Pia Zadora
Pia Zadora
Pia Zadora is an American actress and singer. After working as a child actress on Broadway, in regional theater, and in the film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, she came to national attention in 1981 when, following her starring role in the highly criticized Butterfly, she won a Golden Globe Award as New Star of the Year and the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMovie Actress
Date of Birth4 May 1954
CityHoboken, NJ
CountryUnited States of America
When I was 21 I stopped and got married. I tried for a while to be the perfect wife, society this, society that but it wasn't working, so after about a year I went back to work.
In a way, my past gives me a little credibility. Not that anybody cares what I did nineteen years ago, but I did have a career, and a legitimate one, before I met my husband.
Fifteen years ago I knew I had to settle into being a mom and give them a normal life, which I never had. I was always traveling. I had tours. I wanted my kids to settle down, and we kind of did it together.... It was a bumpy transition. There was no director telling me what to do. No script, but I really enjoyed it. I even became president of the PTA. Doing the laundry was a meditative experience. Now, when I start to get nervous and stressed, I go in and start to fold towels.
I was thrilled with the nomination, but I didn't want to go to the ceremony. I hated the idea of sitting there smiling and not winning.
I actually started singing those songs six or seven years ago, when I was an opening act for Frank Sinatra.
A lot of straight people think I'm nuts.
Butterfly was certainly a vehicle for me, and if it died, it still would have served its purpose, in spades. We never expected it to give me the visibility it has given me. It was just a small thing as a vehicle, and suddenly the whole world knew about it.
I'd like to keep going, to keep exploring. It's like anything else there's no way you can reach any kind heights or potential in your first film.
One of the themes of Butterfly is incest. Before now, I don't think people could deal with the subject. Now that there have been exposes in major magazines and on television shows, and several films, the subject is at least more out in the open.
I'm a stranger here. I'm a threat. Definitely. I didn't realize they were so insecure. It just came to me now, but it true. Very insecure.
I certainly feel more comfortable onstage because I've been doing it for seventeen years. But I do feel like it's my home, when I'm on the screen.
I had basically the same stigma that Bo Derek did -- being created by a Svengali -- which took me a long time to overcome.
This guy, when I met him he was 47 years old, he'd just come out of a divorce and he was, you know, very desirable. He had every Cosmo cover girl and undercover girl. They were just coming out of his ears. Baking cakes on his doorstep, one in the back door, one on the roof, one waiting in the basement, another in the elevator. So I know I have to keep an eye on him.
Maybe we'll go trick-or-treating for Halloween, and I'll go as Pia Zadora.