Artful Meanderings

PHOTOGRAPHER: STEPHANIE BAILLY
STYLIST: HANNAH BROOKS
Hair and Makeup: Mae Taylor
Photographer’s Assistant: Kelli Morris

Jane wears Gareth Pugh Hematite strip leather jacket from L.E.F.T.
Jane Badler is easily best known for her role as Diana in the 80s sci-fi series, V, where she played a villainous alien lizard posing on earth as a friendly, stunning-looking human. The specific scene she’s best remembered for is one in which she swallows a whole, live, hamster. Try un-etching that one from your mind after you’ve seen it once. Since being awarded the title of best ever sci-fi villain, in a poll of professional television critics, Jane has continued acting on television as well as in plays and cabaret shows, but it’s as the lead singer of the incredible and incredibly dramatic Melbourne band Sir that we first came to know her and found ourselves blown away by her grace, beauty and dedication to all things creative.

Jesse Shepherd is the key mastermind behind Sir and he agreed to interview Jane for us the day before we shot the photos you can see over the next five pages.

Vice: What were your New Year’s Resolutions?
Jane: Well, to be less scattered and not to allow too many distractions in my life. Also to be more disciplined in my song writing and to practice piano between 12 and 2PM everyday. My other one was to let go of my anxiety.

How many other years have you had that same resolution?
I’ll have you know this is the first year I’ve made these resolutions. My birthday’s on New Year’s Eve and I blew out my candles and made that wish like I could be as free as a bird and let go of all my fear and anxiety

That sounds empowering. What’ve been your other favourite New Year’s Resolutions?
Getting rid of bad men in my life. Bad, carcinogenic relationships. That was about ten years ago and I finally stuck to that one. I think so anyway.

So, we hear you were once a beauty queen. Can you tell us about your first beauty pageants?
The first was for Miss Teen America, I was sixteen and ended up runner-up in my city, more as a result of my academic abilities than anything else. Then I was a Snow Carnival Queen, where I rode in a float waving to people in the snow. That was more of a carnival style of pageant. Then I was in a few local pageants; Miss Manchester and then Miss New Hampshire and finally I competed in Miss America.

Oh really, and what was your special talent?
Well, it’s funny, but I played the flute in Miss Teen America and then in Miss America I sang “You’re Just Too Good To Be True” and “What The World Needs Now”. I did a medley.

Amazing. Were you envious of any of the other girls?
Actually, very envious of Miss Wisconsin, who won when she sang one of those big Streisand ballads. At the time it seemed like she had the most extraordinary voice and I was a bit jealous of her. But she was a bit Godly—we had to say prayers before everything and she would hold everyone’s hands—so she had a bit of an edge in that respect. I’m an atheist or agnostic or whatever.

And what was next? What did you do after the pageants?
I made the cover of a magazine called Teen Confessions, which was like a who-is-sleeping-with-who gossip rag, a few times. Basically I was on the cover twirling a finger in my mouth—that was the height of modelling career. Not a great modelling career, I’ll admit. But, I had a huge commercial career with hundreds of commercials; I worked with O J Simpson and Bob Hope, all with the intention of selling products as broad ranging as English leather and Playtex Bras. It wasn’t rocket science but I had a great time.

Then came television, right? You were involved for something like 15 years from the late 70s right through the 80s. The 70s is remembered as an indulgent decade, did you feel it was?
It was definitely a time of sexual freedom and because it was pre-aids, people weren’t as wary as they are now so orgies were pretty common. There was a crazy swingers club called Plato’s Retreat in New York, which was right near where I lived, and it was very popular; people were going there and having group sex. I never went, but I wish I had now. People were exploring. There was a lot of freedom.

Crazy times indeed. And the 80s?
The 80s were when I started working on V and it was definitely evident that people had a lot more money to spend. Our budgets were really large, all the sets for the show were unbelievable and we were working on the Warner Bros. lot with thousands of extras and everyone was getting paid a lot. The 80s were definitely more excessive in that respect.

Jane wears Arnsdorf dress, Caracus earrings from Alice Euphemia, model’s own shoes.

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What allowed you to remain focused and stable working in a field and at a time when a lot of actors and performers fell apart?
What were you wearing back in the day?
When did you start singing?
Right, you sing in my band SIR. How would you describe what you’re doing now?
What attracts you to a song?
How have your audiences changed over the years?
What are your plans for 2010?
Snow Carnival Queen So they’re remaking V right? Is it strange for you watching it?