At the time that I first met Traci Lords on June 28, 1997, her legacy seemed much more interesting. Her name was well-known as the underage actress who broke into the industry using a fake ID, then eventually going ‘legit’ by appearing in a smattering of films (such as Cry Baby with Johnny Depp), TV sitcoms (Roseanne, Married…with Children, Will & Grace), and dramatic series, (not the least of which was a recurring role on the then-popular Melrose Place).
Besides, to my 25-year old eyes, she was hot. And her autograph cost all of $5. I’ll never forget that I felt that she was flirting with me after we finished our transaction, and I bent down to get my free photo with her, and referring to the t-shirt I was wearing, she quipped, “thanks Brady Bunch!”
It sounded flirtatious to my untrained ears, but of course it wasn’t. Later on when I was standing outside smoking and she walked passed me, I could think of nothing better to say than something like “Brady Bunch rules!” – to which she politely smiled and didn’t strike me, and then pressed on with her day.
Fifteen years later, Traci still looked attractive and all, but I was over her. I had seen her at no less than five celebrity shows and although it had always been tempting to get an updated photo with her – mostly for conversation value (as I had back in 1997) – she was always charging for the photo op and I wasn’t interested enough to pay it.
But on February 11, 2012, I got a different sort of opportunity. It had been one of those rare instances where I had stayed at the Hollywood Show until the end. My friend Serge, a collector from France who specializing in celebrity party crashing, was running around and posing with celebrities as they packed up their stuff. I don’t know how he lulls them into doing this time and time again, but somehow it always seems to work.
So he approached Traci Lords and had me snap a photo of him and her. And then I passed my camera off to Serge, crossed my fingers, and did the same thing. She was very accommodating and actually quite friendly about it, so after being at shows with Traci for the past two years and skipping the photo op – bang! – I got a new one. And here it is.
Celebrity encounters from the 1997 Hollywood Show will continue…
Celebrity encounters from the Winter 2012 Hollywood Show will continue…
Leave a Reply