it is a form of cinema that is self-destructive for those who fall into it. I do not deny my past, I am not ashamed of it, I am responsible for the mistakes I have made. The fact remains that I condemn this type of expression, or rather cinematographic exploitation. Showing a naked woman on screen is exploiting her. There is nothing funny about that.”
Her fashion career: “I worked for clothing catalogs. In the one at Frederick's in Hollywood, I was the only model in sportswear while the others posed in lingerie! It was a long time after it came out that my employer discovered who I was, what my past was. The situation happened again at Mitsubishi, for a car ad. Six months later, the managers were informed of my identity. They were really scared! But, as a general rule, American advertisers are afraid to hire me. Europeans are more open. Two years ago now, I even took part in a fashion show in Paris, for Thierry Mugler, with the best models in the world.”
Her future: “I take life as it comes, day by day. I live for my family and myself. I don't try to impress people or impress them. I'm very happy when the reviews of my films are positive. Criticism can also be very constructive. Nobody is perfect, including me. I learned to listen to people, to take into consideration the advice that people give me. After p*rn and drugs, I learned to appreciate life for its simple side - the smile of a child, the pleasure of listening to a song, watching a sunset. Life is fantastic; it would be stupid to take yourself too seriously. It may seem naive to you, but I really think so. Politics interests me more and more. We must give ourselves the means to fight against ignorance and prejudice. In this respect, Bill Clinton should be a good president of the United States because he is ready to wake people up, to inspire them, to give them new hope. You have to believe in something, otherwise nothing changes. It is because I believed in myself, in change, that I got out of p()rn.”
Her cinematic aspirations: “To shoot more comedies! For example, I would have liked to play Lula in Wild at Heart by David Lynch. About Cry Baby, I remember crying for two days after learning that John Waters had selected me! I'm serious. Every morning, when I got up, I called my agent to make sure I had gotten the role. The film and my character brought me back to an adolescence that I was deprived of.”