Traci A. Bingham (born January 13, 1968)[1] is an American actress, model, and television personality. Beginning her professional career in the early 1990s, Bingham is best known for her role as Jordan Tate on the NBC action drama television series Baywatch (1996–1998).

Traci Bingham
Bingham, 2008.
Born
Traci A. Bingham

(1968-01-13) January 13, 1968 (age 56)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
  • television personality
Years active1991–present
Known forJordan Tate – Baywatch
Spouses
Finnian Lozada
(divorced)
Robb Vallier
(m. 1998; div. 2001)

Biography

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Early life and education

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Bingham was born Julie Anne Smith to an African American and Italian mother and a Native American father.[1] She was the youngest of seven children born in North Cambridge, Massachusetts,[2] to Betty, a librarian, and Lafayette Bingham,[3] an aircraft technician who served in World War II.[citation needed] For high school, Bingham attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School; graduating in 1986.[4]

Career

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Bingham began her career in minor acting roles. Aside from Baywatch, Bingham's appearances include the television series D.R.E.A.M. Team and Beverly Hills, 90210, and the film Demon Knight.[5] She also played minor roles in the popular American sitcoms The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Married... with Children. In 1991, Bingham appeared in the video for "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.[6] Eight years later, she appeared in the video for "I Really Like It" by Harlem World featuring Mase and Kelly Price.

In June 1998, Bingham posed for a "Babes of Baywatch" pictorial in Playboy magazine. Bingham has appeared on a number of reality television programs. In 2004, she was in the second series of The Surreal Life. Her castmates included Ron Jeremy, Vanilla Ice, Erik Estrada, Tammy Faye Bakker, and Trishelle Cannatella. Two years later, she flew to England to appear in Celebrity Big Brother, where she made it to the final six contestants and was evicted on the final night of the show. She selected Families of SMA as the charity to receive a donation from her participation in the show because her niece had died from spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

In 2005, Bingham was hired as a spokesmodel by Empire Poker, an online gambling site that ceased operations in 2006.[7] In 2007, Bingham appeared on VH1's The Surreal Life: Fame Games and won the $100,000 grand prize. In 2008, Bingham appeared on Fox Reality's Gimme My Reality Show! competing with six other celebrities to get their own reality show. Bingham appeared on The 2008 World Magic Awards television show.[citation needed]

Activism

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Bingham is a vegetarian.[1] In May 2002, she appeared in a vegetarian advertisement wearing a bikini made of lettuce,[8] and in May 2006 she appeared nude in an ad as part of PETA's "I'd Rather Be Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign.[9]

Personal life

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Bingham has been married twice and has no children.[1] Her first husband was Finnian Lozada.[1] From August 29, 1998 until January 18, 2001, Bingham was married to songwriter and musician Robb Vallier.[10]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1995 Demon Knight Party Babe
1998 Beach Movie Julie
1999 Foolish Simone
D.R.E.A.M. Team Victoria Carrera TV movie
2001 The Private Public Laina Brookhart
Longshot Herself
2003 Four Fingers of the Dragon Herself Short
Malibooty! Herself Video
Bad Bizness Sandra Marshall
2006 CC Variety TV Herself Short
2008 Hanging in Hedo Cashmere
2010 Black Widow Lynda
2014 Carolina Parakeet Herself Short
2015 East of Hollywood Lindsay Short

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1994 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Santa Helper Episode: "Reality Bites"
1995 Dream On Porno Actress Episode: "Am I Blue"
Campus Cops Hot Babe Episode: "3,001"
1996 Talk Soup Herself Episode: "Senor Sock Celebrity Profile"
Married... with Children Lap Dancer Episode: "The Agony and the Extra C"
1996–98 Baywatch Jordan Tate Main Cast: Season 7-8
1997 Soul Train Herself/Guest Host Episode: "Brownstone/Yvette Michele/Next Level"
The Anti-Gravity Room Herself/Guest Host Episode: "Pot Luck #3"
Light Lunch Herself Episode: "The World's Best Looking Lifeguards"
Head over Heels Marcy Episode: "Vice Guy"
1998 Hollywood Squares Herself/Panelist Recurring Guest
1999 The Dream Team Victoria Carrera Main Cast
The Jamie Foxx Show Donyel Episode: "Joy Ride"
Exploring the Fantasy Herself/Host Main Host
2000 To Tell the Truth Herself/Guest Panelist Recurring Guest Panelist
Malcolm & Eddie Jane Episode: "The Best Men"
The Parkers Angela Episode: "Since I Lost My Baby"
Strip Mall Dawna Recurring Cast: Season 1
2000-02 BattleBots Herself/Feature Reporter Main Feature Reporter: Season 1-5
2001 The Test Herself/Panelist Episode: "The Dating Test"
E! True Hollywood Story Herself Episode: "Baywatch"
Spy TV Herself Episode: "Episode #1.12"
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Herself Episode: "Episode #2.22"
Rendez-View Herself/Guest Host Episode: "Blonde Ambition"
Black Scorpion Vapor Episode: "Life's a Gas"
2002 Celebrity Boot Camp Herself Main Cast
2003 Rock Me Baby Kia Episode: "A Pain in the Aspen"
The Proud Family Jasmine (voice) Episode: "Smackmania 6: Mongo vs. Mama's Boy"
2003–04 Nudes in the News Herself Recurring Guest
2004 Hollywood Squares Herself/Panelist Recurring Guest
The Surreal Life Herself Main Cast: Season 2
Girlfriends Candy Episode: "A Partnerless Partner"
Reno 911! New Williams - Deputy Verlot Episode: "Department Investigation: Part 2"
2004–05 Lingerie Bowl Herself/Host Main Host
2005 Negermagasinet Herself Episode: "Traci Bingham"
Poorman's Bikini Beach Herself Episode: "Chocolate Wrestling, Margarita Beach, and Hefner's 78th"
2006 Celebrity Big Brother's Big Mouth Herself Episode: "Episode #2.16"
Celebrity Big Brother Herself Main Cast: Season 4
Big Brother's Little Brother Herself Episode: "Celebrity Big Brother's Little Brother: Reunion"
Fear Factor Herself/Contestant Episode: "Celebrity Fear Factor"
Celebrity Paranormal Project Herself Episode: "Pearl's Story"
2007 The Tyra Banks Show Herself Episode: "I Love New York/The Surreal Life Fame Game"
Sunset Tan Herself Episode: "New Kid on the Block"
The Surreal Life: Fame Games Herself/Participant Main Cast
2008 Gimme My Reality Show! Herself Main Cast
2010 Playboy Shootout Herself/Guest Judge Episode: "Episode #1.3"
Comedy Central Roast Herself Episode: "Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff"
2014 Hell's Kitchen Herself/Restaurant Patron Episode: "Winner Chosen"
Sugar Baby Herself/Host Episode: "Episode #1.1"
2017 Battle of the Network Stars Herself/Contestant Episode: "Variety vs. TV Sex Symbols"

Music Videos

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Year Song Artist
1991 "Good Vibrations" Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
1998 "Money Ain't a Thang" Jermaine Dupri & Jay-Z
1999 "I Really Like It" Harlem World featuring Mase & Kelly Price
2001 "Nothing's Wrong" Won-G featuring DJ Quik & James DeBarge

Documentary

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Year Title
1998 Playboy: Babes of Baywatch
2005 Official Fantasy Fest
2013 Chasing Beauty
2015 Lord of the Freaks

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e McCann, Bob. (2022). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland. pp. 47-48. ISBN 978-1476691404
  2. ^ "Traci Bingham". The Argus-Press. January 2, 1997. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  3. ^ Instagram, @tracibingham1, Dad!! 🙏🏼☮️🕊📿♥️ (31 May 2021)
  4. ^ Chen, Karen (Editor) (May 2013). "Eight Famous CRLS Alumni You Should Know". The Register Forum, Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (Cambridge, Massachusetts), Vol. 125, No. 9, p. 3. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  5. ^ Terrace, Vincent (November 6, 2008). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2 ed.). McFarland. p. 286. ISBN 978-0-7864-8641-0. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  6. ^ "Mark Wahlberg not ruling out Funky Bunch reunion". The Boston Globe. April 24, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  7. ^ Caldwell, John (February 15, 2006). "PartyGaming Buys Empire Poker". PokerNews. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  8. ^ Whitehead, Jennifer (July 15, 2002). "MTV and Baywatch star goes naked for vegetarianism". Campaign.
  9. ^ "Peta - Nude Traci Bingham: 'Have a Heart, Go Vegetarian'". Adland. May 28, 2006.
  10. ^ Jet, 12 Sep 1998
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