1) Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and background.
I am an ICU nurse and work the graveyard shift at a big hospital in Dallas. I'm about to move to Houston to get my masters degree. I live with my boyfriend who you can see milling around in the background of my pictures. He makes most of my costumes for me. We're about to run off and get married before we move so there will be years of costuming together ahead. My hobbies include movies, costuming, and partying. Right now I'm into cooking, too. I've been a Star Wars fan ever since I can remember. There are pictures of me somewhere as a 4 year old in my Star Wars underoos, and when I was 6 I had a ROTJ birthday cake.
2) How long have you been costuming? What kinds of experiences have you had?
My first costume is my famous metal bikini which was made for the first Celebration. I had so much fun that by the time Celebration 2 came around I had eight more. I have met so many good friends doing this and I really feel like I'm part of a community. I know that I can go to any Star Wars con and hook up with old buddies. For instance, I went to Celebration 2 alone and once I got there I was busy mingling the whole weekend.
The best thing that has happened to me was after the first Celebration I met some people from Switzerland, who asked me to got out there and help them advertise Star Wars toys in costume. So I got to go to Switzerland and play Star Wars for about 3 weeks that summer. It was really surreal and fun!
After Celebration 2 I was really bummed out that I didn't get to meet Carrie Fisher, but when I got to the airport I found out that both Carrie and Billy? Dee were on the same flight to Dallas (along with tons of other con-goers!). It was like riding on the Millineum Falcon. I got to talk to both of them and they were really cool.
It's really weird being a mini celeb myself. At Celebration 2, these guys kept running up to me freaking out about how they have had my picture on their wall for 3 years and they're so excitied to meet me and then they start calling their friends on cell phones and walkie talkies to tell them they're standing in front of me. Some guys would literally be shaking when they put their arm around me for a picture! Or when people recognize me when I'm not in costume. I wear glasses in real life and have much shorter hair, but man, people pick me out of the crowd all the time and then bug me about not wearing a costume (like I'm slacking on the job or something). It's pretty overwhelming because I can't really live up to whatever expectations they might have of what I might be like! I mean, I'm just a fan out to have fun, too. At the same time, it's pretty cool to think I can make people that excited just by wearing a bikini in public!
3) When did you get your first "metal bikini" and what drove you to it?
When my friends and I heard about the Celebration in Denver, we immediately bought tickets. We decided that if we were ever going to dress up for a con, this would be the one. So we got to work designing costumes. There were 3 of us and I was the only? girl. The pickings are pretty slim for girl costumes in the original trilogy and let's face it - there is really no other choice than the bikini! I was really surprised there weren't more of us in Denver. I've been hailed as the first Slave Leia (I'm sure there were some others), so I got a really crazy reaction at the con. (Making that costume was rough. There were no online references like there are now, so we just played it by ear. After reading about how girls make them now I think our method was a lot more complicated than it had to be.) My other friends had fairly? obscure costumes so I had to keep up. One of the guys was a rebel Hoth fighter, and the other went dressed up as the Kenner Darth Vader action figure. The only way I could keep up was to show some skin!
4) What is it about Slave Leia that inspires you to portray her?
Leia is so cool! She's a smart talking, tough chick. Not even slavery can keep her down. She killed Jabba in that costume! Even Han was scared of Jabba! And to top it all off, you get to look damn cute in it, too.
5) What is your favorite memory of appearing as Slave Leia?
I get free stuff and special treatment all the time when I'm dressed as Slave Leia. That's a lot of fun!
6) If you danced for Jabba the Hutt, what song would you dance to and why?
That's a really hard question. I guess I would have to dance to whatever he wanted. I just hope it wouldn't be that crappy muppet song from the Special Edition - I hate that number.
7) Any final words?
My boyfriend does not make me do this, it was my idea (although he does appreciate it). When I get too old and/or fat to wear the bikini, I promise I will stop.
Thanks Tania! |
