Director Kevin Smith’s a straightforward dude. So he knew that if he needed “sexperts” on the set of his Zack and Miri Make a Porno flick, why not hire two porn legends to co-star in the comedy opening on Halloween?
Enter Traci Lords and Katie Morgan. Lords, now 40, was infamous as an underage 1980s porn star. Since then she’s done lots of things and some legit films too. Besides TV shows, she’s showed up in Blade, Serial Mom, Cry Baby and Black Mask 2, among others.
Morgan, 28, has done Pleasure Dome, All Girl Zone, Fleshdance and many more skin flicks. She has also hosted a radio show and HBO’s Katie Morgan on Sex Toys and Katie Morgan: Porn 101.
Both bring a playful sense of naughty behaviour to Smith’s movie and they even offered a few helpful hints, although Smith says he’s familiar enough with the genre through copious amounts of research.
It was more than a match made of convenience, however, as the R-rated movie focuses on Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks), who make a home-made
porno to pay the rent and enlist amateurs and pros alike.
That includes Bubbles (Lords) and Stacey (Morgan), two women who have special talents and aren’t shy about showing them off. In real life, both have left the porn industry.
Morgan quit the scene last year. Lords gave it up more than 20 years ago.
And while Lords has deservedly established herself as a legitimate actress over the last two decades she had reservations about doing the film when Smith invited her to participate, especially now that she has a one-year-old child.
She said the cast and the quality of the script changed her mind. “Finally I knew I could past the past behind me — no pun intended,” Lords said smiling during an interview at L.A.’s Four Seasons Hotel Sunday. “I have re-made myself many times and I felt this was another step in that direction.”
Morgan said she was approached by Smith when he watched one of her YouTube performances on the Internet. “And I said to him, ‘You mean I was acting?’” she said.
In fact, Smith said he was impressed with her comic timing. He thinks the energetic Morgan is “like Judy Holliday with massive breasts.” Encouraged by the director’s enthusiasm for her talents and excited by the film experience, Morgan said she’s about to give acting a real shot.
“I have every intention of trying the mainstream,” she said. She did a cameo on the award-winning HBO show Entourage and she’s also hoping to get good buzz from her role in the Smith comedy to help get her auditions for other parts in TV and film.
Meanwhile, Morgan said she has no regrets about her porn past. “The biggest misconception is that it’s the last resort,” she maintained. “I was good and slutty and I liked the money.”
That’s why she said “never say never again.” But, for now, she’s open to another kind of show business.