You could say Lorenzo Lamas was always destined to become an actor. His parents worked in the industry, and it didn’t take long before he entered it himself.
Lamas has starred in classics such as the television series Falcon Crest and the legendary film Grease. Still to this day, the California native is working as an actor – and at 65, he looks terrific!
However, Lamas’s life has had its ups and downs, and he’s gone through some rather tough times. Here’s all you need to know about Lorenzo and the many struggles he’s overcome.
One was getting over the fact that his son had an affair with his ex-wife.
Even as a young kid, Lorenzo Lamas’s stars had aligned where acting was concerned.
Born Lorenzo Fernando Lamas on January 20, 1958, in Santa Monica, California, he was raised by his mother Arlene Dahl, an American actress of Norwegian descent, and his father Fernando Lamas, an Argentinian who worked as an actor and director.
Lorenzo Lamas – early life
Lorenzo grew up in the fashionable area of Pacific Palisades, California. At age two, his parents divorced, and eight years later, he moved to New York with his father.
Lorenzo has often drawn upon the fact that his family comes from different parts of the world. He once starred as Dracula in a Halloween production of the famous Bram Stoker novel and had no problem at all adopting a different accent.
“I grew up with a man who had a voice like Dracula and every other bigger-than-life character you could ever think of in my father,” he told the New York Times in 2007. “I take a little bit from him to do the accent. I’ve also done four movies in Bulgaria.”
While Lorenzo was transitioning from a kid into a young man, his father had a pretty wild lifestyle. According to Lorenzo, his father had “been with every woman.” Yet as a child, he adored him.
“I idolized my father, especially as a young boy. He was bigger than life. He commanded the room. He’d done everything, seen everything,” he told Fox. “It’s pretty heady stuff to grow up with.”
“He was Latin, he was very judgmental, he thought a woman’s place was in the kitchen. He just happened to marry a woman who was a top ten box office star of the ’50s, and she retired to serve him!”
First work in acting
Lorenzo’s father married actress Esther Williams in 1969, a year after their move to “The Big Apple,” and life for Lorenzo got tough at times. For example, when Esther’s children visited, Lorenzo wasn’t even allowed to sleep in the house!
“He was many things, but he was also fair, so if he wasn’t going to allow another man’s children in his house, then he couldn’t allow me in the house,” he recalled.
“So my roommate was a Rolls Royce. I had a key that let me in the backdoor where there was a guest bathroom. But I came from military school, so living in a garage in Beverly Hills was plush to me. I had shared a urinal with 30 guys for the last four years. Looking back, I know that’s not normal. I know that I would never do that to my kids. I run my three teenage daughters around like a chauffeur.”
Lorenzo Lamas attended private school and graduated from the Admiral Farragut Academy in 1975. Instead of staying on the East Coast, he decided to leave for his home state of California.
Though his father could be a strict man, he always encouraged his son to follow his dreams and backed him wholeheartedly in pursuing his dreams of becoming an actor. Lorenzo enrolled at Tony Barr’s Film Actors Workshop. In 1977, he got his first minor role in television, starring in two episodes of the show Switch.
While cultivating his acting talent, Lorenzo also found that he had a tremendous interest in martial arts. He got in shape – and later on, earned black belts in both taekwondo and karate.
Lorenzo Lamas in ‘Grease’
Now, getting roles in bigger productions often takes time for most actors. Some have to try out at hundreds of auditions to get one part; others have to wait years, maybe even decades, to land their first role in a more significant Hollywood production.
For Lorenzo Lamas, however, this wasn’t the case. In 1978, he was cast as the good-looking stud “Tom Chisum” in the legendary film Grease, featuring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. He played the boyfriend of Olivia Newton-John’s character, “Sandy”. That said, he initially wasn’t chosen for the part.
Steven Ford – son of former President Gerald Ford – was considered for the role, but was reportedly too nervous to play “Tom”. The part had no dialogue, but that didn’t bother Lorenzo when he got the gig.
People probably knew that the film had potential at the time, but even so, it’s safe to say that Lamas secured himself an extraordinary place in film history with his relatively small credit in Grease.
“I’m amazed by the longevity. It keeps finding new generations of people,” he told Studio 10.
Lorenzo had dark hair at the time, but the producers thought he looked too much like a “T-Bird” to star as Sandy’s boyfriend. As a result, they dyed his hair lighter – something that he didn’t mind at all.
“I would have dyed it green, fuchsia, anything,” he told People.
At the time, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John were already stars. For Lorenzo Lamas, it was a dream come true just to meet them. What made the whole thing even better, was that Olivia Newton-Jon had been Lorenzo’s childhood crush.
Became a star on ‘Falcon Crest’
“I was 19. It was only the third thing I’ve ever done. And I was at the Paramount lot, meeting my childhood crush, Olivia Newton-John, and Mr. Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta. So I was kind of in a complete zombie state, to begin with,” Lorenzo recalled.
He explained that he had all her albums, and in high school, he and his friends even had routines dancing to her albums. When they finally met, Lorenzo was almost knocked off his heels.
“I couldn’t take my eyes off her,” he told Studio 10.
Grease was, of course, a big deal for Lorenzo and a fantastic opportunity when looking back. Naturally, though, it wasn’t quite a breakthrough since he only appeared in a few scenes.
In 1981, he got the role of Lance Cumson on Falcon Crest. The nighttime soap became a huge success, with Lamas starring alongside Oscar-winning actress Jane Wyman for 228 episodes.
Wyman portrayed Lamas’ grandmother on the show – at that time, she was a massive Hollywood star. Lamas had problems with illegal substances at this point in his career, until one day on set, Wyman had enough of his behavior
Became a star on ‘Falcon Crest’
“I was 19. It was only the third thing I’ve ever done. And I was at the Paramount lot, meeting my childhood crush, Olivia Newton-John, and Mr. Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta. So I was kind of in a complete zombie state, to begin with,” Lorenzo recalled.
He explained that he had all her albums, and in high school, he and his friends even had routines dancing to her albums. When they finally met, Lorenzo was almost knocked off his heels.
“I couldn’t take my eyes off her,” he told Studio 10.
Grease was, of course, a big deal for Lorenzo and a fantastic opportunity when looking back. Naturally, though, it wasn’t quite a breakthrough since he only appeared in a few scenes.
In 1981, he got the role of Lance Cumson on Falcon Crest. The nighttime soap became a huge success, with Lamas starring alongside Oscar-winning actress Jane Wyman for 228 episodes.
Wyman portrayed Lamas’ grandmother on the show – at that time, she was a massive Hollywood star. Lamas had problems with illegal substances at this point in his career, until one day on set, Wyman had enough of his behavior
People start laughing when heavy-set dancer comes to stage, but as he starts to dance, everyone’s mouths drop…
The intensity with which Aoniken Quiroga moved to Jerry Lee Lewis’s “Great Balls of Fire” song led to her attacking the spectators at the Vienna tango show. But the bigger guy immediately shot to fame, exploding off all of his actions. The crowd probably assumed that throughout the performance, his more alluring and trimmer dance partner would steal the show. It is always exciting to see new and enthusiastic performers hit the stage. This is a result of the abundance of amazing dancers that perform throughout the world.
Whether they are experienced dancers or are just getting started, there are many people who have the potential to be captivating dancers. Even though we should be aware of this better, many people still find it impossible to abstain from doing it.
Conversely, there are several instances of persons who have amazed others with their skills after confronting others with criticism regarding their appearance. The beautiful voice of singer Susan Boyle, who had been eliminated from the competition because of an overly feminine appearance, won over the judges in a talent competition. Furthermore, this evaluation is incorrect for pastimes like dancing that call for physical effort. Some people hold the false belief that larger people would find it more difficult to execute intricate dance moves; however, this is untrue.
When someone works hard and puts in a lot of effort, there is no relationship between their size and their ability to move their body correctly. This incident specifically happened at the 2012 TANGOAMADEUS dance party. There was a bigger guy on stage, and his presence surprised everyone. His emotions were so captivating that everyone was unable to look away from him. His superb abilities allowed him to enthrall both the audience and those who were at home.
Please make sure you read this article through to the end in order to guarantee that you can view the entire video. Given that music was what genuinely sparked Quiroga and his companion’s decision, it was all the more amazing. People could start dancing and moving more than they have in the past because of this lively music. One of Lewis’s most well-known songs, “Great Balls of Fire,” encourages listeners to get up and move around. The dancers executed some of their fastest steps, demonstrating their rapid footwork that was required to keep up with the music. Viewers assumed that the male dance partner would be the center of attention after the pair’s initial performance. It was easy to notice her because she was a stunning woman wearing a sexy gold dress. But her coworker quickly outperforms her in terms of output.
Even though Quiroga was a taller man and was only dressed in a white shirt and black leggings, he was still able to grab everyone’s attention with his antics. There was little doubt that, even when the music started, the audience remained doubtful that the larger man could keep up with the fast-paced song. However, Quiroga was prepared to con every single one of them with his unquestionably amazing dance performance. The larger guy was not just a mediocre dancer, but an excellent one who performed better than the rest. In fact, because of the song’s fast tempo and his exceptional skills, there were times when it appeared as though his physically fit and handsome dance partner was struggling to keep up with him. The crowd quickly realized that the man’s height did not stop him from doing his amazing dance abilities.
Quiroga did a good job of twisting his partner. Even more amazing is the fact that his partner was able to rotate him around periodically. The audience could tell right away from the amazing hip motions and one-footed spinning that this guy had trained for this exact situation.
The man’s stature was definitely advantageous to him because he quickly refuted everyone’s perceptions. He was able to hold the attention of everyone in the audience with his captivating dance throughout. His rapid reflexes and agility were rather remarkable.
Though it may be easy to make an instantaneous assessment of someone based only on their outward features, including their height, it is important to remember that looks can be deceiving. Many have hidden talents or have committed to pursuits of interests and objectives that are typically unconnected to their outward appearance. Many people are secretly skilled. If someone’s true value, abilities, and skills are simply assessed based on their outward appearance, then their true worth could be grossly undervalued.
This can be frustrating in addition to being problematic and even impeding someone from reaching their goals. This young man made the decision to pursue his love of dancing despite the fact that he would undoubtedly run against doubters along the way, as the video demonstrates. His love and commitment to the art of dancing are evident in every fluid and confident move he makes on the dance floor. Over three and a half million people have watched the movie since it was first posted online.
Quiroga was showered with praise from the audience for both his outstanding performance and skill set. Some others even claimed that he outdid his dancing partner in terms of performance! For a lot of people who love dancing, the guy has become an inspiration. This man will act as a reminder that nothing is impossible for you to achieve, no matter how big you are. If you enjoy dancing, you shouldn’t let anything stop you from going out and having a great time. You may see it for yourself by seeing the video that is provided below!
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