Carmen Electra

Tara Leigh Patrick (born April 20, 1972), known professionally as Carmen Electra,[1][2] is an American actress, model, singer, and media personality. She began her career as a singer after moving to Minneapolis, where she met Prince, who produced her self-titled debut studio album, released in 1993. Electra began glamour modeling in 1996 with frequent appearances in Playboy magazine. She later relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career as an actress, playing the role of Lani McKenzie in the television drama series Baywatch (1997–1998), which gained her status as a sex symbol. From 1997 to 1999, she hosted the MTV game show Singled Out.

Not to be confused with Tera Patrick.

Carmen Electra
Electra in 2013
Born
Tara Leigh Patrick

(1972-04-20) April 20, 1972
Sharonville, Ohio, U.S.
Education
Occupation
  • Actress
  • model
  • singer
  • media personality
Years active1990–present
Height5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Television
Spouse(s)
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1998; div. 1999)​
      ​
      ​
      (m. 2003; div. 2007)​
      Partner(s)Rob Patterson (2008–2012)
      Websitecarmenelectra.com

      Electra made her film debut in the horror comedy American Vampire (1997) and subsequently appeared in the films Get Over It (2001), Starsky & Hutch (2004), Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005), and Hot Tamale (2006). She has also appeared in multiple parody films, such as the Scary Movie film series (2000–2006), Date Movie (2006), Epic Movie (2007), Meet the Spartans (2008), and Disaster Movie (2008).

      In 2005, Electra joined the voice cast of the animated television series Tripping the Rift and was a regular until the series ended. She has also occasionally worked as a dancer, most notably with The Pussycat Dolls, as a featured guest of the group on VH1 Divas 2004.[3]

      Early life

      Carmen Electra was born Tara Leigh Patrick on April 20, 1972 in Sharonville, Ohio,[4] to Harry Patrick, a guitarist and entertainer, and his wife Patricia (d. 1998), a singer.[5] The youngest of six children (she has four brothers and one sister), Electra attended Ann Weigel Elementary School and studied dance under Gloria J. Simpson at Dance Artists studio in Western Hills until age nine, when she enrolled in the School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA), a magnet arts school in the Cincinnati Public School District.[6] There, she was an older classmate of Nick Lachey, with whom she appeared in a production of Peter Pan.[7][8] Electra, who told People Magazine in 1997 that she'd "wanted to dance on Broadway," graduated from Princeton High School in Sharonville in 1990, having transferred there from SCPA two years prior.[9][10] Additionally, Electra attended and graduated from Barbizon Modeling and Acting School in Cincinnati.[11]

      Electra claims to be of Cherokee, German, and Irish descent,[12] and was very close to her family. She said of her mother, "My mom was my rock," and described her older sister Debbie as being "like a second mother to me".[13] After Debbie moved to Illinois, Electra said her life "revolved around my mom. She was my best friend, in my life 24/7 whether I wanted her there or not."[13]

      Career

      Beginnings

      Electra started her professional career in 1990 as a dancer at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, in the show "It's Magic", one of the more popular shows in the park's history.[14] In 1991, she moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she met singer and songwriter Prince.[15] Soon after, Electra signed a recording contract with Prince's Paisley Park Records and began a short-lived singing career.[16] Decades later she would return to music, occasionally performing with The Pussycat Dolls, most notably as a featured guest of the group when they shared the stage with artists like Patti LaBelle and Debbie Harry on VH1 Divas 2004.[3] During her time at Paisley Park Records, she officially became known as Carmen Electra.

      Electra doing an infomercial for the "Thigh Styler".

      In 1995, Electra started appearing in television shows. In May 1996, she was featured in a nude pictorial in Playboy magazine, the first of several. This exposure led to higher profile television appearances, including Baywatch (cast member in 1997–1998, as Lani McKenzie) and MTV's Singled Out. She returned to Baywatch for the 2003 reunion movie, Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding.

      Electra was featured in Playboy four more times: June 1997, December 2000, April 2003, and the January 2009 anniversary issue. She was on the cover of the last three of these issues.

      In 1997, Electra appeared in the films American Vampire and Good Burger.

      In 1999, she appeared in the Bloodhound Gang's music video of "The Inevitable Return of the Great White Dope". That same year she appeared in the film The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human.

      Film and other work

      Electra's 2000s feature film appearances include the horror film Scary Movie (2000). In 2004, she appeared in the remake of the 1970s TV show Starsky & Hutch (2004), for which she won an MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss. Her subsequent films during that decade include Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005); Scary Movie 4 and Date Movie in 2006; Epic Movie (2007); and Meet the Spartans and Disaster Movie in 2008. She was featured in some video spoofs of lonelygirl15 that advertised Epic Movie.[17]

      In 2002, an extinct species of fly was named Carmenelectra shechisme in honor of Electra's "splendid somal structure".[18]

      In 2004, Electra appeared as characters in the video game Def Jam: Fight for New York and as one of the celebrity challenges in the video game ESPN NFL 2K5.

      Electra in 2008

      In 2005, she appeared in an episode of House (series 1, ep. 21), in which she portrayed herself as an injured golfer and an injured farmer, playing out House's fantasy. That same year, she joined the voice cast of the animated series Tripping the Rift, replacing Gina Gershon as the voice of the sexy android "Six". Also in 2005, she began the Naked Women's Wrestling League, acting as the commissioner for the professional wrestling promotion.[19]

      In late 2006, Electra was featured in commercials by Taco Bell. The following year, she became a published author with the release of her book, How to Be Sexy.[20]

      Electra appeared as a guest judge on So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 on July 6, 2011. She appeared along with regular series judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy and fellow guest judge Travis Wall. In 2012, Electra joined Britain's Got Talent as a guest judge for the auditions staged in London, she acted as a replacement for Amanda Holden, who was absent due to complications following child birth.

      Personal life
      Electra in 2013

      In August 1998, Electra's mother died of brain cancer, and two weeks later, her older sister, Debbie, died of a heart attack.[7][15] During this time, Electra had been dating NBA star Dennis Rodman. She and Rodman wed in November 1998 at Little Chapel of the Flowers in Las Vegas, Nevada.[21][22] Nine days later, Rodman filed for annulment, claiming he was of "unsound mind" when the pair wed.[23][24] Electra explained, "It's easy to get caught up in a moment. You think it's romantic, but then you realize, God, we did it in Vegas? It's like getting a cheeseburger at a fast-food restaurant."[9] The couple reconciled and celebrated New Year's Eve together, but four months later they mutually agreed to end their marriage in April 1999 under "amicable circumstances".[9][25]

      In November 1999, Electra and Rodman were arrested for misdemeanor battery after police were notified of a domestic dispute at a Miami Beach hotel.[26] They were released on $2,500 bail each and ordered to stay away from each other.[27] The charges were eventually dropped.[28]

      Five years later, Electra gave an interview to Glamour in which she admitted that she married Rodman in 1998 in direct response to the numbing emotional pain of having lost both her mother and sister:

      I was just going through the motions. I was completely numb. At the time, I was dating Dennis Rodman. He was such a fun person to be around, and we went out every night. I remember thinking, this is my out. I'm just going to have fun, and I'm not going to worry about anything. Right after my mom and sister died, I flew to Las Vegas and Dennis and I got married. I guess I was trying to cling to whatever I had. I'd lost my mom and my sister; I didn't want to lose anyone else. We were married for about five months. When I started going through some really hard times with Dennis, I became addicted to feeling that pain instead of dealing with my feelings about my mom and sister. But at some point, I realized I had to stop blaming him. So I got out of my marriage and started reading a lot of self-help books and watching Oprah [Winfrey]. And one day Oprah said, In order to heal, you have to feel. At that moment I realized I wasn't letting myself feel what I needed to.[13]

      On November 22, 2003, Electra married Dave Navarro, lead guitarist for the rock band Jane's Addiction. The couple documented their courtship and marriage in an MTV reality television show called 'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen and Dave.[29] On July 17, 2006, she and Navarro announced their separation, and Electra filed for divorce on August 10, 2006; it was finalized on February 20, 2007.[30][31]

      In April 2008, Electra's representative confirmed that she was engaged to Rob Patterson, a member of the nu metal band Otep and hard rock band Filter.[32] Despite remaining engaged for several years,[33] the couple did not wed and in 2012, she appeared as one of the celebrity bachelorettes on the TV dating show The Choice.[34]

      Charity work

      Electra organized a fundraiser for Head to Hollywood, a non-profit organization which offers support to brain tumor survivors.[35] Other charities which she supports include Elevate Hope,[36] a charity which supports abused and abandoned children, and the HollyRod Foundation, which provides medical, physical, and emotional support to those suffering from debilitating life circumstances, especially Parkinson's disease.[37]

      Public image
      Electra in 2011

      Electra is often spotlighted for her looks and has been considered a "sex symbol" and "pop culture icon".[38][39][40][41] She has modeled for the covers of the comic books Razor and the Ladies of London Night by London Night Studios.[42] In 1997, Electra appeared as the face and spokesperson for Max Factor cosmetics in their television and print ads.[43] From 2004 to 2005, she appeared in commercials for Maxim Men's Hair Color products. In 2006, Electra signed on as the spokesmodel for Ritz Camera Centers, appearing in their television and print ads with CEO David Ritz. She is the oldest cover girl in the publication history of FHM Magazine.[44]

      Filmography

      Film
      Year Title Role Notes
      1997 American Vampire Sulka
      Good Burger Roxanne
      1998 Starstruck Iona Shirley
      The Chosen One: Legend of the Raven McKenna Ray / The Raven
      1999 The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human Jenny Smith
      Vacanze di Natale 2000 Esmeralda
      2000 Scary Movie Drew Decker
      2001 Sol Goode Treasure
      Perfume Simone
      Get Over It Mistress Moira
      2002 Rent Control Audrey
      Whacked! Laura
      CleavageHerselfTelevision film
      Electra's Guy
      2003 Uptown Girls Celebrity
      My Boss's Daughter Tina
      Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding Lani McKenzie Television film
      2004 Starsky & Hutch Staci
      Mr. 3000 Herself
      Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon Debbie
      Monster Island Herself
      2005 Dirty Love Michelle Lopez
      Lil' Pimp Honeysack Voice role
      Getting Played Lauren
      Cheaper by the Dozen 2 Serena Murtaugh
      Searching for Bobby D Rebecca
      2006 Date Movie Anne
      Scary Movie 4 Holly
      Hot Tamale Riley
      American Dreamz Herself Cameo
      National Lampoon's Pledge This!
      Lolo's CafeDesireeTelevision film
      2007 Epic Movie Mystique
      I Want Candy Candy Fiveways
      Full of It Herself
      2008 Christmas in Wonderland Ginger Peachum
      Meet the Spartans Gorgo
      Hollywood Residential Herself
      Disaster Movie Beautiful Assassin
      2009 Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust Ginger Vitus Voice role
      Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!! Sybil Williams
      2010 Barry Munday Iconic Beauty
      2011 Mardi Gras: Spring Break Herself
      2012 2-Headed Shark Attack Anne Babish
      The Axe Boat Veronica Short film
      2014 Lap Dance Lexus
      2015 Chocolate City Club DJ
      Book of Fire Theodora

      Television
      Year Title Role Notes
      1996Erotic ConfessionsManager
      Baywatch NightsCandy
      1997–1998BaywatchLani McKenzieSeries regular
      1997 Singled Out Host
      Just Shoot Me! Herself1 episode
      All That Sue 2 episodes
      1998Hyperion BaySarah Hicks8 episodes
      Soldier of Fortune, Inc. Tanya Episode: "Spyder's Web"
      2000VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard RockHost
      2002Off Centre Herself1 episode
      Carmen and Dave: An MTV Love Story
      The SimpsonsEpisode: "The Frying Game" (voice)
      BattleBots Host One series
      2003 Dance Fever6 episodes
      King of the Hill Angela Voice role
      Greetings from Tucson Rosa Episode: "The First Time"
      2004'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen and Dave HerselfMain role
      MonkChloe BlackburnEpisode: "Mr. Monk and the Panic Room"
      Method & Red Kerry Norris 1 episode
      2004–2005Manhunt: The Search for America's Most Gorgeous Male ModelHost
      Tripping the RiftSixVoice role; 13 episodes
      2005SummerlandMona5 episodes
      Naked Women's Wrestling League Host
      Hope & FaithCarmenEpisode: "Carmen Get It"
      StackedNikki Voice role; 1 episode
      American Dad! Lisa Silver Episode: "Escape From Pearl Bailey" (voice)
      2005–2006Joey Herself2 episodes
      2009 Reno 911! Miss Uecker Episode: "VHS Transfer Memory Lane"
      Keeping Up with the Kardashians Herself 1 episode
      2010 Perfect Catch Host
      2011 So You Think You Can Dance Guest Judge Season 8
      RuPaul's Drag Race 1 episode
      2012 Britain's Got Talent Series 6
      2013Suburgatory Herself
      2014 Franklin & BashBridget Barnes1 episode
      Sing Your Face Off Guest Judge
      2015 Dance Moms Herself 2 episodes
      2016Jane the VirginEpisode: "Chapter Fifty-One"
      2017 Worst Cooks in America 8 episodes
      2018Alone TogetherTia 2 episodes
      2020The Last Dance Herself 1 episode

      Discography

      Albums

      Singles
      • "Go Go Dancer" (1992)
      • "Everybody Get on Up" (1993)
      • "Fantasia Erotica" (1993)
      • "Fun" (1998)
      • "I Like It Loud" (2012)
      • "Bigger Dick" (featuring Mams Taylor) (2013)
      • "WERQ" (2014)
      • "Around the World" (2014)

      Bibliography
      • How to Be Sexy (2007) (Self-help book)

      References
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      2. "Carmen Electra, others sue clubs for using images in ads". Daily Herald. Associated Press. June 28, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
      3. "VH1 DIVAS 2004". VH1. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
      4. "Carmen Electra". Biography.com. The Biography Channel. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
      5. Carmen Electra Biography (1972–). Filmreference.com.
      6. "Carmen Electra Biography". StarPulse.com. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
      7. "Carmen Electra Biography – Yahoo! Movies". Yahoo.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
      8. "Carmen Electra Biography – Carmen Electra Video Pics – Fox News Channel". Fox News Channel. October 6, 2006. Archived from the original on April 23, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
      9. "Celebrity Central / Top 25 Celebs - Carmen Electra". People. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
      10. "Carmen Electra Timeline". Speak Carmenese. speakcarmenese.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
      11. "Barbizon Modeling and Acting School Alumni".
      12. "Carmen's electric moves. Baywatch Babe's New Strip Aerobics DVD Really Works Up a Sweat It's not sleazy, it's for you to be sexy for your boyfriend or hubby.(News) – The Mirror (London, England) – Questia Online Library".
      13. Sandell, Laurie (May 2004). "How I survived tragedy-twice". Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
      14. "Kings Island website – Event page: Labor Day Weekend – Carmen Electra". King's Island. Archived from the original on April 30, 2009.
      15. Electra, Carmen (July 24, 2000). "Howard Stern: Carmen Electra". The Howard Stern Show (Interview). Interviewed by Howard Stern.
      16. Chiu, Melody (May 25, 2016). "Carmen Electra Opens Up About the First Time She Met Prince: He 'Was So Extraordinarily Generous'". People. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
      17. AdJab.com Archived July 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Chris Thilk. "Carmen Electra signs with Ritz Camera" Ad Jab, August 2, 2006
      18. The Nabokovian, Issues 56-59. Vladimir Nabokov Society. 2006.
      19. "Naked Women's Wrestling League Homepage".
      20. "Carmen Electra Biography". CarmenElectra.com. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
      21. "Dennis Rodman Marries TV Actress Carmen Electra" December 7, 1998 Archived June 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Findarticles.com.
      22. Walls, Jeannette. "Rodman says Electra never got over him" MSNBC, August 10, 2006
      23. Reich, Ashley (March 22, 2011). "Shortest Celebrity Marriages: Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra: 9 days". Huffington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
      24. "Rodmans to Divorce". People. March 24, 1999. Archived from the original on March 21, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
      25. "Rodman, Electra ready for divorce". The Argus-Press. AP. April 7, 1999. p. 11. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
      26. Risling, Greg (November 6, 1999). "Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra arrested". Los Angeles Times.
      27. Cherfils, Mildrade (November 5, 1999). "Police Arrest Rodman, Electra". AP NEWS.
      28. Risling, Greg (December 1, 1999). "Charges against Rodman, Electra dropped". Los Angeles Times.
      29. Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen + Dave TV Show – Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen + Dave Television Show –. Tv.com (March 3, 2004).
      30. Elisa, Amy. (February 20, 2007) Carmen Electra & Dave Navarro: It's Officially Over – Divorced, Carmen Electra, Dave Navarro. People.
      31. "Carmen Electra Files for Divorce". Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2006.
      32. "Carmen Electra Engaged to Rob Patterson". People. April 24, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
      33. Gray, Mark (January 10, 2010). "Carmen Electra: The Wedding Non-Planner". People. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
      34. "Fox's 'The Choice' cast revealed! Joe Jonas, Dean Cain, The Situation, many more". Entertainment Weekly.
      35. "Head to Hollywood" Archived July 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Pituitary Network Association. (PDF) Retrieved April 5, 2013.
      36. "Family Jamm! Artists" Archived June 23, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Elevate Hope Foundation. 2007. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
      37. Carmen Electra's Charity Work, Events and Causes. Look To The Stars. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
      38. "Carmen Electra". Lifetime UK. January 23, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
      39. Nolasco, Stephanie (November 21, 2019). "Carmen Electra reflects on posing for Playboy, being a sex symbol: 'I'm not shy at all anymore'". Fox News. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
      40. "Carmen Electra". Prince Marketing Group. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
      41. "Carmen Electra's Transformation Proves She Looks Better Than Ever: See Her Style Evolution". In Touch Weekly. April 20, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
      42. Razor and the Ladies of London Night at The Comic Book Database. Comicbookdb.com.
      43. Factorz.com/carmen-electra Archived February 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
      44. "For Carmen Electra, Secret to being sexy starts on the inside first". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
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