Traci Lords is an American actress.[1]
Lords appeared in dozens of pornographic films between 1984 and 1986, nearly all of which were filmed while she was underage; only her last such film, Traci, I Love You (1987), was legal in the United States. Once of age, Lords immediately made a transition to mainstream films.[1]
Lords made her mainstream screen debut in Not of This Earth (1988), a remake of Roger Corman's 1957 film of the same name, playing the leading role of Nadine Story.[2]
Lords followed with Fast Food (1989) and the John Waters' teen comedy Cry-Baby (1990), where she appeared alongside Johnny Depp. The film received positive reviews and the part of Wanda Woodward remains Lords' most notable role.[3][4]
Around the same time as her film debut in the late 1980s, Lords also appeared in many television series, including Wiseguy, MacGyver, Married... with Children, Highlander, and Tales from the Crypt.[citation needed]
In the early 1990s, Lords starred in various independent and B movies, such as Shock 'Em Dead, Raw Nerve, A Time to Die (1991), Intent to Kill (1992), and Skinner (1993). She also appeared in the television adaptation of the Stephen King novel The Tommyknockers.[5]
While promoting her debut studio album 1000 Fires (1995), Lords landed the role of Rikki Abbott on the television series Melrose Place and also appeared in three episodes of Roseanne.[6]
Lords was a recurring cast member on the crime series Profiler and had a small part in the vampire action film Blade (1998). She kept on making more films and appeared in more television series, including First Wave, Gilmore Girls, and Will & Grace. Her role in the comedy Chump Change (2000) earned her the Film Discovery Jury Award for Best Actress at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.[7]
In the 2000s, Lords appeared as Bubbles in the Kevin Smith comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008). She also had supporting roles in the horror films Excision (2012) and Devil May Call (2013). Her portrayal of Phyllis, a hyperreligious and controlling mother, in Excision (2012) earned her several awards including the Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as the Fright Meter Award and the CinEuphoria Award.[8]