Thirty years ago, this year, marks when people started saying the line, “Hey, Ms. Parker!” from the cult-classic film Friday, featuring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker. People loved to watch that scene and could recite that line over and over again.
Mrs. Parker, played by Hollywood veteran Kathleen Bradley, was the sultry siren neighbor to Ice Cube’s character, Craig. She was older and more mature, but still had a body that could rival any woman 20 years younger.
So where is she now? Well, she’s 74 years young and not surprisingly she looks just as beautiful! What’s her secret? Living life stress-free.
Kathleen started her entertainment career early at the age of 8, in her home town of Girard, Ohio, just two miles east of Youngstown. Shortly after graduating, Kathleen moved to Los Angeles where she began winning numerous beauty titles, including Miss Black California.
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She guest-starred and co-starred on such shows as Good Times, General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, Redd Foxx Show, Divorce Court, Amen, and A Different World.
Bradley was also a “Barker’s Beauty” on the daytime game show The Price Is Right from 1990 to 2000 under host at the time, Bob Barker. Bradley was the first permanent African-American model on the show.
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According to Kathleen, Bob Barker fired her after she and some of the other ‘Barker Beauties’ had to testify in a lawsuit filed by their fellow “Beauty,” Holly Hollstrom, after Hollstrom was also fired by Bob.
TheReelNetwork reported that Hollstrom was allegedly let go after ‘she refused to go along with his plot to tarnish the reputation of yet another model on the show [Diane Parkinson] who sued Barker for sexual harassment.’ It was assumed that Barker didn’t like the testimony that Kathleen and the other ladies gave. “It surprised us when we were let go. It was unjustified. I could have sued, but I didn’t want to,” Kathleen said.
The Bob Barker story and many others are included in Kathleen’s memoir/tell-all book titled, “Backstage at The Price is Right: Memoirs of a Barker Beauty.”
In the book, she explains, in further detail, how she and the other women on The Price Is Right had severe issues with bulimia, sexual harassment, how they were always in fear of losing their jobs and it also has inside stories about her interactions with other male celebrities during that time and tensions on the set.
Mrs. Parker’s Battle with Eating Disorders
Kathleen’s past battle with bulimia wasn’t good for her or the people around her. Bulimia is an eating disorder that is characterized by consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time, followed by an attempt to rid oneself of the calories consumed, usually by vomiting, laxative, diuretics, or excessive exercise.
Eating disorders are known to be more common in people whose occupations involve a significant focus on appearances, like athletes or celebrities.
A poll taken in 2008 showed that nearly 30% of actors in Hollywood had been treated for some type of bulimia at one point in their career.
Symptoms of Bulimia
People may experience:
- Pain types: can be burning in the chest
- Behavioral: binge eating, compulsive behavior, impulsivity, self-harm, vomiting after overeating, or lack of restraint
- Whole body: dehydration, fatigue, food aversion, hunger, or water-electrolyte imbalance
- Mood: anxiety, general discontent, guilt, or mood swings
- Mouth: bad breath, dental cavities, or dryness
- Menstrual: absence of menstruation or irregular menstruation
- Gastrointestinal: constipation or inflamed esophagus
- Weight: body weight changes or weight loss
- Also common: abnormality of taste, depression, poor self-esteem, or sore throat
But Kathleen didn’t let that stop her.
Currently, she is co-hosting two new Talk shows called “Once Upon a Lifetime People and Pioneers” a documentary web series. “For Women” is a deliberative conversation among four intelligent and concerned women reaching out on an international level to empower women from all walks of life.
She also continues to promote and sell her book in between acting features, films, voiceovers, and TV appearances. This busy 68-year-old grandmother is still turning heads with a positive attitude.
Go ‘head Ms. Parker!
