Carmen Electra

Tara Leigh Patrick (born April 20, 1972), known professionally as Carmen Electra,[1] is an American model, actress, singer, television personality, dancer, and author. Electra began her career as a singer after moving to Minneapolis, where she met Prince, who produced her self-titled debut studio album in 1993. She began glamour modeling in 1996 with numerous appearances in Playboy magazine. Electra 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. During this time, she also hosted MTV’s Singled Out (1997–1999).

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.
Occupation	Model actress singer television personality dancer author
Years active	1990–present
Height	5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Spouse(s)	Dennis Rodman ​ ( m. 1998; div. 1999) Dave Navarro ​ ( m. 2003; div. 2007)
Partner(s)	Rob Patterson (2008–2012)
Website	carmenelectra.com

Electra made her film debut in the horror comedy film American Vampire (1997) and subsequently appeared in a number of movies, including Good Burger (1997), Get Over It (2001), Starsky & Hutch (2004), Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005), and Hot Tamale (2006). She has appeared in multiple parody films, including 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 with The Pussycat Dolls, most notably as a featured guest of the group on VH1 Divas 2004.

Early life

Carmen Electra was born Tara Leigh Patrick on April 20, 1972 in Sharonville, Ohio,[2] to Harry Patrick, a guitarist and entertainer, and his wife Patricia (d. 1998), a singer.[3][4] The youngest of six children (she has four brothers and one sister),[5] 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 is of Dutch, English, 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.[17] During her time at Paisley Park Records, she officially became known as Carmen Electra.

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 1997, Electra modeled for the covers of the comic books Razor and the Ladies of London Night by London Night Studios.[18] Electra appeared in commercials for Maxim Men's Hair Color products (2004–2005). 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 featured in some video spoofs of lonelygirl15 that advertised Epic Movie.[19] That same year she appeared as the face and spokesperson for Max Factor cosmetics in their television and print ads.[20] In 2007, Electra became a published author with the release of her book, How to Be Sexy.[21] She is the oldest cover girl in the publication history of FHM Magazine.[22]

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 doing an infomercial for the "Thigh Styler".

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.

In 2002, an extinct species of fly was named Carmenelectra shechisme in honor of Electra's "splendid somal structure".[23]

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.

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.[24] In late 2006, Electra was featured in commercials by Taco Bell.

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.[25][26] Nine days later, Rodman filed for annulment, claiming he was of "unsound mind" when the pair wed.[27][28] 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][29]

In November 1999, Electra and Rodman were arrested for misdemeanor battery after police were notified of a domestic dispute at a Miami Beach hotel.[30] They were released on $2,500 bail each and ordered to stay away from each other.[31] The charges were eventually dropped.[32]

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.[33] 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.[34][35]

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.[36] Despite remaining engaged for several years,[37] the couple did not wed and in 2012, she appeared as one of the celebrity bachelorettes on the TV dating show The Choice.[38]

Charity work

Carmen Electra organized a fundraiser for Head to Hollywood, a non-profit organization which offers support to brain tumor survivors.[39] Other charities which she supports include Elevate Hope,[40] 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.[41]

Filmography

Film

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

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1996	Erotic Confessions	Manager	1 episode
1996	Baywatch Nights	Candy	1 episode
1997	All That	Sue	1 episode
1997–1998	Baywatch	Lani McKenzie
1997	Pacific Blue	Lani McKenzie	1 episode
1997	Singled Out	Host
1997	Just Shoot Me!	Herself	1 episode
1998	Hyperion Bay	Sarah Hicks	8 episodes
2000	VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock	Host
2002	Off Centre	Herself	2 episodes
2002	Carmen and Dave: An MTV Love Story	Herself
2002	The Simpsons	Herself	Episode: "The Frying Game"; voice
2002–2004	Livin' Large	Host
2002	BattleBots	Host
2003	Dance Fever	Herself	6 episodes
2003	Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding	Lani McKenzie
2004	'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen and Dave	Herself	7 episodes
2004	Monk	Chloe Blackburn	1 episode
2004–2005	Manhunt: The Search for America's Most Gorgeous Male Model	Host
2004–2005	Tripping the Rift	Six	13 episodes; voice
2005	Summerland	Mona	5 episodes
2005	Hope & Faith	Carmen	Episode: "Carmen Get It"
2005	American Dad!	Lisa Silver	1 episode; voice
2005	House M.D.	Herself	1 episode
2005	Stacked	Nikki	1 episode
2005–2006	Joey	Herself	2 episodes
2007	Full Frontal Fashion	Guest host
2008–present	ChartBlast	Host	MTV Italy
2009	Perfect Catch	Host	E! UK
2009	Reno 911!	Miss Uecker	1 episode
2012	90210	Vesta	2 episodes
2013	Suburgatory	Herself	1 episode
2013	Fra Sydhavn til West Coast	Herself	1 episode
2014	Franklin & Bash	Bridget Barnes	Episode: "Honor Thy Mother"
2014	The Birthday Boys	Myrtle	1 episode
2016	Jane the Virgin	Herself	Episode: "Chapter Fifty-One"
2018	Alone Together (TV series)	Tia	1 episode
2020	The Last Dance (TV series)	Herself	2 episodes

Discography

Albums

• Carmen Electra (1993)

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)

References

1. Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro divorce records Archived July 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. TMZ.com. Retrieved February 11, 2007.
2. "Carmen Electra". Biography.com. The Biography Channel. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
3. Carmen Electra Biography (1972–). Filmreference.com.
4. Carmen Electra Biography (1972–). Facebook.com.
5. "Biography for Carmen Electra". imdb.com. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
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. "FOXNews.com – 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.com. Time, Inc. 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". Glamour. Conde Nast Publications, Inc. 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. "VH1 DIVAS 2004". VH1. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
18. Razor and the Ladies of London Night at The Comic Book Database. Comicbookdb.com.
19. AdJab.com Archived July 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Chris Thilk. "Carmen Electra signs with Ritz Camera" Ad Jab, August 2, 2006
20. Factorz.com/carmen-electra Archived February 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
21. "Carmen Electra Biography". CarmenElectra.com. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
22. "For Carmen Electra, Secret to being sexy starts on the inside first". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
23. The Nabokovian, Issues 56-59. Vladimir Nabokov Society. 2006.
24. "Naked Women's Wrestling League Homepage".
25. "Dennis Rodman Marries TV Actress Carmen Electra" December 7, 1998 Archived June 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Findarticles.com.
26. Walls, Jeannette. "Rodman says Electra never got over him" MSNBC, August 10, 2006
27. Reich, Ashley (March 22, 2011). "Shortest Celebrity Marriages: Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra: 9 days". Huffington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
28. "RODMANS TO DIVORCE". People.com. Time, Inc. March 24, 1999. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
29. "Rodman, Electra ready for divorce". The Argus-Press. AP. April 7, 1999. p. 11. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
30. Risling, Greg (November 6, 1999). "Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra arrested". Los Angeles Times.
31. Cherfils, Mildrade (November 5, 1999). "Police Arrest Rodman, Electra". AP NEWS.
32. Risling, Greg (December 1, 1999). "Charges against Rodman, Electra dropped". Los Angeles Times.
33. Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen + Dave TV Show – Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen + Dave Television Show –. Tv.com (March 3, 2004).
34. Elisa, Amy. (February 20, 2007) Carmen Electra & Dave Navarro: It's Officially Over – Divorced, Carmen Electra, Dave Navarro. People.
35. "Carmen Electra Files for Divorce". Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2006.
36. "Carmen Electra Engaged to Rob Patterson". People. April 24, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
37. Gray, Mark (January 10, 2010). "Carmen Electra: The Wedding Non-Planner". People. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
38. "Fox's 'The Choice' cast revealed! Joe Jonas, Dean Cain, The Situation, many more". Entertainment Weekly.
39. "Head to Hollywood" Archived July 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Pituitary Network Association. (PDF) Retrieved April 5, 2013.
40. "Family Jamm! Artists" Archived June 23, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Elevate Hope Foundation. 2007. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
41. Carmen Electra's Charity Work, Events and Causes. Look To The Stars. Retrieved April 5, 2013.

External links

• Official website
• Carmen Electra on Facebook
• Carmen Electra on Instagram
• Carmen Electra on Twitter
• Carmen Electra on IMDb
• Carmen Electra at People.com
• "Dirty Dozen: Carmen Electra". Playboy. Archived from the original on March 9, 2009.