Ola Ray appears to be like unrecognizable 40 years after starring in Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video

Michael Jackson’s Thriller album turned 40 this weekend.

And one of many stars of its standout video has paid tribute to its landmark launch on Sunday.

Ola Ray, 61, starred within the iconic music video Thriller as Michael’s girlfriend, who runs out of the theater throughout a scary horror flick.

The King of Pop adopted her and guaranteed her it was only a film, earlier than launching into his legendary zombie dance routine.

Now Ola has dyed her formally darkish locks a light-weight platinum blonde, however nonetheless appears to be like as youthful as ever.

Taking to her Instagram to mark the milestone for the 1982 album, she wrote: “Good day World, Completely happy fortieth Anniversary of the Thriller Album.” Take a look at my e book for some nice tales about us within the Thriller video.’

The previous Playboy midfielder beforehand lifted the lid on what went on behind the scenes of certainly one of historical past’s most well-known music movies.

In an unique interview with DailyMailTV, in 2019, Ola revealed how she confirmed up on set stoned and shared a passionate kiss with the King of Pop.

She additionally claimed that the Unhealthy singer stripped bare when she wooed her in his dressing room after a protracted day on set.

“Michael and I turned intimate on Thriller, sure. I went to his trailer in the future and that is the place I had my second kiss with him.

‘I kissed him for the primary time on set, I kissed him on the cheek, then he requested me to return into his dressing room in the future and I went in there and we sat down and had a dialog and we obtained actually shut and that is when he kissed me the second time.

“It was a really passionate kiss and, you recognize, we did another issues too, however that is all I’ll say.”

She added: ‘I am simply going to inform you this a lot. He undressed in entrance of me, I am not going to inform you any extra about it – it’s important to learn my e book.’

It is the primary time Ola has revealed what actually went on behind the scenes of the cult traditional video, saying she’s been ready “a very long time” to inform the world.

She plans to disclose a full account of what occurred in her yet-to-be-published e book.

“I wished to avoid wasting a bit for my e book,” she informed DailyMailTV. “Being intimate with Michael made me really feel actually, actually good.

“I imply, I did not count on one thing like that to occur, however you recognize, due to the time we spent collectively on set, the 2 weeks we spent collectively, we turned very, very shut.”

However whereas Ola shares fond recollections of working with the celebrity singer through the intense video shoot, her story is stuffed with unhappiness.

The large success of the pop video catapulted the younger actress – who had beforehand appeared in a few movies and was additionally Playboy’s Miss June 1980 centerpiece – to international stardom in a single day.

However as a substitute of having fun with her fast success, fame despatched Ola’s life spiraling uncontrolled.

She tells how she was gripped by cocaine dependancy and crippling melancholy, tried suicide, turned her again on the leisure trade and, 35 years after Thriller, reveals she’s nonetheless combating Jackson’s property for tens of millions of {dollars} in unpaid royalties.

Ray was in her early 20s when she beat a whole bunch of different hopefuls to play Jackson’s girlfriend in Thriller, directed by John Landis.

The brief 14-minute movie helped Jackson’s Thriller album prime the US charts for 37 weeks, promoting 120 million copies and making it the best-selling file of all time.

‘Oh my god, I used to be so excited to get the half. I jumped on the mattress and I used to be like leaping up and down and screaming, Ray recollects with a smile.

She says she was stuffed with nerves earlier than arriving on set and assembly Jackson for the primary time.

And fortunately for her, Jackson was very understanding of the situation she was in.

“That evening once we first met, he walked as much as me and he launched himself after which he gave me a hug… and he smelled marijuana,” she recollects, her eyes widening.

Ray did not smoke a lot on the time, however a buddy who was at her condominium providing help had prompt she take a puff from a marijuana joint to calm her nerves.

“So I did it, I took a flare, and oh my god, I used to be so stoned and Michael smelled it on me,” recollects a distraught Ray.

‘He stated ‘do you smoke weed?” and I stated ‘no’, ‘and he stated ‘sure you do, I can odor it”.

“I stated, ‘Michael, I am so sorry. I actually do not smoke.”

“I informed him I used to be so nervous about coming to see him and a buddy had given me a flare to calm down, he began laughing at me after which he stated, ‘Ah, you will be effective.’ calm me down.’

Ray claims she had “nice chemistry” with Jackson and so they hit it off instantly.

They spent day and evening collectively through the grueling two-week shoot and he or she says Jackson all the time tried to make her giggle.

However she says kissing the celebrity singer in her trailer modified issues between them on set.

Jackson obtained awkward and informed her that they could not proceed their fling due to a promise he made to a buddy – in different phrases, a buddy of Jackson’s had eyes for Ray.

“There was an impediment in the way in which, we could not take it so far as we wished it to go.

“After I discovered who this particular person was, I used to be very upset about it,” she recollects.

“I noticed Michael just a few months after Thriller. He was at Westlake (Recording) Studios on the time with Quincy (Jones), producing the Unhealthy album.

‘I noticed who this particular person was and spoke to Michael about it, he stated, “please sit down and have lunch with me Ola”.

“And I used to be like, ‘No, I am not going to take a seat down and have lunch with you, I’ve obtained to go,’ however I stated, ‘This is my quantity, name me and we’ll speak about it later.'”

“That was the final time I noticed Michael. So yeah, I sort of kicked myself lots after that.’

Ola described Jackson as a “candy”, “articulate” and intensely good man and he or she nonetheless cherishes her brush with the celebrity.

“He had a mild soul. He was very, very loving. Very humorous. When Michael would stroll into the room, he would have an aura round him. I imply, it was nearly bigger than life,” she stated.

Ray claims that after Thriller was broadcast to the world on December 3, 1983, issues went “loopy” for her.

She needed to transfer out of her Los Angeles condominium due to the eye from loopy followers.

‘Oh my God. “I had individuals I did not know developing and knocking on the door, attempting to get an autograph, attempting to get me to open the door, attempting to see me,” she recollects.

“And so it obtained actually, actually loopy for me. I ended up having to maneuver after which it obtained even worse.

Extremely, aside from an preliminary fee of $2,500 for her function within the music video, Ray says she was not paid a penny extra for at the least two years, regardless of signing a profitable contract.