Lana Clarkson

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. In 2003, she was shot and killed inside the home of record producer Phil Spector. He was charged with second-degree murder, and was convicted on April 13, 2009.[1]
== 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 Los Angeles region of San Fernando Valley. After Clarkson's family moved back to Los Angeles County, she pursued a career in entertainment industry as a performer and fashion model.
== Career ==
In the early 1980s, Clarkson landed bit parts in film and television. In 1982, she made her screen debut as a minor character in director Amy Heckerling's coming-of-age comedy, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, based on the Cameron Crowe book.[2] She played the wife of science teacher Mr. Vargas (Vincent Schiavelli). The film was her first speaking role. In 1983, she also peeks into the frame in Scarface 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,[3] beginning with his fantasy film Deathstalker, as a female warrior and love interest to the title character played by Richard Hill.[2] Corman oriented his films towards young male viewers, using a mix of action and female nudity. Clarkson's work in Deathstalker led to her being offered the title role in Corman's next film, Barbarian Queen, 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.[4] The film gained cult status, in part due to an infamous scene where Clarkson is bound topless to a torture rack, interrogated, and raped.[2]
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, though the plots and characters bore no resemblance to the other film. Filmed in Mexico, the movie featured mud-wrestling Amazon women, magic sceptres, and (in homage to its predecessor) Clarkson's character stretched on a torture rack, her naked body writhing in agony as she is slowly tortured to death. Clarkson received star billing in the film which went directly to video. Although sales of the video were low, Corman did manage to turn a profit.[2]
In 1990, she starred as a supporting character in the period horror film Haunting of Morella as the evil attendant to a young woman played by model/actress Nicole Eggert. In the film, Clarkson played a dominating lesbian character who tries to resurrect the spirit of a witch burned at the stake during the Salem witch trials. A final film for Corman, Vice Girls, followed in 1996, in which Clarkson played one of three cops who posed as strippers to catch a serial killer.[3]
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,[2] Mattel and Anheuser-Busch. Her television appearances include parts on Night Court, Silk Stalkings, Riptide, Three's Company, Knight Rider[2] 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.[2]
Clarkson's career began to stall as she approached her thirties. No longer able to earn a living as an actress, Clarkson sought alternate routes 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.[5]
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 in early January 2003 at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California to make ends meet.
== Death ==
On February 3, 2003, Clarkson was found dead in the mansion belonging to record producer Phil Spector. In the early hours of that morning, she met Spector while working at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. They left the House of Blues in Spector's limousine and drove to his mansion. Spector and Clarkson went inside while his driver waited outside in the car.[6] About an hour later, the driver heard a gunshot before Spector exited his house through the back door with a gun. He was quoted as saying, according to affidavits, "I think I just shot her."[6] Spector later said Clarkson's death was an "accidental suicide" and that she "kissed the gun".[7]
Spector was tried for the murder of Clarkson in 2007. On September 26, 2007, a mistrial was declared due to a hung jury ten to two for conviction.[8][9][10][11] He was tried again for second-degree murder on October 20, 2008. On April 13, 2009, the jury found Spector guilty of murdering Clarkson.[12][13]Spector was sentenced on May 29, 2009 to 19 years to life in state prison.[14][15][16][17][18]
In February 2012 Donna Clarkson, mother of the actress, settled a civil lawsuit with Spector and his insurance company over the wrongful death of Lana Clarkson. Terms of the settlement were not released to the public.[19]
== Filmography ==
Film
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1982	My Favorite Year 	Girl in Old Gold Cigarette Pack	Uncredited
1983	Female Mercenaries 	 	
1983	Deathstalker 	Kaira 	Alternative title: Warrior King
1983	Brainstorm 	Food Fantasy Girl 	Uncredited
1983	Scarface 	Woman at Babylon Club 	Extra
1984	Blind Date 	Rachel 	
1985	Barbarian Queen 	Amethea 	
1987	Amazon Women on the Moon 	Alpha Beta 	(segment "Amazon Women on the Moon")
1989	Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II 	Amathea 	
1990	The Haunting of Morella 	Coel 	
1990	Barbarian Queen II: The Empress Strikes Back	Princess Athalia 	Direct-to-video release
1997	Vice Girls 	Jan Cooper 	
1997	Love in Paris 	Woman at Fashion Show 	Alternative title: Another 9½ Weeks
1997	Retroactive 	 	Stunt performer
1999	My Tap Dance Gal 	Ensemble/Additional Voices 	
2000	Little Man on Campus 	Joyce 	
2001	March 	Dr. Ellen Taylor 	
2001	My Tap Dance Gal 2: The Jet Girl 	Ensemble/Additional Voices 	
2001	Where will my feet take me today? 	Mrs. Mayes 	Voice
2003	Tap High School 	Ensemble/Additional Voices 	
2003	My Tap Dance Gal 3: Anything Goes 	Ensemble/Additional Voices 	
2004	The La La City Movie 	Jessie (voice) 	Post-production; posthumous release
Television
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1983 	The Jeffersons 	Sofia 	Episode: "Who's the Fairest?"
1984 	Brothers 	Vanessa 	Episode: "Fear of Flying"
1984 	The New Mike Hammer 	Masseuse 	Episode: "Kill Devil"
1984 	Riptide 	Kelly 	Episode: "Catch of the Day"
1984 	Knight Rider 	Marilyn 	Episode: "The Rotten Apples"
1984 	Who's the Boss? 	Nanette 	Episode: "Sports Buddies"
1985 	The A-Team 	Sonny Monroe's Girlfriend 	Episode: "Champ!"
1985 	George Burns Comedy Week 	Librarian 	Episode: "Disaster at Buzz Creek"
1985–1990 	Night Court 	Various roles 	2 episodes
1986 	Hotel 	Sheila Carlson 	Episode: "Hidden Talents"
1986 	Amazing Stories 	Mrs. Ellis 	Episode: "Miscalculation"
1986 	The Love Boat 	Angela 	Episode: "The Shipshape Cruise"
1988 	It's a Living 	Fawn 	Episode: "Skin Deep"
1992 	Wings 	Janine 	Episode: "Noses Off"
1993–1995 	Silk Stalkings 	Various roles 	2 episodes
1996 	Night Stand with Dick Dietrick 	Jamie 	Episode: "Getting Even"
1996 	Land's End 	Kay 	Episode: "Who's Killing Cole Porter?"
1999-2004 	La La City 	Jessie (voice) 	Main Role
2000 	18 Wheels of Justice 	Marta 	Episode: "Revelation"
2000 - 2003	The Spooks of Bottle Bay 	Bubbles 	34 episodes
2001 	Black Scorpion 	Dr. Sarah Bellum/Mindbender	Episode: "Virtual Vice"
2004 	Where will my feet take me today?	Kim Mayes (voice) 	Episode: Spooks Ashore (Post-production; posthumous release)
Category:1962 births
Category:2003 deaths
Category:American female singers
Category:American female models
Category:American voice actresses
Category:American film actresses
Category:American television actresses