Traci Lords was born Nora Louise Kuzma in Steubenville, Ohio on May 7, 1968. She ran away from home at the age of 15, eventually landing in Southern California by the time she was 16. Armed with a fake I.D. and a willingness to do whatever it took to make it in porn, Traci Lords landed her first hardcore role in 1984's 'What Gets Me Hot.' She starred in nearly 100 porno flicks over the next two years, making a name for herself as one of the most sexually out-of-control women on the scene. Traci Lords finally came clean in 1986, just after her 18th birthday. The revelation of her underage status caused a mad scramble to recall her videos under the threat of federal 'kiddie-porn' prosecution. In fact, the Feds actually started legal proceedings against the producers of 'Those Young Girls,' but the case was dropped when they realized that even the U.S. government had been fooled by the underage porn queen. Traci Lords had used her fake driver's license to get a U.S. passport!

Traci Lords' duplicity angered lots of folks in the business, and they made a tacit agreement to never produce another feature with her. As such, her only legal sexvid is 1987's 'Traci, I Love You,' a self-produced star vehicle she made in France. The huge publicity generated by her admission made Traci Lords a household name, and she has since parlayed her notoriety into a good deal of mainstream success. Traci Lords has landed parts in quite a few 'legit' flicks, including John Waters' 'Cry Baby,' 'Not Of This Earth,' and the 1998 vampire thriller 'Blade.' Traci Lords' had a stint as the resident bad girl on Fox's 'Melrose Place' and even had a hit record in the mid-90's with her dance CD '1000 Fires.' Traci Lords continues to pursue a mainstream acting and singing career. Ironically, her banishment from the porno biz has led her to more crossover success than any other hardcore starlet to date.

Penthouse Pet of the Month - September 1984: Traci was the centerfold model for the same issue of Penthouse Magazine that revealed the nude photos of 'Miss America 1984' -- Vanessa L. Williams. Because she was underage, it is illegal to own or trade that issue unless the nude pictorial of the teenage Traci Lords is removed. Traci Lords, who once attended the Julliard School of Ballet, has now had her name legally changed to Traci Lords.