Nancy KwanNancy Kwan on the cover of Life Magazine 1960Nancy Kwan (關家蒨, pinyin: Guān Jiāqiàn, Cantonese (linguistics): Kwan Ka Shen, born May 19, 1939) was born in Hong Kong to a Chinese father and British/Scottish mother. She was studying dancing at the Royal Ballet School in England when producer Ray Stark spotted her. Then, at the age of 18, she received the starring role of a free-spirited Hong Kong prostitute who captivates artist Robert Lomax (William Holden) in the film adaptation of The World of Suzie Wong (1960). She followed it up the next year with the hit musical The Flower Drum Song (1961) and became one of Hollywood's most visible Asian actresses. She spent the 1960s commuting between America and Europe for film roles, only to return to her native Hong Kong in 1972 to be with her critically ill father. Upon returning to the USA in 1979, she has had guest appearances and co-starring roles on numerous TV Productions. Today she is politically active as the spokeswoman for the Asian American Voters Coalition. Selected Filmography
Bibliography
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Today she is politically active as the spokeswoman for the Asian American Voters Coalition. In 2003 she published a book, Traci Lords: Underneath It All. Upon returning to the USA in 1979, she has had guest appearances and co-starring roles on numerous TV Productions. She has since become an active gay rights advocate. She spent the 1960s commuting between America and Europe for film roles, only to return to her native Hong Kong in 1972 to be with her critically ill father. In 1995 Traci made her solo debut, in colaboration with Juno Reactor, called "1000 Fires". She followed it up the next year with the hit musical The Flower Drum Song (1961) and became one of Hollywood's most visible Asian actresses. In the 1990s, Lords began developing a career as a singer performing backing vocals for Manic Street Preachers on the single "Little Baby Nothing", also appearing in the music videos of other performers and groups. Then, at the age of 18, she received the starring role of a free-spirited Hong Kong prostitute who captivates artist Robert Lomax (William Holden) in the film adaptation of The World of Suzie Wong (1960). Lords also appeared in continuing roles in several television series, including Married with Children (1987), Roseanne (1988), Melrose Place (1992), and Profiler (1996), with single appearances in MacGyver (1985), Highlander (1992), Tales from the Crypt (1989), and Hercules (1995), among others. She was studying dancing at the Royal Ballet School in England when producer Ray Stark spotted her. Some of her more notable films include Not of this Earth (1988), John Waters's Cry Baby, (1990) and Blade, (1998). Nancy Kwan (關家蒨, pinyin: Guān Jiāqiàn, Cantonese (linguistics): Kwan Ka Shen, born May 19, 1939) was born in Hong Kong to a Chinese father and British/Scottish mother. She has played roles in a number of B-movies. A Celebration of Life, Memories of My Son.. Lords has since moved into mainstream films and television with some success. Night Creature (1977). While Lords decries the pornographic film industry, she continues to use the stage name she gave herself as a minor. The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1969). But industry insiders, like Ron Jeremy and Ginger Lynn, as well as boyfriends say they never saw her use drugs and that she was fully aware of her actions even if, as a minor, she could not legally consent. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. (1966). Government prosecutors declared that Lords was a victim of a manipulative industry, while Lords has claimed that she was drugged and made to do things she did not want to do. Lt. The controversy still sparks debate. Tamahine (1963). In parts of Europe and other regions where the minimum legal age for involvement in pornographic films is lower, Lords' films are still available, and they are commonplace on the Internet. The Main Attraction (1962). Only one of her films, Traci, I Love You was actually produced after her eighteenth birthday, and is the only one of her films commonly and legally available in the United States. The Flower Drum Song (1961). Instead, the agents and producers who accepted her fake IDs were charged and people affiliated with the films in question experienced legal troubles for years. The World of Suzie Wong (1960). Lords herself was never charged, since as a minor she was unable to give legal consent to perform sex acts on film for money. The case gave government prosecutors a high profile, unequivocal violation of the law to use in prosecuting the pornographers and distributors associated with Lords' films as effectively as possible. Adult book and video stores needed to pull hundreds of thousands of her videos and films from their shelves to avoid the serious accusations of trafficking child pornography. The ensuing prosecution cost the pornographic film and distribution industry millions as they were obligated by law to pull her videotapes and magazines from store shelves. X-Citement Video. See United States v. But in 1986, federal authorities discovered she was underage while making movies and they arrested the owners of her movie agency and X-citement Video, Inc. She even modeled for widely distributed adult magazines, such as Penthouse, in the same September 1984 issue that exposed Miss America 1984, Vanessa Williams. By the time she was 18, she'd appeared in one hundred and seven adult films. She quickly became one of the most popular starlets in town and is considered by many to be one of the first porn queens. Later, while attending Redondo Union High School, she ran away from home and had an abortion. While living with a forty-something boyfriend posing as her stepfather, she used a friend's sister's birth certificate and a fake driver's license indicating that she was twenty-two years of age to fake her way into the porn industry, starting with Jim South's World Modeling Agency. At fifteen she fled from her abusive, alcoholic father to Lawndale, California with her mother and three sisters. She made her stage name by combining the first name of her high school best friend, Traci, and the last name of her favorite actor from Hawaii Five-O, Jack Lord. Traci Elizabeth Lords was born Nora Louise Kuzma on May 7, 1968, in Steubenville, Ohio. She first achieved notoriety for her underage appearances in pornographic films, but is now pursuing a mainstream career. Nora Louise Kuzma (born May 7, 1968), better known as Traci Elizabeth Lords and Tracy Lords, is an American actress. What Gets Me Hot! (1984) (as Tracy Lords) - Lannie. Tracy Lords (1984) (as Tracy Lords). Those Young Girls (1984) (as Tracy Lords) - Tracy Lords. Sexy Shorts (1984) (music video compilation) - Miss Georgia (segment "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'", uncredited). The Sex Goddess (1984) - Marilyn West. The Night of Loving Dangerously (1984) (as Tracy Lords). Miss Passion (1984). Lust in the Fast Lane (1984) (as Tracy Lords) - Jackie. Breaking It (1984) - Jodie Brown. Bad Girls III (1984). We Love to Tease (1985). Two-Timing Tracie (1985). Tracy in Heaven (1985) - Monika Hart. Tailhouse Rock (1985) - Stacey. Sizzling Suburbia (1985). Sister Dearest (1985). Sex Waves (1985). Sex Shoot (1985) (as Tracy Lords). Portrait of Lust (1985) (as Tracy Lords) - Mirage. Porn in the USA (1985) (as Tracy Lords). Perfect Fit (1985) - Diane. Peek a Boo Gang (1985) - Tracy. New Wave Hookers (1985) - Devil. Love Bites (1985) - Nurse. Ladies in Lace (1985) - Linda. Just Another Pretty Face (1985). Jean Genie (1985). It's My Body (1985) - Maggie. Huge Bras 3 (1985). Hollywood Heartbreakers (1985). Holly Does Hollywood (1985) - Tracy. Harlequin Affair (1985) - Tracy. The Grafenberg Spot (1985). Future Voyeur (1985). Erotic Zones Vol. 1 (1985) (as Tracy Lords). Erotic Gold (1985). Electric Blue 28 (1985) - Nikki (scenes deleted). Electric Blue 21 (1985) - Suzy/Jane. Electric Blue 20 (1985). Educating Mandy (1985) - Mandy. Dream Lover (1985). Dirty Pictures (1985). Diamond Collection 73 (1985). Diamond Collection 69 (1985). Country Girl (1985) - Billie Jean. Black Throat (1985) (scenes deleted on re-release) - First Whore. Aroused (1985) - Allison. Another Roll in the Hay (1985). Adventures of Tracy Dick: The Case of the Missing Stiff (1985) - Tracy Dick. Adult 45 (1985). Murder in High Places (1991) - Diane. The Tommyknockers (1993) - Nancy Voss. Dragstrip Girl (1994) - Blanche. As Good as Dead (1995) - Nicole Grace. First Wave (1998) (as Traci Elizabeth Lords) - Jordan. They Shoot Divas, Don't They? (2002) (as Traci Elizabeth Lords) - Mira. Deathlands (2003) - Lady Rachel Cawdor. Team (1999) (as Traci Elizabeth Lords) - Mira. D.R.E.A.M. Not of This Earth (1988) - Nadine. Fast Food (1989) - Dixie Love. Shock 'Em Dead (1991) - Lindsay Roberts. Cry-Baby (1990) - Wanda Woodward. A Time to Die (1991) - Jackie. Raw Nerve (1991) - Gina Clayton. The Nutt House (1992) - Miss Tress. Laser Moon (1992) - Barbara Fleck. Plughead Rewired: Circuitry Man II (1994) - Norma. Serial Mom (1994) - Carl's Date. Ice (1993) - Ellen. Virtuosity (1995) - Media Zone singer. Blood Money (1996) - Wendy Monroe. Underworld (1996) - Anna. Boogie Boy (1997) - Shonda. Stir (1997) - Kelly Bekins. Me and Will (1998) - Waitress. Extramarital (1997) - Elizabeth. Blade (1998) - Racquel. You're Killing Me... (2001) - Laura Engles. Epicenter (2000) (as Traci Elizabeth Lords) - Amanda Foster. Chump Change (2000) (as Traci Elizabeth Lords) - Sam. Black Mask 2: City of Masks (2001) - Chameleon. |