The Stunning Stars Of These Iconic Music Videos Look Totally Different Today
MTV might not show any music promos these days but back in the ’80s, ’90s and early ’00s, the network could make anyone a famous face with just a few plays. No doubt you still remember the girl Michael Jackson walked home in “Thriller,” for example. And the fan Bruce Springsteen called up on stage in “Dancing in the Dark.” Here’s a look at the fortunes of 40 faces who helped video kill the radio star.
40. Tom Petty – “Don’t Come Around Here No More”
Louise Foley-Cohen rose to fame as the heroine in Tom Petty’s Alice in Wonderland-inspired promo for “Don’t Come Around Here No More.” The actress was paid less than $3,000 for her memorable performance and she wasn’t even allowed to take home her blue outfit, either. Foley-Cohen later appeared in another Petty promo, “Make It Better (Forget About Me),” and had a five-year relationship with Stan Lynch, the onetime drummer in his backing band the Heartbreakers.
39. Blink-182 – “What’s My Age Again?”
Janine Lindemulder didn’t just appear in Blink-182’s “What’s My Age Again?” She graced the cover of its parent LP as well. Sadly, though, the former adult film star’s fallen on hard times since. Lindemulder’s had issues with substance abuse, lost both her home and custody of her child and spent time in prison for tax evasion and assault.
38. Michael Jackson – “Thriller”
Ola Ray appeared in one of the most iconic music videos of all time, Michael Jackson’s 14-minute “Thriller.” But she only bagged the part of the King of Pop’s girlfriend after Jennifer Beals of Flashdance fame rejected it. Ray was smitten by Jackson for real while shooting the promo, though she didn’t let him know at the time. The MTV regular spent several decades away from the cameras before resuming her acting career in the late 2010s.
37. Whitesnake – “Here I Go Again”
Tawny Kitaen got more than she bargained for when she was cast as the femme fatale in Whitesnake’s promo for “Here I Go Again.” The model went on to wed the rock group’s lead singer David Coverdale. Sadly, the pair divorced within a couple years, and her next marriage to star pitcher Chuck Finley ended acrimoniously, too. Kitaen has since appeared on Botched, the reality show, as she’d previously undergone numerous cosmetic surgery procedures.
