Erika Eleniak

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Erika Eleniak
Playboy centerfold appearance
July 1989
Preceded by Tawnni Cable
Succeeded by Gianna Amore
Born September 29, 1969 (1969-09-29) (age 39)
Glendale, California
Measurements Bust: 34C"
Waist: 24"
Hips: 32"
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Weight 115 lb (52 kg; 8.2 st)

Erika Maya Eleniak (born September 29, 1969)[1] is an American Playboy Playmate and actress, perhaps best known for her role in Baywatch as Shauni McClain.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Eleniak was born in Glendale, California. She is the eldest daughter in her family of four girls and one boy whose parents divorced. Her father, who was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is of Ukrainian descent, and her mother is of Estonian and German ancestry.[2] During the late 1970s, Eleniak's father introduced her to her future career in the movie industry when his then girlfriend got Eleniak a part to model children's clothing for TV commercials. Her first acting role was in the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)—as the girl kissed by Elliott in the school classroom scene. Eleniak attended Robert Fulton Junior High in Van Nuys, California and graduated from Van Nuys High School.

[edit] Career

[edit] Television

Eleniak had several small roles in television. She played Stephanie Curtis, Scott Baio's on-screen girlfriend in Charles in Charge), and Jamie Coburn in Broken Angel. In 1989 Eleniak decided that appearing in Playboy would help boost her career, and Ferguson put her in contact with a Playboy photographer. Playboy featured her on two covers and later as the centerfold in the July 1989 issue.

After an audition and three call backs, Eleniak won a role in Baywatch as Shauni McClain. Eleniak was the lead female character for three seasons until Pamela Anderson replaced her in 1992. She also played the high-school girlfriend of Jesse (John Stamos) in a November 1990 episode of Full House.

[edit] Film

In 1992, Eleniak returned to film acting, playing Jordan Tate, a Playboy Playmate hired to do a striptease for the captain of the U.S. Navy battleship, USS Missouri (BB-63), in Under Siege. In the film, she is described as "Jordan Tate, Miss July 1989"—which is the month that Eleniak was Playmate of the Month. She plays a character that is supposed to be purely decorative but is actually intelligent, brave, and resourceful.

She attempted to capitalize on this success by starring as Elly May Clampett in the screen adaptation of The Beverly Hillbillies in 1993, but the film flopped. The next year she starred in the Dennis Hopper-directed romantic comedy Chasers. William McNamara, one of her costars in this film, also became her partner in life. Eleniak went on to shoot another movie with McNamara, Girl in the Cadillac (1995). Eleniak also starred in an interactive game during 1995; she played identical twins in Panic in the Park (1995). She continued to make more independent films including A Pyromaniac's Love Story (1995), Bordello of Blood (1996) and Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Heatwave (1997). Eleniak has starred in a host of films, including The Pandora Project (1998) with Daniel Baldwin, One Hot Summer Night (1998) with Barry Bostwick, Final Voyage (1999) with Ice-T, Stealth Fighter (1999), The Opponent (2000), Vegas, City of Dreams (2001) with Angelica Bridges, Second to Die (2002), Snowbound (2001), Betrayal (2003) and Shakedown (2002).

[edit] Reality television

She appeared as one of the cast members of the reality television series The Real Gilligan's Island for its second season which started in June 2005.[3]

Eleniak has exhibited various weight issues throughout her life. At one point, she was underweight due to eating disorder and was once hospitalized because of laxative abuse.[4] In recent years she had become overweight, and in 2006 was a participant on the fourth season of VH1's reality television series Celebrity Fit Club, on which overweight celebrities lose weight as part of a competition. She lost 31 pounds over the course of the show.

[edit] The '80s Movie and Music Fest Cafe

In 2006, she was given much credit for appearing on a British Comedy Podcast on iTunes: The '80s Movie and Music Fest Cafe, in which she discussed her career with presenters, Ross Dyer and Julian Bayes. She gave a light-hearted view of Baywatch and her challenge during filming of Celebrity Fit Club.[5]

[edit] Personal life

In 1997 she met Philip Goglia. They married on March 10, 1998,[6] and Eleniak used the name Erika Eleniak-Goglia during their brief relationship. They lived in Marina del Rey, California until divorcing in 1999.[citation needed]

After filming Snowbound in 2001 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Eleniak purchased a home there.[7] Her first child, daughter Indyanna, was born in January 2006. Eleniak and her daughter now live in Los Angeles, California.[citation needed]

[edit] Filmography

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Erika Eleniak Biography". http://www.erikaeleniaksofficialsite.com/bio.html. Retrieved on 2009-02-08. 
  2. ^ "Erika Eleniak FAQ". http://www.erikaeleniaksofficialsite.com/faq.html. Retrieved on 2007-02-24. 
  3. ^ 'Gilligan's' black Professor
  4. ^ Entertainment Tonight, May 24, 2006
  5. ^ http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=100527110
  6. ^ {{cite news |title=Baywatch star weds beefcake |work=Daily Record |date=1998-03-11
  7. ^ http://www.erikaeleniaksofficialsite.com/faq.html

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Playboy Playmates of 1989
Playmates of: 1954 · 1955 · 1956 · 1957 · 1958 · 1959 · 1960 · 1961 · 1962 · 1963 · 1964 · 1965 · 1966 · 1967 · 1968 · 1969 · 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 · 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 · 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erika_Eleniak"
Personal tools