Smooth: Is your real name Julie Ann Smith?
Traci Bingham: Hell no, it’s not, but I’ve heard that [rumor] before. There’s a lot of shit on the Internet that’s just not true. My name is Traci Bingham and it always has been.

Before your acting career you attended Harvard. What did you study there?

I took some classes in psychology at Harvard... My ambition was to be an actress and model, but I always did theater. I went to New York, then to Europe to do some fashion modeling. When I moved to California, a world of opportunities opened up to me. I was working every day, modeling swimsuits and lingerie for Fredrick’s of Hollywood, when Playboy approached me.

So you posed for Playboy before appearing in Baywatch? Was there any conflict with that?

One of the things they asked me when I booked Baywatch was if I had done any nude posing—Playboy or anything like that. I told them that I was actually about to, and they asked me to hold off on doing it, so I did. Of course I did it later, got my own celebrity pictorial and then we did a video.

How did you feel about posing nude?
I’m a very sexual and confident person, and somewhat of an exhibitionist. I’ve always found myself being the center of attention and being in front of a camera. At home I walk around naked all the time. I just feel most comfortable that way.

You seem like a wild girl. Do you like to party?
Sometimes. When I’m not working, I like to go out and have a good time with my friends. You know, I’d be the type to stand on the bar in a mini-skirt and thigh-highs after a few drinks.

Wow! You must’ve been a handful growing up. As the youngest of seven siblings, were your brothers protective of you when it came to guys?

I grew up hanging out with my brothers; I was such a tomboy. We were all involved in athletics and were very competitive. The Binghams were known in Cambridge [Mass.] to be the most competitive family around. My brothers teased me about [being a tomboy] a lot, but it was cool. I can hang with the guys. I can think like a guy, too.

Hmmm. Since I’m having rather graphic thoughts (sorry, hubby), do you like porn?

I can’t lie. When you watch it with a guy you see their reaction or their discomfort...or a quirky little smile on their face. My husband and I were in Barcelona, Spain and the only thing on the TV there was news and porn. European women love to take it in the ass. That’s all you see there is ass, ass, ass. We turned it off. It got boring.

Well, that’s where you differ from thinking like a man! So what scenes would you fast-forward to?

Just before the guy’s about to get off. Although, some of those guys make some damn unattractive facial expressions just before ejaculation. Women just don’t make those types of faces.
Continued in Issue #5