Lana Clarkson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lana Clarkson
Clarkson in a promotional photo
Born	Lana Jean Clarkson (1962-04-05)April 5, 1962 Long Beach, California, U.S.
Died	February 3, 2003(2003-02-03) (aged 40) Alhambra, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Pacific Union College
Occupation	Actress, model
Years active	1982–2003

Lana Jean Clarkson (April 5, 1962 – February 3, 2003) was an American actress and fashion model. During the 1980s, she rose to prominence in several sword-and-sorcery films.

Early life

Clarkson was born in Long Beach, California, to Donna and James M. Clarkson and was raised in the hills of Sonoma County, California. She had a brother, Jessee J. Clarkson, and a sister, Fawn. While living in Northern California, she attended Cloverdale High School and Pacific Union College Preparatory School. During the Christmas season of 1978 and after her father's death, Clarkson's family returned to Southern California and settled in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. After Clarkson's family moved back to Los Angeles County, she pursued a career in the entertainment industry as a performer and fashion model.

Career

In the early 1980s, Clarkson landed bit parts in film and television. She made her screen debut as a minor character in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), director Amy Heckerling's coming-of-age comedy. She played the wife of science teacher Mr. Vargas (Vincent Schiavelli). The film was her first speaking role. She appeared in Scarface (1983) behind Michelle Pfeiffer dancing on the floor of the Babylon Club.

As an actress, Clarkson became best known for her five feature films for producer Roger Corman, beginning with his fantasy film Deathstalker (1983), as a female warrior and love interest to the title character played by Richard Hill. Corman oriented his films towards young male viewers. Clarkson's work in Deathstalker led to her being offered the title role in Corman's next film, Barbarian Queen (1985), a role Corman referred to as "the original Xena" because of the parallel in featuring a strong female leading character in an action-oriented sword-swinging role.

In 1987, Clarkson appeared in the John Landis spoof Amazon Women on the Moon. Following that, Clarkson starred in Roger Corman's Barbarian Queen sequel, Barbarian Queen II: The Empress Strikes Back.

Clarkson starred as a supporting character in the period horror film The Haunting of Morella (1990) as the evil attendant to a young woman played by model/actress Nicole Eggert.

Clarkson's work in the B movie sci-fi genre inspired a cult following, making her a favorite at comic book conventions, where she made some promotional appearances signing autographs for her fans. She appeared in numerous other B movies as well as a range of television spots. She also appeared in commercials for Mercedes-Benz, Kmart, Nike, Mattel and Anheuser-Busch. Her television appearances include parts on Night Court, Silk Stalkings, Riptide, Three's Company, Knight Rider and Wings, and a guest appearance as a villain on the television adaptation of Roger Corman's film Black Scorpion in what would be her final role.

Clarkson traveled around the United States and Europe while working on fashion photo shoots. Other projects took her to Japan, Greece, Argentina, Italy, Switzerland, France, Jamaica, and Mexico.

In the 1980s, she volunteered weekly at the AIDS charity Project Angel Food, which delivers food for those in Los Angeles disabled by HIV or AIDS, at a time when the disease was greatly feared by the general public.

Clarkson's career began to stall as she approached her thirties. No longer able to earn a living as an actress, Clarkson sought alternative sources of income, including operating her own website on which she sold autographed DVDs of her films and communicated directly with her fans on her own message board. Although she made a living by playing busty, lusty women, Clarkson's fondest desire was to be cast as a comic actress or perform as a comedian. Her publicist friend Edward Lozzi told Vanity Fair writer Dominic Dunne that Clarkson had been working on a stand-up comedy act that he had witnessed.

In 2001, while living in Venice, California, for the last several years, Clarkson developed, wrote, produced, and directed a showcase reel titled Lana Unleashed. She took a part-time side job as a hostess in early January 2003 at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California, to make ends meet.

Death

In 2003, Clarkson was found dead in the home of record producer Phil Spector. Spector said Clarkson's death was an accident. He was later charged with second-degree murder and convicted in 2009.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Lana Clarkson para niños