Vicki Marie Taylorhas crammed a lot of living into her 35 years on this planet, but she's come out on the other side of a career that's seen her appear in both adult and mainstream films wiser and with a level of self-awareness to which we can all aspire. Having recently weathered the celebrity gossip maelstrom thanks to a profile in Star Magazine, Vicki is now back to doing what she loves: Creating art and sharing it with her fans. We recently had the pleasure of chatting with Vicki about her work with the Little Rock Film Festival, her appearances in the seriesSilicon Assassin Projectwith such luminaries as Hollywood legendRichard Hatchand Mr. Skin Hall of FamerBrinke Stevens, and her upcoming role in the partially crowd-funded Troma sequelReturn to Nuke 'Em High Vol. 2. If it's been a while since you've caught up with Vicki, prepare to see a whole new side of this small town girl who still has stars in her eyes!




Skin Central: Having been raised Catholic, it seems that Catholics in particular have a hard time truly breaking away from religion. Does that specter of religion still hang over your life and work?

Vicki Marie Taylor: (Laughs) As far as considering myself Catholic, it’s the way I was raised and I went to Catholic school and everything. I do still have faith, and I do consider myself spiritual/mystical along with that. So I hold my same views, but at the same time I’m also very open minded, I’ve always considered myself that way. It’s almost like a battle in a way because I was raised that way, I believe in my faith, but I’m also spiritual and mystical at the same time, and so it’s like this combination of the three. So anytime anybody asks me, What do you consider yourself, I’ll say that I’m spiritual and I’m mystical and I’m all of these things. I almost wish there was a word for all three things that would be what I consider myself (both laugh).

As far as hanging over my head, my ex-husband was raised Catholic and I felt that some of the things that he said to me at times were out of place. He wasn’t really as open to the entertainment industry, and there’s a lack of respect there for me, but also I’m in Arkansas and it’s very, very hard to stand up for myself here.

SC: I can imagine.

VMT: Yeah, and the world is changing, thank god or thank whatever (both laugh). I wish that people didn’t place so much importance on some of the things that they do around here because life is short. I’ve always just been so open and accepting of others and their choices in life, and I’ve taken a lot of heat for the choices that I’ve made in my life and I don’t believe that I deserved it.

As far as being raised Catholic though, I do believe that that fueled a lot of my creativity. I minored in film, and I think that a lot of people that I went to school with are musicians and other creative types, so I do think it really opens you up for that. But regarding sexuality and stuff, there’s always that battle there and I’ve always been just open-minded about it. I feel like I’m talking a lot (both laugh).

SC: No, it was a heavy question for me to start with but to explain my position, I’m always interested how people who are raised Catholic have this foundation that keeps them rooted in spirituality even if they’re not still a practicing Catholic; I know that you say that you’re a faithful and spiritual person, so I wondered if you attributed that to your upbringing.

VMT: Definitely, I do think that it plays a part in creativity and things of that nature but there’s always that line there regarding sexuality and certain other things (both laugh). But I do consider myself very spiritual and I think that has a lot to do with the fact that I was raised Catholic.

SC: Awesome. Can you talk a bit about your experience volunteering at the Little Rock Film Festival? I imagine it was something of a homecoming for you.

VMT: Right, it’s something that I’ve wanted to do for quite some time and I kept applying to do that and I’ve even gone to a couple of events, and I really appreciate what they’re trying to do here. There are people like myself here in Little Rock that want to be a part of that industry and I really think that what they’re doing here really opens some eyes to the industry. I met one of the founders of the festival and he was so professional and so very nice, I was incredibly grateful to be able to be a part of it. Being able to donate my time to my community is something I’m really passionate about and it meant a lot to me.

SC: It’s really great to me that cities like Little Rock and other, smaller cities are bringing independent film and that whole world to a place that doesn’t normally have a ton of exposure for those kind of films. So I think, like you said, it’s a good way for people, especially young people, to get exposed to that kind of thing.

VMT: Yeah, and of course they had an Arkansas showcase as a part of the festival, but then they also had filmmakers from around the country, places like North Carolina and all over the place, so really it puts a different perspective on the industry by bringing it here. So I hope it continues to grow and I really do think it’s awesome that we have that here, so I’m excited about it.

SC: Thinking back to the early part of your life, do you remember what the first nude scene you saw in a movie was, and did that have a lasting impact on you?

Apollonia


VMT: Oh gosh, my first nude scene You know, the very first movie that I saw in a theater was Purple Rain, and I just sat up in my chair, and I think that honestly Prince just screams sexuality. So for me, being the age that I was when it came out, I think that was a pretty sexual film.

I also grew up wanting to be Madonna, and my mom was not super strict, so I was able to see things from a young age. I wouldn’t say that that made a huge impact on any of the choices that I’ve made in my life, but I was exposed to a film like Purple Rain which, I think, is a very sexual film for a small child, and I still love that movie to this day. I have an appreciation for that film, I think it’s a really good movie and it’s certainly one of the first ones I saw that had a lot of sexual undertones. But Prince, he just projects sexuality, everybody knows that so for me, that was probably my first experience with that.




SC: Well, that’s a pretty great one. So how about Return to Nuke ‘Em High Vol. 2? How did you get involved with Troma and what your experience was like working on that film?

VMT: (Laughs) Well, it was pretty naked (both laugh). The way that I got involved with them is that I was a Tromette for them a couple of times in Atlanta, and I met Lloyd (Kaufman) and then they said that they were going to start remaking the Class of Nuke ‘Em High series and I was asked if I wanted to play Tro-gasm Girl (both laugh). I feel like I’m basically doing a cameo as myself in it, in a weird way. I’m completely naked in the scene and I had no problem with it. It was fun, for sure. Lloyd is so cool, he was doing a panel, and I have a daughter, and he pointed her out and she was so embarrassed (both laugh). They’re all so much fun, and I just really enjoyed working with them.

SC: And Lloyd’s in the movie too, right?

VMT: Right.




SC: That sounds like a lot of fun. What has your experience been working on Silicon Assassin Project with Hollywood legends like Brinke Stevens and Richard Hatch? Did they impart any wisdom to you or have you learned anything from working with them in terms of longevity?

VMT: They’re both so natural. There were a couple of times where I was on set and I was so surprised by just how natural and how easy both of them made everything look. And I’m over there thinking, I’m such an amateur at this, but Brinke especially just makes it all look so easy. It’s the whole process and I was amazed by how she just explodes on film in her scenes and in her work, and that she makes it look as easy as she does.

Being an actress is hard. It’s hard work being able to become that character. It does take a lot of work, and for me being so new to this, I’m just watching these people who are seasoned legends and iconic in this industry and have a lot of experience, so I’m just going,my goodness, I hope that one day it becomes like that for me. But Brinke just, I said to the director back when we were filming, I said “Brinke is really something,” and she is.

SC: That’s great, and it’s great not just to witness that, but to actually work with her, that’s gotta be fantastic.

VMT: Right, right, I was very excited when they asked me to play the part and once I found out about that cast I just thought, wow, that’s so cool, I’m accomplishing something! (Both laugh). I had a good time though, we had quite a few episodes for that and they’re all very different but they all piece together for the series. It was different, but it was so awesome and I’m really glad I had that opportunity to be a part of that as well.



SC: You were a frequent guest on The Howard Stern show for many years, as is our own Mr. Skin. Do you still get recognized by Stern fans for your appearances, because it seems like once you’re a part of that family, you achieve this completely different level of success and recognition.

VMT: (Laughs) I have been, yeah. They recognize me for what I was on the show for, and all the past work that I’ve done. I grew up watching Howard Stern and when I got the opportunity to be on his show, I was just thinking, is this really real? (Both laugh). That’s a cool experience to be able to do that, and I’m really grateful that I got to do that in my career as well. Not everybody gets that opportunity, and especially having grown up watching him, yeah it’s pretty wild to actually have been a guest on his show.

I think that more people try to recognize me for my old work and I’m just like, okay, well, I haven’t done that in ten years (both laugh). I just keep moving forward and if somebody does recognize me, I’m cool with it because, like I said, it was a blast and it was something that I don’t regret for sure.

SC: Well that’s a good attitude to have, and I think that being appreciative of the recognition but also letting people know that you’re still out there and doing new and different things. I think that’s an important thing for people to learn.

VMT: Right, and I’ve worked so hard to change people’s perceptions of me by being a part of some of the projects that I’ve been a part of in recent years, and I just graduated college with a bachelor’s degree, and I’ve worked so hard getting my life together and to command just a little bit of respect in my life.

SC: Well, hopefully through this interview and other things that you’re doing, like your work with the film festival, if we can play any part in changing people’s perception of you, then I hope we can do that.

VMT: Yeah, and I hope that as well because I’m just laying it all out on the table like, here I am (both laugh). I’m 35 years old now and I feel like I deserve a little bit of respect in my life and I don’t understand why that’s so difficult. It feels like being in a horror movie and I’m constantly running from this monster, but I feel very grateful for everything that I’ve gotten to do in my life, and the choices that I’ve made and where I am now and my beautiful child, and getting to work with people like Richard Hatch and Brinke Stevens and having fun, and I’m not ashamed of anything that I’ve ever done. I’m here to say that I am who I am, I’ve done what I’ve done, I’m happy with myself, I’m awesome (both laugh). I can just be me, that’s all I can be, and that’s all that any of us can do.

SC: Exactly. That’s a really good attitude to have. So my last question is just to ask what’s up next for you? Where can your fans hope to see you again, beyond Nuke ‘Em High 2?

VMT: The one thing I’ve thought about doing is putting some videos out there for these little songs that I’ve been doing, and that’s something I’m working towards. I just secured a little deal with some publishing behind it, and I’ve been wanting to do that for some time and it’s all kind of coming together, the planets are aligning (both laugh). So that’s something that’s new that everyone can look forward to.