Traci Lords exploded on the scene in 1986 via a tabloid TV feeding frenzy. Reporters had a field day with the notorious teenager who had left behind an abusive home and landed on the pages of Penthouse Magazine. America was fascinated with the eighteen-year old sexpot who reportedly had starred in dozens of hardcore porn movies and dared seek a legitimate acting career. People laughed but Lords marched boldly on. “The past is the past” she said, “and I’m done with all that.” She enrolled in the famed Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and was soon cast in her first feature film, Roger Corman’s sci-fi cult hit, “Not Of This Earth.” A review in the Los Angeles Times cut to the chase: “The answer is yes, she can act!” Faint praise indeed but Stephen J. Cannell was impressed enough to cast her opposite Kevin Spacey in his critically acclaimed television show “Wiseguy.” Lords held her own and the industry began to take notice.

A series of guest starring appearances on such popular television shows as “Nash Bridges,” “Tales From The Crypt” and “Married With Children” followed. But it was John Waters’ “Cry Baby” that elevated her to the level of an actress to be reckoned with. She was cast opposite Johnny Depp and once again demonstrated a flair for comedy.

While working on shows like “Roseanne” and “Melrose Place,” Lords’ musical aspirations lead her into a parallel career as a singer/songwriter. She made her recording debut as a guest vocalist on the Manic Street Preachers’ “Little Baby Nothing” and then went on to record her debut solo album “1000 Fires” for Radioactive/MCA Records. The Juno Reactor-produced first single, “Control” proved a smash hit reaching a peak of #2 on the Billboard Dance Charts.

In the blink of an eye, she was off again, challenging Wesley Snipes to throw down in the massively successful sci fi/horror/action movie “Blade." Lords shone in her role as the badass vampire “Raquel,” then switched her multi-faceted gears to win Best Actress at the US Comedy Arts festival for her role in the Miramax/Dimension film “Chump Change.”

Lords “Take all prisoners and feed them. cause you may need them later” attitude endeared her to many. And the world widened its embrace of Traci when HarperCollins published her autobiography “Traci Lords Underneath It All.” Publisher’s Weekly raved: “Frank, opinionated, intelligent and drenched in emotion, the rare celebrity memoir that will have readers cheering Lords on as they speed through its gritty big-souled pages.”

Lords resides in Southern California with her husband and Siamese cat. She has two comedies due out later this year, “Novel Romance” and “The Greatest Show Ever.” The latter is a pilot for the BBC in which she plays a cow! She has just completed the film “Your Name Here” with Bill Pullman and will next head off to Brazil to shoot “Flower in Brazil” with Tom Sizemore and Dennis Hopper.