Famous American actress and singer Traci Elizabeth Lords had a contentious start to her career because she appeared in adult films while still a minor. Ironically, once she had reached the legal age, she had made the decision to focus on mainstream movies. She experienced a rough upbringing because, even as a young child, she was exposed to the harsh truths of life. She nevertheless pushed her way through choppy waves. She has appeared in a variety of films and television shows. She has given some outstanding performances in films including “Excision” and “Chump Change.” She made her debut in the music industry with her studio album “1000 Fires.” Her EP “Sunshine” and compilation album “M2F2” were then released. ‘Tracy Lords: Underneath It All,’ her autobiography that made it to the ‘New York Times Best Sellers’ list, contains information of the many ups and downs she has experienced in life. She currently resides happily with her husband Jeff Lee and their baby Joseph Gunnar Lee. Lords is a role model for anyone with the determination to accomplish despite hardship.
Early Childhood & Life
Nora Louise Kuzma was given the name Traci Lords on May 7, 1968 in Steubenville, Ohio. Her mother, Patricia, was Irish, while her father, Louis, was of Ukrainian ancestry. Along with her three sisters, Traci was raised.
Her father worked in the steel business and was an alcoholic. When Traci was seven years old, her parents divorced as a result of his constant drunken returns and mistreatment of her mother. The girls were raised by their mother at the home of their grandparents. To make money meet, her mother started working part-time at Ohio University.
She had to go through a challenging upbringing, and this was just the beginning. At a friend’s birthday celebration when she was 10 years old, a 16-year-old male sexually assaulted her. When Traci was 12 years old, her mother relocated to Lawndale, California, with her kids and began dating her new boyfriend.
No better than her father was her mother’s new boyfriend. He frequently molested Traci and was a cocaine dealer. His relationship with her mother ended, and she went on to another man. Traci and her older sister opted not to go with their mother this time. Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, California, is where Traci studied. She was rebellious as a result of her upbringing, which she attributed to her mother.
When she was 14 years old, she became pregnant and had an abortion without telling her mother. Then, when still only 15, she obtained a false driver’s license by claiming to be 22 and used it to apply for jobs.
She started off as a babysitter before becoming a model for publications including Velvet, Juggs, and Club. She eventually received a task for the 15th-anniversary edition of Penthouse magazine. She started using the stage name Traci Lords around this period.
At age 15, she dropped out of high school and started working in the adult film industry. When she was still a minor in 1984, she made her debut in an adult film. She quickly rose to stardom and made appearances in graphic adult films, such as “Talk Dirty to Me,” winner of the “AVN Award for Best Movie.”
She also had an appearance in the heavy metal band Helix’s song video for “Gimme Gimme Good Lovin.” When she was 17 years old, she intended to leave the business but was persuaded to stay by Stuart Dell, her lover, with whom she co-founded the “Traci Lords Company,” a company that made adult movies.
She was brought into protective custody when she was 18 when authorities discovered that she had appeared in adult movies while underage. While her films were pulled off the shelves, her promoters were forced to engage in a costly legal battle. She was now of legal age to appear in pornographic films, but she opted to work in mainstream media instead.
She enrolled in the “Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute” for a three-month course on “Method Acting” and made her acting debut in the television series “Wiseguy” as a guest star.
Career of Traci Lords
She made her big-screen debut in 1988’s Jim Wynorski film “Not of This Earth,” where she played the lead. Under her real name, Nora Kuzma, she also secured a modeling contract with the magazine “Muscle & Fitness.”
She starred as a disobedient teen in the musical comedy “Cry-Baby,” which was released in 1990, and it became her biggest hit in mainstream cinema. She demonstrated her acting prowess as the lead in action thrillers like “Raw Nerve” and “A Time to Die.” She then relocated to London and started working as a model for luxury houses like Thierry Mugler.
Warm Up with Traci, her workout video, was published in 1990. A second iteration of the video, titled “Traci Lords: Advanced Jazzthetics,” was made after the first and published in 1993.
She entered into a contract with “Radioactive Records” and cut the Manic Street Preachers song “Little Baby Nothing” as well as the song “Love Never Dies” for the movie “Pet Sematary 2.” She also appeared in the television movie “The Tommyknockers,” which was adapted from the same-titled book by Stephen King.
In 1995, she issued her first studio album, titled “1000 Fires.” The album’s lead track, “Control,” debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. A remix of the song was utilized for the “Mortal Kombat” soundtrack and received a double platinum certification.
In 1995, her song “Fallen Angel” was on the soundtrack for the film “Virtuosity” and reached number 11 on the list of “Hot Dance Club Songs.” She performed in Miami’s nightclubs to promote her music and also played a cameo role in the movie.
She focused on television from 1997 to 2000 and made appearances on popular prime-time shows like “Profiler” and “Nash Bridges.” Additionally, she was cast as a seductress vampire in the horror film “Blade” and the crime thriller “Boogie Boy.”
Traci demonstrated her versatility by taking on a variety of roles, including the lead in the romantic comedy movie “Chump Change.” Later, she made a significant appearance in the science fiction series “First Wave.” She made an appearance in the science fiction direct-to-DVD film “Princess of Mars” from 2008.
She participated in the reality series “Celebrity Wife Swap” in 2015 after achieving star status, switching roles with Jackee Harry. One of her most recent films is called “Nightmare Nurse.”
Bigger Works of Traci Lords
Not of This Earth (1988), Cry-Baby (1990), A Time to Die (1991), Serial Mom (1994), Boogie Boy (1998), Blade (1998), Chump Change (2000), Princess of Mars (2009), Au Pair, Kansas (2011), and Nightmare Nurse (2016) are some of her best-known works.
‘Tracy Lords: Underneath It All,’ her autobiography, was released in 2003.
She first released her studio album, “1000 Fires,” in 1995. Then, in 2004, she released her EP, “Sunshine,” and in 2012, she released a compilation album, “M2F2.”
Recognition & Achievements
Her performance in “Chump Change” earned her the “Best Actress Award” at the “Film Discovery Jury Awards” in 2001.
For her work on the video game “True Crime: New York City,” she won the “Best Supporting Female Performance” prize at the 2005 Spike Video Game Awards.
In 2012, Traci received the “Best Supporting Actress” honor at the “Fright Meter Awards” for her performance in “Excision.”
She also won the “Best Supporting Actress” prize at the 2013 “CinEuphoria Awards” and “Fangoria Chainsaw Awards” for her work in the movie “Excision.”
Individual Life of Traci Lords
On the sets of “Cry-Baby,” she met Brook Yeaton, with whom she later got married in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1990 after dating him for a while. The couple separated and got a divorce five years later.
She afterward began dating American actor John Enos, who has appeared in both television and film, and their relationship lasted for two years. Over a disagreement involving their pets, they split up.
Following that, she wed Jeff Lee in 2002. Joseph Gunnar Lee, a son, was a blessing to them.
Traci Lord’s Net Worth
Trivia
She joined an organization called “Children of the Night,” where she became a spokesman for abused and runaway children.
In her autobiography, “Traci Lords: Underneath it All,” she discusses her rocky upbringing and her career in adult movies. The book was included in the list of “New York Times Best Sellers.” In addition, she intends to publish a book titled “Out of the Blue: The Traci Lords Story.”
She has a fervent commitment to the LGBT community.