Marilyn Joi, a captivating black actress, radiated an undeniable charm and charisma in a plethora of 1970s drive-in exploitation films, captivating audiences with her unwavering energy, effervescent personality, breathtaking beauty, and undeniable sex appeal.
Initially, Joi honed her performing skills as a popular nightclub dancer, eventually making her film debut as a nightclub dancer in the notable Fred Williamson-starring blaxploitation film, Hammer, in 1972. She subsequently appeared in a string of features for the legendary schlock director, Al Adamson, including Mean Mother, The Naughty Stewardesses, Blazing Stewardesses, Black Samurai, and Nurse Sherri, between 1973 and 1977.
Joi's most memorable roles include a hapless victim of obsessive doctor Richard Basehart in the eerie horror film, Mansion of the Doomed, in 1976. She also starred as Velvet, a ruthless henchwoman of Dyanne Thorne, in the provocative Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks, also in 1976. Additionally, she portrayed Cleopatra Schwartz in the side-splitting sketch comedy film, The Kentucky Fried Movie, in 1977, and a high school cheerleader who falls prey to brutish football players in The Great American Girl Robbery, in 1979. Furthermore, Joi took on the role of a winged bat girl alien in the delightfully absurd sci-fi spoof, Galaxina, in 1980.
Beyond her film work, Marilyn Joi made guest appearances on various TV series, including Hill Street Blues, Hunter, Good Times, Starsky and Hutch, and Charlie's Angels, between 1974 and 1984. She also acted under the pseudonyms Ineda King, T.A. King, Tracy Ann King, Tracy-Ann King, and Tracy King.
In recognition of her captivating screen presence, "Players" magazine dubbed Marilyn Joi "America's Favorite Black Poster Girl" in 1980 and included her in their list of "America's Ten Sexiest Black Women" two years later.
