- A former model who posed for Playboy (and appeared on the "After Dark" show) on several occasions, but never nude or even topless. Lorelei became very familiar to Chicagoans in the late 1970s as the spokesmodel for The Loop FM-98 radio station, with many posters, billboards, and commercials featuring her red lipsticked lips.- IMDb Mini Biography By: xavrush89
- Lorelei was born in the Philippines after World War II ended. She lived there until she was three years-old. Her father, head of the Far East for Columbia Pictures, was relocated to Japan where she lived until she was six years-old. Wanting his children to have an American education, he left Columbia and moved the family to Beverly Hills, where he was integral in bringing the Godzilla movies to U.S. screens, which opened the door for many other Japanese movies that subsequently followed.
In the 60s Lorelei was go-go dancer on the Sunset Strip enjoying the hippie life style. She worked for a few production studios, including Dick Clark Productions, which initiated a series of bizarre "Forrest Gump" type coincidental experiences where she witnessed several one-of-a-kind moments in Hollywood history, often "in the right place at the right time."
She was around when the Dick Clark office was alive with game show tryouts and mayhem. Dick Clark was producing the first sponsored concert tours of musical acts, based around the success of American Bandstand.
One day, Lorelei grabbed some photos of herself, took a chance, and went to a cattle call for Playboy After Dark. She was hired as a dancer/regular for the final season of the show, becoming friends with Hugh Hefner and Barbie Benton. She was often featured in Playboy magazine editorials and ads (though never nude). Coincidentally, she also appeared on the first cover of 'Playgirl' magazine.
Lorelei was hired as a dancer for the last season of 'Laugh In' when Goldie Hawn left, because of their similar look.
Early in her career she got work because of her small (5'5") stature. She was cast for the first Japanese car commercials, where she would stand next to the vehicles (which were quite small) in order to make them look bigger.
Lorelei appeared in dozens of commercials as well as several small roles on TV shows and in movies in the 70s but did not have aspirations to pursue acting as a career.
She began gaining recognition for her lips, (and later, the rest of her face) which were famously displayed on billboards and TV spots for KIIS Radio and later Chicago rock radio station, WLUP ("The Loop"). The ads themselves were quite successful and became very popular.
In 1975 Lorelei was hired to be the famous "biting lips" on the Rocky Horror Picture Show movie posters. Although she claims to have never seen the movie, she keeps a framed poster on her wall with the tagline "A different set of Jaws" (her surname being Shark) and says that even now, over 40 years later, the notoriety is overwhelming. The image has since become one of the most recognizable icons in film history.
In 1979, as a spokesmodel for the Loop radio station, she made an appearance at the infamous Disco Demolition event held at Comiskey Park, where fans were encouraged to bring disco records so that they could be set on fire in the middle of the field.
A riot broke out and people started throwing beer cans and flinging the record albums around like frisbees. When that started, Lorelei was rushed to the radio tower, watching as the national guard was called out to calm the 100,000 attendees in and around the stadium. For the first time ever, the second game of the double-header was canceled that night at Comiskey Park for a non-weather related issue. That day is referred to as 'the day disco died'.
Presently, Lorelei says she's "disassociated herself from her ego" since her modeling days when she hung out with Hef, her frequent co-star Bill Bixby, Dick Clark, Chuck Lorre, Dinah Shore, Mark Spitz, and the list goes on.
While Lorelei always knew that fame was easily within her reach, it just didn't appeal to her. She did not see herself as only a face or a pair of lips, but as a whole person. A mother and a friend.
These days she is a very private person, living on a lake in the Los Angeles area. She doesn't give many interviews, but maintains a substantial presence on social media.- IMDb Mini Biography By: scara mcnamara & scott michaels
- That's her mouth on the famous Rocky Horror Picture Show poster and logo.
- As a spokesmodel for The Loop radio station, she had to make an appearance at DJ Steve Dahl's infamously mean-spirited 1979 "Disco Demolition" in Chicago's Comiskey Park, home of the White Sox.
- In 2005, Chicago's Loop radio station held a contest to find what would become the first poster girl since Lorelei.
- Has a jewelry design studio of "wearable art" in Los Angeles.
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