Ola Ray looks unrecognisable 40 years after starring in Michael Jackson's ... trends now
Michael Jackson's Thriller album turned 40 over the weekend.
And one of the stars of its seminal video has paid tribute to its landmark release on Sunday.
Ola Ray, 61, starred in the iconic Thriller music video as Michael's girlfriend, who runs out of the theatre during a creepy horror film.
Tribute: One of the stars of the Thriller music video has paid tribute to its landmark release on Sunday
The King of Pop followed her and reassured her it was just a film, before launching into his legendary zombie dance routine.
Now, Ola has dyed her formally dark tresses a bright platinum blonde, but still looks as youthful as ever.
She took to her Instagram to mark the milestone anniversary of the 1982 album, writing: 'Hello World, Happy 40th Anniversary of the Thriller Album. Check out my book for some amazing stories of us in the Thriller Video.'
Star: Ola Ray, 61, starred in the iconic Thriller music video as Michael's girlfriend, who runs out of the theatre during a creepy horror film
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The former Playboy centerfold previously lifted the lid on what went on behind the scenes of one of the most famous music videos in history.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV, in 2019, Ola told how she turned up on set stoned and shared a passionate kiss with the King of Pop.
She also claimed the Bad singer stripped naked while wooing her in his dressing room after a long day on set.
'Michael and I did get intimate on Thriller, yes. I went to his trailer one day and that's where I had my second kiss with him.
'I kissed him for the first time on the set, I kissed him on the cheek, then he asked me to come into his dressing room one day and I went in there and we sat down and had a conversation and we got really close and that's when he kissed me the second time.
'It was a very passionate kiss and, you know, we also did a little something else, but that's all I'm gonna say.'
Looking good: Now, Ola has dyed her formally dark tresses a bright platinum blonde, but still looks as youthful as ever
She added: 'I'll just tell you this much. He undressed in front of me, I'm not going to tell you anymore about it - you've got to read my book.'
It's the first time Ola has revealed what really happened behind the scenes on the cult classic video, saying she's been waiting a 'long time' to tell the world.
She plans to reveal a full account of what happened in her as yet unpublished book.
'I wanted to save a little bit for my book,' she told DailyMailTV. 'Getting intimate with Michael made me feel really, really good.
'I mean, I did not expect for something like that to happen, but you know, because of the time that we spent together on set, the two weeks we spent together, we just became very, very close.'
But while Ola shares fond memories of working with the superstar singer during the intensive video shoot, her story is tinged with sadness.
The huge success of the pop video propelled the young actress - who had previously appeared in a couple of movies as well as being Playboy's Miss June 1980 centerfold - into overnight global stardom.
But rather than being able to enjoy her rapid success, the fame sent Ola's life spiraling out of control.
She tells how she became gripped by cocaine addiction and crippling depression, attempted to take her own life, turned her back on the entertainment industry and 35 years on from Thriller she reveals she is still battling the Jackson estate for millions of dollars in unpaid royalties.
Missed out: Amazingly, other than a $2,500 initial payment for her role in the music video, Ola says she didn't receive a penny more for at least two years, despite signing a lucrative contract
Ray was in her early 20s when she beat hundreds of other hopefuls to play Jackson's girlfriend in Thriller, directed by John Landis.
The 14-minute short went on to help Jackson's Thriller album top the
