Film and television audiences of the late 80s and 90s will easily recognize the beautiful Charlotte Lewis from her appearance on screen. Although it isn’t entirely unusual for actors to fall out of the spotlight and lose fame, Lewis’ Grace to Grass story came as a surprise. The English actress captivated TV screens for more than a decade and then seemed to have disappeared.
Lewis is an English actress born in Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom, on August 7, 1967. One notable appearance in a 90s film was Perry Lang’s action film Men of War (1994). Lewis played the iconic character of Loki, starring alongside Dolph Lundgren. In her hay days, Lewis starred alongside several top actors. So, whatever happened to Charlotte Lewis?
Charlotte Lewis’ Acting Career
Charlotte Lewis made her acting debut in theatre in 1978. Lewis played the character of Samantha in the play Grange Hill. Lewis made her film debut with Pirates in 1986. Lewis is credited to have appeared in 20 movies since her career began in 1978. In 1986, Lewis was cast alongside Eddie Murphy in Michael Ritchie’s dark fantasy action comedy The Golden Child. Lewis played the character of Kee Nang in the highly successful movie. It grossed $149.4 million on a $12–24.5 million budget. Lewis’s other film appearances were as Anna Gilmour in Excessive Force (1993), Sarah in Embrace of the Vampire (1995), and Tai in Hey DJ (2003).
In television, Lewis appeared as a guest star in several TV shows and starred in two TV movies. Lewis’ television debut was in 1988 as a guest star in the NBC crime drama Crime Story. In 1995, she also guest-starred as Nina in “The Switch” episode of the award-winning TV show Seinfeld.
Controversy And Scandal
Besides her work as an accomplished actress, Charlotte Lewis was also a model. Lewis was on the cover of Playboy’s June 1993 magazine. Known for her beauty and sexy figure, Lewis was chosen among SHAPE magazine’s 9 Best Bodies for the 1990s. She was also recognized as The Naturally Gifted actress by Shape Magazine.
However, Lewis’ successful career as an actress and model faced one of Hollywood’s biggest scandals. Lewis’s world came crumbling after a press conference revelation she made at her attorney’s office on May 14, 2010. At the time, a 42-year-old Lewis accused film director Roman Polanski of pressuring her into a sexual relationship when she was 16. According to Lewis, all of these happened during the filming of the 1986 adventure comedy Pirates. Polanski was the movie’s director, with Lewis cast as María-Dolores de la Jenya de la Calde.
Although the revelation did not spur a movement as big as the #MeToo movement, Lewis’s accusation was major news. Her accusation came at a time director Polanski was enmeshed in several other sexual accusations. However, Polanski denied all accusations. Lewis’s accusations were discredited, citing an interview she granted to the UK’s News of the World. In the interview, Lewis openly stated she was in a relationship with several actors, including Polanski. Although Polanski was never indicted for Lewis’ accusations, Lewis’ career took a hit. Lewis didn’t appear in any television production afterward and has only starred in a single movie after the scandal.
What Has Charlotte Lewis Been Up To?
Not much has been heard about Charlotte Lewis since her last appearance in film. Lewis has been living in London since her break from acting. It’s not immediately clear why she hasn’t been offered roles in recent times.
During her active years as an actress, Lewis was involved with several career co-stars. At a time, Lewis was linked with Eddie Murphy, Charlie Sheen, Jim Carrey, and Jack Nicholson, amongst others. She had her first and only known child in 2004. Lewis last appeared in a film playing Angie Malone in William Wayne’s neo-noir psychological thriller Lost Angelas ( 2019). Since Charlotte Lewis has yet to retire as an actress officially, there are hopes she may, one day, make an appearance in film or television.
