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IMDbPro

Ola Ray

  • Actress
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Ola Ray
Ola Ray is internationally known as Michael Jackson's girlfriend in the Grammy Award winning short film video ''Thriller." Her work in 'Thriller' brought her worldwide recognition and made her a household name.

Ola was born in St. Louis ,Missouri, where she spent the early part of her childhood with her parents, six brothers and two sisters . Ola and her Family then came to Sacramento, California and lived there until 1975 when Ola moved with her family to Tokyo, Japan where her stepfather was stationed at Yokota Air Force Base for three years.

Soon after her arrival in Tokyo, Ola began her professional dancing and singing career by forming a song and dance group called The Puppets with her twin brothers and sister. The musical talents of Ola and the other members of The Puppets landed them a year long performance contract at the Big Together Club in the Shinjuku District. The Puppets' increasing popularity led to appearances in TV commercials, performances in various cities throughout Japan and a recording offer from CBS Records in Tokyo .

Throughout Ola's singing and dancing career in Japan, she also engaged in a substantial number of modeling assignments through Eddie Arab Modeling Agency. She modeled as a poster girl and appeared in several TV commercials for such well known Japanese department stores as Daimaru, Isetan, Matsuya, and Parco.

After her successful stay in Japan, Ola and her family returned to the United States. Upon her arrival in 1978, Ola made Los Angeles her home so that she could further pursue her career in Entertainment.

Ola appeared as Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine. After her appearance in Playboy , she entered into an exclusive contract with Johnson and Johnson for promotion of their Classy Curl hair product. As part of Ola's promotion , her pictures were displayed on all Classy Curl Kit Products, in magazine advertisements, television commercials, and posters.

Ola also served as spokesperson for the Classy Curl product promotion. Additionally, she sponsored on television and print nationally known products such as 'Milk'[sponsoring the Milk Advisory Board] , Coca Cola, Coors, McDonalds, and Leggs pantyhose, as well as several other products.

Resulting from a successful modeling career and her work in 'Thriller' , Ola landed several acting roles in motion pictures produced by Paramount Studios, Columbia Pictures, and Warner Bros. Studios , and also in various top television shows for the leading three networks - NBC, ABC, CBS. She has appeared in such movies as '48 Hours' [with Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte] 'Night Shift' [with Michael Keaton and Henry Winkler] , Beverly Hills Cop 2' [with Eddie Murphy] '' Ten To Midnight' [with Charles Bronson] and 'Fear City' [with Billy Dee Williams and Tom Berenger] , Ola also played a leading role in a television pilot that was a spin-off from the popular sitcom , 'Gimme A Break' for NBC.

Ola has written and produced several songs , one of which rose to Number Five on the top ten chart in Houston, Texas.

Ola recently completed two features entitled Shooting Heroin opposite Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs , and It Wants Blood opposite Eric Roberts.

Ola has recently completed a book memoir entitled For The Thrill Of It All which she has recently signed a literary contract with a Major literary Agency
BornAugust 26, 1960
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BornAugust 26, 1960
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro

Photos

Ola Ray in Michael Jackson: Video Greatest Hits - HIStory (1995)
Ola Ray in Michael Jackson: Number Ones (2003)
Nicholas Colasanto, Marcy Hanson, Ola Ray, Susie Scott, Heidi Sorenson, and Jeana Keough in Terveydeksi (1982)

Known for:

Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte in 48 tuntia (1982)
48 tuntia
6.9
  • Vroman's Dancer
  • 1982
Michael Jackson, Jack Bricker, Tony Gardner, and Cynthia Garris in Michael Jackson: Thriller (1983)
Michael Jackson: Thriller
8.7
Music Video
  • Michael's Girl
  • 1983
Beverly Hills Kyttä 2 (1987)
Beverly Hills Kyttä 2
6.5
  • Playboy Playmate
  • 1987
Ennen keskiyötä (1983)
Ennen keskiyötä
6.3
  • Ola
  • 1983

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actress

  • Sherilyn Fenn, Cathy Moriarty, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Brian O'Halloran, Garry Pastore, Ola Ray, Nicholas Turturro, Pat Romano Jr., Susan Koontz, Jaqueline Siegel, Kimberly Matela, Jeremy John Wells, Spencer Folmar, Dax Spanogle, Alan Powell, Nathan Clarkson, Rachel Hendrix, Mike Newport, E. Bernhard Warg, Holly Crumrine, Jordan Fitzsimmons, and Daniella Mason in Shooting Heroin (2020)
    Shooting Heroin
    4.9
    • Helen
    • 2020
  • It Wants Blood! (2019)
    It Wants Blood!
    5.5
    • Madame Du Sang
    • 2019
  • Lady Gaga: Paparazzi (2009)
    Lady Gaga: Paparazzi
    7.7
    Music Video
    • Policewoman
    • 2009
  • Michael Jackson in Michael Jackson: HIStory on Film - Volume II (1997)
    Michael Jackson: HIStory on Film - Volume II
    8.4
    Video
    • Michael's Girl (segment "Thriller")
    • 1997
  • Michael Jackson in Michael Jackson: Video Greatest Hits - HIStory (1995)
    Michael Jackson: Video Greatest Hits - HIStory
    8.6
    Video
    • Michael's Girl ('Thriller' video)
    • 1995
  • Beverly Hills Kyttä 2 (1987)
    Beverly Hills Kyttä 2
    6.5
    • Playboy Playmate
    • 1987
  • The Night Stalker (1986)
    The Night Stalker
    5.1
    • Sable Fox
    • 1986
  • What's Happening Now! (1985)
    What's Happening Now!
    6.2
    TV Series
    • Paulette
    • 1985
  • Kirstie Alley, Woody Harrelson, Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, John Ratzenberger, George Wendt, and Rhea Perlman in Terveydeksi (1982)
    Terveydeksi
    8.0
    TV Series
    • Andrea
    • 1985
  • Tom Berenger, Melanie Griffith, Billy Dee Williams, and Jack Scalia in Armoton kaupunki (1984)
    Armoton kaupunki
    5.7
    • Honey
    • 1984
  • Nell Carter in Gimme a Break! (1981)
    Gimme a Break!
    6.4
    TV Series
    • Deanna
    • 1984
  • Desi Arnaz Jr. and Chuck Wagner in Automan (1983)
    Automan
    6.8
    TV Series
    • Joanne
    • 1984
  • Mimmikuume (1983)
    Mimmikuume
    5.2
    • 1983
  • Michael Jackson, Jack Bricker, Tony Gardner, and Cynthia Garris in Michael Jackson: Thriller (1983)
    Michael Jackson: Thriller
    8.7
    Music Video
    • Michael's Girl
    • 1983
  • Ennen keskiyötä (1983)
    Ennen keskiyötä
    6.3
    • Ola
    • 1983
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Personal details

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  • Height
    • 1.57 m
  • Born
    • August 26, 1960
    • St. Louis, Missouri, USA
  • Children
    • Iam Ray
  • Other works
    Music video: Appeared in Michael Jackson's video Michael Jackson: Thriller (1983) as Jackson's girlfriend.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Interview
    • 3 Articles
    • 15 Pictorials
    • 1 Magazine Cover Photo

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    Lived in Japan, where her stepfather was in the US Air Force, from 1975 to 1978 at the ages of 15 to 18.

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