Thursday, March 4, 2010

Space Babe: Erin Gray

Erin Gray as Colonel Wilma Deering in the 1979 feature film and television series, Buck Rogers In The 25th Century. Ms. Gray's appearance here is probably long-overdue, as there's no question that for many - if not most - of us who entered adolescence in the 70s, it was her and her shimmering, skin-tight spandex outfits that flat-out defined "space babe."

And she was more than a pretty face and figure. In the first season of the series, she was Earth's first line of defense, in charge of the planet's starfighter squadrons. She was smart, competent, charming, funny, flirty - and pure dynamite in a dogfight.

Erin Gray, a successful and popular print model, went from Buck Rogers to a steady career as a popular guest star on television and in film, and was a regular on the sitcom Silver Spoons. I've heard that she and Gil Gerard are participating in the forthcoming Buck Rogers web series. I can't wait to see it.

I got to meet Ms. Gray about seven years or so ago at the MegaCon convention in Orlando, and I was surprised to see that she'd barely aged a day, still beautiful and charming. She was very gracious, even when I stammered out something about having her picture pinned up in my bedroom when I was a teen, and signed a photo for me that hangs in a place of honor on my wall.

11 comments:

  1. Overdue? Yeah, I'd say...

    I can easily believe the part of the account about how the years have been really kind. I recall her being the spokesmodel for Bloomingdales in their TV spots in the late 80s/early 90s, each of which looked like she could have shot those between episodes of the first season. (Tried looking for those on YouTube; apparently they don't have everything on their site...)

    Hadn't heard about the web series; what's the latest on that?

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  2. For me, it was a tossup between Erin and Pamela Hensley as Ardala.
    Too bad they never had a chance to, shall we say, discuss vigorously their mutal interest in Buck... ;-)

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    1. Now there's a thought to pass a wet afternoon...

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  3. Hey, I saw her at Megacon too! Great gal.

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  4. Honestly she still looks great. Its amazing how well Ms. Gray and my other 70's super-crush Lynda Carter look after all this time. Good genes I say!

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  5. Ms. Gray's a guest at this weekend's Emerald City Con in Seattle. I'm tempted to visit her table, but fear my own instance of stammering. :)

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  6. DING DONG !! Wilma rules the spaceways !!!

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  7. Used to watch her in my freshman year at college...

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  8. theres only two actresses that come close to look
    like wilma deering if they willinig to do an updated
    version of buck rogers for the big screen is either
    megan fox or naomi watts but erin grey was stunning
    and a self confessed ghostbusters fan she claimed
    in an interview at some comic con once and i have the piolet
    movie on laserdisc it is great with original crisp picture
    and sound no digitalised clean up nonsense it is great on an 24 or
    a 42 inch plasma screen to give that cinamatical feel.

    frankie(cool rider) smales

    frankie smales tv and movie review uk

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  9. Has anyone ever looked better in Spandex?

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  10. Was there ever a more beautiful woman than Erin Gray?

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