Nola Roeper, a talented comedic actress, shone brightly during the 1970s, sharing the screen with legendary stars such as Dean Martin, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and John Belushi during the golden age of television. However, director James Burrows deemed her personality too big for the small screen, recommending a shift to Broadway instead. He cast her in the production of "Last of the Red Hot Lovers", which opened at Arlington Park in Chicago, located adjacent to a Thoroughbred racetrack. During her time in Chicago, Roeper met and eloped with a jockey, subsequently moving to Lexington, Kentucky, where they established a horse farm called Paris Hills and began a thoroughbred breeding operation.
Roeper's entrepreneurial spirit soon led her to become renowned for organizing extravagant Kentucky Derby parties, hosted by horse owners from around the world. One such party, held in a field, featured orchestras, wood nymphs serving gourmet cuisine, and nude Lady Godivas delivering cocktails on horseback. This innovative event has continued to thrive, attracting Hollywood celebrities and dignitaries from across the globe, and has evolved into a charity event for the American Cancer Council, one of their largest contributors.
Throughout the 1980s, Roeper enjoyed a successful career as a morning radio personality on WNEW, and her popularity led to her becoming the daily TV host of WPIX's "Best Talk in Town". In 2003, she co-founded furniture import-export company Roeper&Behm Productions with Christian Behm in a Los Angeles warehouse. The duo went on to develop a lavish party for Disney at the Biltmore estate, hosted by Morgan Freeman. The event featured a breathtaking arctic setting, complete with floating icebergs, 3-D monitors, and live penguins on loan from Sea World.
Roeper&Behm Productions established itself as a premier address for major celebrity events, and from 2004 to 2010, the company co-produced 21 highly successful feature films with Lionsgate Studio through Hollywood Action House, under the direction of Ulli Lommel.
