You could say Lorenzo Lamas was always destined to become an actor. His parents worked in the industry, and it didn’t take long before he entered it himself.
Lamas has starred in classics such as the television series Falcon Crest and the legendary film Grease. Still to this day, the California native is working as an actor – and at 65, he looks terrific!
However, Lamas’s life has had its ups and downs, and he’s gone through some rather tough times. Here’s all you need to know about Lorenzo and the many struggles he’s overcome.
One was getting over the fact that his son had an affair with his ex-wife.
Even as a young kid, Lorenzo Lamas’s stars had aligned where acting was concerned.
Born Lorenzo Fernando Lamas on January 20, 1958, in Santa Monica, California, he was raised by his mother Arlene Dahl, an American actress of Norwegian descent, and his father Fernando Lamas, an Argentinian who worked as an actor and director.
Lorenzo Lamas – early life
Lorenzo grew up in the fashionable area of Pacific Palisades, California. At age two, his parents divorced, and eight years later, he moved to New York with his father.
Lorenzo has often drawn upon the fact that his family comes from different parts of the world. He once starred as Dracula in a Halloween production of the famous Bram Stoker novel and had no problem at all adopting a different accent.
“I grew up with a man who had a voice like Dracula and every other bigger-than-life character you could ever think of in my father,” he told the New York Times in 2007. “I take a little bit from him to do the accent. I’ve also done four movies in Bulgaria.”
While Lorenzo was transitioning from a kid into a young man, his father had a pretty wild lifestyle. According to Lorenzo, his father had “been with every woman.” Yet as a child, he adored him.
“I idolized my father, especially as a young boy. He was bigger than life. He commanded the room. He’d done everything, seen everything,” he told Fox. “It’s pretty heady stuff to grow up with.”
“He was Latin, he was very judgmental, he thought a woman’s place was in the kitchen. He just happened to marry a woman who was a top ten box office star of the ’50s, and she retired to serve him!”
First work in acting
Lorenzo’s father married actress Esther Williams in 1969, a year after their move to “The Big Apple,” and life for Lorenzo got tough at times. For example, when Esther’s children visited, Lorenzo wasn’t even allowed to sleep in the house!
“He was many things, but he was also fair, so if he wasn’t going to allow another man’s children in his house, then he couldn’t allow me in the house,” he recalled.
“So my roommate was a Rolls Royce. I had a key that let me in the backdoor where there was a guest bathroom. But I came from military school, so living in a garage in Beverly Hills was plush to me. I had shared a urinal with 30 guys for the last four years. Looking back, I know that’s not normal. I know that I would never do that to my kids. I run my three teenage daughters around like a chauffeur.”
Lorenzo Lamas attended private school and graduated from the Admiral Farragut Academy in 1975. Instead of staying on the East Coast, he decided to leave for his home state of California.
Though his father could be a strict man, he always encouraged his son to follow his dreams and backed him wholeheartedly in pursuing his dreams of becoming an actor. Lorenzo enrolled at Tony Barr’s Film Actors Workshop. In 1977, he got his first minor role in television, starring in two episodes of the show Switch.
While cultivating his acting talent, Lorenzo also found that he had a tremendous interest in martial arts. He got in shape – and later on, earned black belts in both taekwondo and karate.
Lorenzo Lamas in ‘Grease’
Now, getting roles in bigger productions often takes time for most actors. Some have to try out at hundreds of auditions to get one part; others have to wait years, maybe even decades, to land their first role in a more significant Hollywood production.
For Lorenzo Lamas, however, this wasn’t the case. In 1978, he was cast as the good-looking stud “Tom Chisum” in the legendary film Grease, featuring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. He played the boyfriend of Olivia Newton-John’s character, “Sandy”. That said, he initially wasn’t chosen for the part.
Steven Ford – son of former President Gerald Ford – was considered for the role, but was reportedly too nervous to play “Tom”. The part had no dialogue, but that didn’t bother Lorenzo when he got the gig.
People probably knew that the film had potential at the time, but even so, it’s safe to say that Lamas secured himself an extraordinary place in film history with his relatively small credit in Grease.
“I’m amazed by the longevity. It keeps finding new generations of people,” he told Studio 10.
Lorenzo had dark hair at the time, but the producers thought he looked too much like a “T-Bird” to star as Sandy’s boyfriend. As a result, they dyed his hair lighter – something that he didn’t mind at all.
“I would have dyed it green, fuchsia, anything,” he told People.
At the time, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John were already stars. For Lorenzo Lamas, it was a dream come true just to meet them. What made the whole thing even better, was that Olivia Newton-Jon had been Lorenzo’s childhood crush.
Became a star on ‘Falcon Crest’
“I was 19. It was only the third thing I’ve ever done. And I was at the Paramount lot, meeting my childhood crush, Olivia Newton-John, and Mr. Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta. So I was kind of in a complete zombie state, to begin with,” Lorenzo recalled.
He explained that he had all her albums, and in high school, he and his friends even had routines dancing to her albums. When they finally met, Lorenzo was almost knocked off his heels.
“I couldn’t take my eyes off her,” he told Studio 10.
Grease was, of course, a big deal for Lorenzo and a fantastic opportunity when looking back. Naturally, though, it wasn’t quite a breakthrough since he only appeared in a few scenes.
In 1981, he got the role of Lance Cumson on Falcon Crest. The nighttime soap became a huge success, with Lamas starring alongside Oscar-winning actress Jane Wyman for 228 episodes.
Wyman portrayed Lamas’ grandmother on the show – at that time, she was a massive Hollywood star. Lamas had problems with illegal substances at this point in his career, until one day on set, Wyman had enough of his behavior
Became a star on ‘Falcon Crest’
“I was 19. It was only the third thing I’ve ever done. And I was at the Paramount lot, meeting my childhood crush, Olivia Newton-John, and Mr. Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta. So I was kind of in a complete zombie state, to begin with,” Lorenzo recalled.
He explained that he had all her albums, and in high school, he and his friends even had routines dancing to her albums. When they finally met, Lorenzo was almost knocked off his heels.
“I couldn’t take my eyes off her,” he told Studio 10.
Grease was, of course, a big deal for Lorenzo and a fantastic opportunity when looking back. Naturally, though, it wasn’t quite a breakthrough since he only appeared in a few scenes.
In 1981, he got the role of Lance Cumson on Falcon Crest. The nighttime soap became a huge success, with Lamas starring alongside Oscar-winning actress Jane Wyman for 228 episodes.
Wyman portrayed Lamas’ grandmother on the show – at that time, she was a massive Hollywood star. Lamas had problems with illegal substances at this point in his career, until one day on set, Wyman had enough of his behavior
HALLE BERRY’S LINGERIE DRESS SPARKS OUTRAGE – FANS CALL IT ‘LOW CLASS
Two days before her 58th birthday, Halle Berry showed up at the opening of The Union in a very daring sheer dress. Her co-star, Mark Wahlberg, praised her look, saying only she could pull off such a bold outfit.
However, not everyone was impressed. Some critics online called her “low class” for hugging a married man while wearing such revealing clothing.
Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg star together in *The Union*, a comedy thriller that came out on Netflix on August 16. Wahlberg, 53, plays a construction worker named Mike, who gets involved in a world of espionage thanks to his high school sweetheart, played by Berry.
Halle Berry, 58, was thrilled to finally work with her long-time friend Mark Wahlberg. She told The Hollywood Reporter, “When this happened, I thought, ‘Wow, this is the thing I didn’t know that I needed.’ I’ve known Mark for about 30 years, and working with him was like going home.”
Mark Wahlberg also spoke highly of Berry to Entertainment Tonight. He said, “I’ve always been a big fan of hers. Working with Halle is easy and a joy. Any guy or gal would want to impress her, so it was easy for me to follow her around like a puppy.”
Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg star together in *The Union*, a comedy thriller that came out on Netflix on August 16. Wahlberg, 53, plays a construction worker named Mike, who gets involved in a world of espionage thanks to his high school sweetheart, played by Berry.
Halle Berry, 58, was thrilled to finally work with her long-time friend Mark Wahlberg. She told The Hollywood Reporter, “When this happened, I thought, ‘Wow, this is the thing I didn’t know that I needed.’ I’ve known Mark for about 30 years, and working with him was like going home.”
Mark Wahlberg also spoke highly of Berry to Entertainment Tonight. He said, “I’ve always been a big fan of hers. Working with Halle is easy and a joy. Any guy or gal would want to impress her, so it was easy for me to follow her around like a puppy.”
Wahlberg praised Berry’s physical fitness and her role as a covert operative in the film, saying she is in “incredible shape.”
At the film’s opening on August 12, Berry walked the red carpet in a stunning long-sleeve black sheer dress with lace details, showcasing Wahlberg’s comments about her impressive physique.
When asked why she wore a lingerie-style dress to the premiere, Halle Berry confidently replied, “Because I can, goddamn.” Her co-star, Mark Wahlberg, agreed, saying, “Nobody else can pull that off but Halle Berry.”
Berry also attended the premiere with her 16-year-old daughter Nahla, who was thrilled to meet Wahlberg. Berry shared with People, “I got cool points when I introduced my daughter to Mark because she loves *Daddy’s Home*. It was the first time in my career that she said, ‘Oh, you know Mark Wahlberg? Okay, you’re cool.’”
Critics and fans had mixed reactions to Halle Berry’s outfit at the premiere. Some were critical of her choice, saying, “Low class hugging him dressed like that and he’s married.” Others felt the dress was too busy with lace but admired her overall appearance, with comments like, “She looks amazing, but I’m not feeling the style of her dress. I hope I look like this at 57, though. Unreal.”
Despite the criticism, many fans praised Berry’s look. “If I had her body at her age, I would dress the same,” one fan said, while another added, “She looks amazing. What is wrong with people?”
Halle Berry turned 58 recently, and many are celebrating her timeless beauty. What do you think about her dress and the reactions it’s received? Share your thoughts and help spread the birthday wishes for Halle Berry!
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