Shae
Gets Personal
YourMVP:
What was it like growing up in the New Orleans heat?
Shae:
New Orleans is fun! But you're below sea level so the humidity
factor is huge if you're not used to it. I love it there, it's very
tropical. I enjoy tropical weather. It's probably the closest to a
European city that you can get in the south. It's a port city so
it's very similar to a lot of port cities around the world. It's got
that same kind of European flavor. |
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Did
you say, "I'm going to start getting naked because it's so hot
down here in New Orleans?"
(laughing)
I think you're so free in New Orleans. It's very European in its
mindset. Take Mardi Gras, girls are naked or flashing their boobs for
beads. Sexually, it's very free. So I think it was very easy to end
up doing what I do and not have pressure to do otherwise because of
the environment.
You've
said you like intelligent and witty men. What about you? Are you
intelligent? Are you witty?
I
think I'm pretty quick. I've always liked talking to people that
would just bounce back and forth with ideas. You can learn so much in
some conversations and walk away with nothing from others. I really
enjoy people that when you walk away you've gotten something. It
doesn't have to be profound, but at least you've gotten something. I
think it means they're really listening and communicating.
Right.
How'd you meet your husband?
He
was sitting in my seat on a plane. We have the primo love story.
(laughing) I was ten minutes late for a flight, my first trip to Los
Angeles. Playboy had called and they were test shooting me to be a
playmate. I was going to stay at the Playboy mansion. He was early
and jumped on an earlier flight than he was scheduled for. He
shouldn't have been on my flight. I was late so they gave away my
seat. When I got on the plane it was a full flight except for the
only seat available which was next to my original seat.. which was
next to my future husband.
Did
he use a pick-up line or was it just the way he looked at you?
The
flight from New Orleans to L.A. is four hours, so he's said that he
had four hours to convince me to go have cocktails with him. And I did.
What
does your husband do?
He
owns an oil company. (laughing)
Does
he really?! Did he inherit it or did he strike it?
He
created it himself. I obviously don't go for guys in my business. I
told you, I go for brains!
You're
right. Have you been out there to see him working?
Oh
yeah. He's had the company since before we met. I've been in the
fields and been all over. It's fun.
Have
you ever played in the oil or done a shoot in oil?
Before
we started dating I did a video for Playboy that was shot in the
middle of an oilfield. It's kind of a joke now. Who knew?!
SHAE
ON HER UPCOMING PROJECTS -- AND FACING OFF AGAINST WRESTLING!
You've
recently spent some time in Canada doing a shoot for your new show
coming up on the Sci-Fi channel.
That's
right. I spent two weeks in Vancouver doing a television show called
"Scorpion." [I play the] Mayor's secretary, Babette.
Do
you have any big, starring moments? Any wet t-shirt moments?
That
was my first recurring role. It was a lot of fun to do and I'm in
almost nothing for the majority of the show. Babette's suits get
smaller and smaller as the show progresses.
Are
you guys contracted for an entire year?
We
filmed an entire season, so we shot 22 episodes and I was in 13 of
the 22. [We] start airing Monday nights at 9 P.M. in January.
You'll
be facing off against the WWF [which occupies the same time slot on
TNN]. Women in professional wrestling seem to be the big thing right
now. Would you ever do a wrestling appearance?
Five
years ago I did a guest appearance on the WWF as one of Triple-H's
escorts into the ring. I wore an evening gown and walked him into the
ring, went to my seat and cheered for him. I think it's a lot of fun
but I'd pass. I'm into fitness, not muscle. (laughing) And some of
those girls are huge!
Some
of them are! Were you paid in WWF stock options for walking him down
the aisle?
No,
but I should have been, given the popularity of the show. I like the
"Ultimate Fighting Challenge" better, though.
Have
you ever taken part in any of that?
No,
but we've watched just about all of them. <pause> I've been
looking at that TiVo.com and if you could only see a list of the TV
shows that I watch <laughing>. That alone cracks me up. We run
the gamut. "Sex and the City" is the new favorite.
"West Wing." And then "Ultimate Fighting
Challenge" and then "Star Trek."
Who's
your favorite Ultimate fighter?
[Former
WWF wrestler Ken] Shamrock!! That's really sad that I know that.
(laughing) Yes, he's been a champion for a long time. I don't know
that he is the current champion, though.
SHAE
ON "BUSINESS"
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Do
you ever plan taking your company public like the WWF? Do you have a company?
Yes
I do. Shae Marks Productions. (pause) I don't know.. the site
evolves and changes so much that who knows what's going to happen in
the next two years. It's turning into a magazine format now which is
wonderful. It's the only way to house all the content that we have.
Who knows what will happen next.
So
you're not ruling that out? |
No,
I don't rule anything out. I've learned my lesson on ruling things
out, they always tend to happen.
What's
the biggest business mistake you've made thus far?
Not
paying attention to a contract when I first started modeling. Then
finding those pictures on the cover of greeting cards for Hallmark
and not being paid for it.
Really?!
Yeah.
But if that's the worst then I'm not doing too badly.
There
are two of your magazines up for auction currently on Amazon.com.
One is a 1997 'Newsstand Special' for Playboy and that's going for
some good money. Why do you think that is? What's the appeal? Do you
sign any these things?
I've
checked Ebay also and I don't quite understand why. Maybe it's just
easier for people to buy it at an auction. Nine times out of ten you
can go to the Playboy store online and order the same magazine for
half the price. I guess they're paying for an autograph.
You
sign a lot of things?
I
sign thousands of things. Guys come to Glamourcon and that's what
they do, they're professional autograph dealers and they'll give me
thirty pieces to sign of things that I've done throughout the years.
And
you do it for free?
No,
it's a charge at Glamourcon. People send me fan mail and they have a
picture inside that they'd like for me to sign. I just sign it and
send it back to them. But when you're at an event like Glamourcon
that's what it's for. It's an autograph signing event where the
collectors can bring their items to be signed. A lot of the guys will
say don't personalise it because they're going to sell it.
You
first posed for Playboy six years ago. When was the last time you
posed for them?
The
last time was probably '96 or '97. What happens is they'll book you
for a day and shoot you. That film will appear in the magazine for
years. They might shoot ten to twenty rolls of film and if you think
about it, when they put out an issue on a girl you might have just a
few pictures. They've got tons of backlogs. I went to the Chicago
Playboy offices about four years ago where they have files of
pictures on each girl. They were letting me go through the files and
see the pictures that I have there. It was amazing the amount of film
that just never showed up in the magazines, so I know they've still
got tons of stuff.
As
you grow older and you look back, are there any regrets that you have?
Any
regrets? (pensive pause) I had a ball! I don't really have any
regrets. (pause) The only regret that I do have is not getting a
degree. It's not so much for lack of work. I think it's just a
personal satisfaction that will be difficult to explain to my kids
when I'm demanding that they go to college (laughing) |