Colleen Camp

You Might Know Her From

We were frightened, we also drink ze cognac. We are here with iconic actor and producer, Colleen Camp. You Might Know Her From Clue, American Hustle, Election, Police Academy 2 and 4, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Wayne’s World, Valley Girl, Sliver, Wicked Stepmother, Smile, They All Laughed, and Apocalypse Now. We got to grill Colleen about all things Clue including going up against Jennifer Jason Leigh, Madonna, and Demi Moore for the role of sexy maid Yvette. Colleen regaled us with stories of cutting her teeth in films like Apocalypse Now, adding “producer” to her list of talents, and how the tragic murder of Hollywood starlet Dorothy Stratten cast a cloud on one of her meatiest roles in Peter Bogdanovich’s They All Laughed. It was all of that, plus how her hair color changed the kinds of roles she went in for, working with Bette Davis on the legend’s final film, and how she would rewrite the ending of sexual thriller Sliver if she had her druthers. Do we think you’ll enjoy this romp of an interview? Oui oui, Madame!

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Discussed this week:

The Wicked Friendship Garden in NYC (150th street, not 155th)

Woman got hit with hammer. Man got hit with hammer.

“Omarion”

Yellowjackets! Insecure! And Just Like That!

Anne watched: School of Chocolate, Pen15, The White Lotus

Damian watched: Sex Lives of College Girls, Harlem, Emily in Paris Season 2, The Lost Daughter, Don’t Look Up, Being the Ricardos

We love Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Juliette Scientologist Lewis

The famous “Great Herring War” scene from The Golden Girls (not improvised it turns out)

Che Diaz fucks Miranda on AJLT

Colleen Camp has worked with multiple directors multiple times, Herbert Ross (Funny Lady, My Blue Heaven), Peter Bogdanovich (They All Laughed, She’s Funny That Way), Eli Roth (Knock, Knock), David O. Russell (American Hustle), Alexander Payne (Election), Jonathan Lynn (Clue, Greedy) Martha Coolidge (Valley Girl), Adam McKay (helped with The Big Short)

Jonathan Lynn screened His Girl Friday (1940) for the cast of Clue to capture the tone he wanted

Colleen went in for Yvette in a French maid’s costume

Starred opposite Walk Like a Man with Christopher Lloyd

Played buxom “foxy” broads in Clue, Police Academy, Swinging Cheerleaders, Apocalypse Now

Sliver (1993) is the sexual thriller (produced by Robert Evans, screenplay by Joe Ezterhaus, directed by Phillip Noyce) “I certainly have. I’m getting a plastic yeast infection.”

Sang so many songs in the Bogdanovich film, They All Laughed opposite Ben Gazarra and Audrey Hepburn. The movie featured the late Dorothy Stratten (Playboy Playmate turned actress. She was dating Bogdanovich at the time, was murdered by her ex boyfriend, Paul Snider shortly after the film wrapped. Bogdanovich later married her sister, Louise Stratten).

Bogdanovich took the movie into his own hands and tried to independently distribute They All Laughed with his own funds. The movie tanked, but is now hailed as a classic.

Bob Fosse made a movie about Dorothy Stratten’s murder called Star 80 (in 1983, just three years after her murder).

Wicked Stepmother opposite Bette Davis, who left the film after a week or two.

Starred opposite Barbra Streisand in one funny scene in Funny Lady (1975)

Dancing to “Suzie Q” in Apocalypse Now as a playmate

Was a champion for Dean Tavoularis

Colleen was one of the only women in Die Hard with a Vengeance

Starred opposite a dead Bruce Lee in Game of Death (movie was made after he died so she just starred opposite a bunch of Bruce Lee stand-ins)

Ang Lee cast Colleen in The Ice Storm based on Game of Death, but she doesn't really appear