I had first hoped to get an autograph from Betsy Russell back when she made an appearance at a Hollywood Show in 2011. At that time she was charging $55 for the autograph photo op combo. This inflated price was no doubt the fact that she had starred as Jill Tuck in five of the popular Saw horror film franchise entries. At the time I had seen and enjoyed these films, but honestly didn’t even realize that this was the same girl that more than 25 years earlier I had drooled over when seeing her portray Jordan Leigh-Jenson in multiple HBO runs of the teen skin flick comedy Private School.
Considering my interest in her had much, much more to do with that role in what was a grade-C comedy at best, there was no way I was paying that, much to my own personal frustration at hoping to meet her.
Our story continued though at another Hollywood Show on October 8, 2011, this time as part of an Angel reunion (she had starred in Avenging Angel two years after Private School). Her handler and she had lowered her price by $5 so that the combo now was only running $50. I had every intention of being turned down when I made yet another offer for a price break, but much to my surprise, this time they accepted.
I was thrilled with this (even though it was still $30), and I walked away with an extremely sexy signed photo of her as Jordan, and got a couple of nice photos with her to boot. There’s no doubt whatsoever that she is still smoking hot even as she was only a couple years shy of her 50th birthday. She would still do well doing some bareback horse riding.
I’m so glad that both of us had a change of heart and were able to meet in the middle, because even though Private School is a notoriously bad film, it was one of those teenage staples I’ll never forget. Thanks for the memories, Jordan…er…Betsy.
Celebrity encounters of the Fall 2011 Hollywood Show will continue…
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