Inducted in 1993
She was born Lisa Trego on July 3, 1958 in Moline, Ill. and was the typical mid western farm girl and very much a tomboy growing up. Growing up she was very athletic and always played on boys teams taking part in a number of sports. She had her first sexual experience with a boyfriend and his friend when she was in her teens. She had a boyfriend who managed a theater that showed X-rated films. Lisa was overweight, but ready to leave farm life behind. So in 1978 she and the boyfriend made their way to Los Angeles
Once there she devoted herself to losing 40 pounds. With that mission accomplished Lisa began making some good money modeling for several men’s magazines. With her big natural breasts, freckles, natural flowing red hair, the weight loss and striking look she was quite a hot picture. It was then the suggestion came about she could do well in porn films. She was told to think about it but while Lisa had a high sex drive she wasn’t sure she could do it. She had her dreams set on becoming a legit actress. However, with a promise of very good money and steady work she changed her mind. She also changed her name to Lisa De Leeuw and first did a few loops for Swedish Erotica. Though inexperienced when she began, she was a fast learner and would go on to become a very steamy and accomplished sexual performer.
Lisa made her debut in the 1979 film, “800 Fantasy Lane” when she was offered the starring role by director Svetlana, who could be a tyrant on the set. For newbie Lisa it was intimidating, but she worked through it and quickly established herself in porn. She became an instant favorite with fans and co stars because of her never ending appetite for sex which came across in every performance. She had a sexual intensity and realism that shined. She also had a natural flair for acting making her roles even better and her characters very real. With her brassy, outgoing personality, her sexual talents and seductive manner some thought of her as the Mae West of porn.
During her time in adult films she appeared in over 200 that include her award winning performance in the 1981 porn classic “Amanda by Night”. Some of her other great films include “Ultra Flesh “ with Seka, “Pro Ball Cheerleaders”, “Garage Girls”, “I Like To Watch”, “Aunt Peg Goes to Hollywood”, “Coed Fever” and “Dixie Ray Hollywood Star” (a favorite of mine) which would bring Lisa a Best Supporting Actress award, an award she would win four times in her career. Though at times she could act like a diva on the set, by and large she was very well liked by everyone who worked with her. They all agree when it came to sex Lisa never once faked it in a film. What you saw was the real deal all the time and made her scenes even hotter!
Like many back in the 80’s porn scene, Lisa got involved with drugs which actually began to take hold when she was losing the weight. Film director Svetlana had put Lisa on a strict diet of pills and over time that would lead to other drugs and what would turn out to be her eventual downfall. She was also one of the first female performers to sign an exclusive contract with one film company, Vivid. She also appeared in a number of photo spreads in the top men’s magazines. In just about every film and photo you can see Lisa wearing a lion’s head pendant. It was her good luck charm and she was rarely without it.
Then in 1987 Lisa made the decision to leave adult films. She wanted to concentrate on a lucrative personal appearance schedule as a feature dancer at top clubs around the country. For a couple of years she was a major draw, making good money and seemed to have everything under control in her life. Eventually she would leave the business altogether and go about leading a normal life. Some had said the reason Ms. De Leeuw left the industry while she still was extremely popular was the AIDS scare that had many very worried and concerned.
In 1993 it had been reported that due to complications from AIDS Lisa De Leeuw had died. However, in 2000 the story was discovered not to be true and that Lisa was in fact, alive, healthy and living a life far removed from the adult industry. As a tribute to her contributions to the adult film industry, the sexy redhead turned 63 this past July and is a deserving member of both the AVN and XRCO Halls of Fame. There is also a fan website www.lisadeleeuw.com you can go to that will bring back a lot of great memories.
She will always standout among her peers and fans because of that red hair, her total presence and her voracious sex appetite. Many of the great films of Ms. De Leeuw are now available on DVD. If you have only heard about, but have never seen, this steamy redhead in a film you are missing quite a visual and sexual treat. The adult industry was very fortunate to have Lisa De Leeuw during its golden age and to leave behind some unforgettable memories everyone can still enjoy.
Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN