Mike Breen
6. ‘Loryn’ Went on to Work with Pee-wee Herman, Flirted with Pop Music Stardom and Voiced Tommy Pickles
Elizabeth Daily, who played Loryn, part of Julie’s friend group that didn’t approve of her relationship with Randy, went on to have a fascinating career in showbiz. After Valley Girl, in 1985, she played Pee-wee Herman’s love interest Dottie in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. That same year she signed a record deal with A&M Records. By then going by E.G. Daily, she worked with some of Madonna’s early collaborators on her first album, Wild Child, which resulted in some minor club/dance pop hits. In 1986 she performed as musical guest on Saturday Night Live. In the early ’90s, Daily began her illustrious career as a voice actor, famously providing the voice of Tommy Pickles on the popular cartoon Rugrats. In 2013, she returned to music once again, performing as a contestant on The Voice, where she competed as a member of Blake Shelton’s team.
7. Ex-Boyfriend Had a Key Role in ‘Breaking Bad’
Breaking Bad fans might recognize a familiar face in Valley Girl. Michael Bowen, who played Julie’s Valley Boy jerk of an ex-boyfriend Tommy (who later sleeps with Loryn), played “Uncle Jack” in the acclaimed series’ final two seasons. Along with appearances in a handful of Quentin Tarantino movies, Bowen also had a recurring role on ABC’s Lost.
8. Scenes Shot at Johnny Depp’s Viper Room
The interior shots for the club scenes — where Randy takes Julie to get a look at his world — were filmed at a West Hollywood venue called The Central, which would later be purchased by Johnny Depp and his 21 Jump Street co-star Sal Jenco. They renamed the club The Viper Room and it became a hotspot for young Hollywood celebrities. Infamously, actor River Phoenix overdosed and died while at the club on Halloween in 1993.
9. The Movie Made Its Budget Back… Plus $16 Million
Valley Girl was made on a shoestring budget. It was shot in just three weeks, with Coolidge forced to do minimal takes to keep the shoot moving. The filming budget was around $350,000, but music rights alone added $250,000. It all worked out in the end — Valley Girl would go on to rake in around $17 million. And music played a pivotal role in its success creatively.
10. “I Melt With You” Almost Didn’t Make the Cut
Valley Girl helped give British band Modern English an enduring ’80s classic with the movie’s use of their song “I Melt with You.” Essentially the movie’s theme song, “I Melt With You” soundtracks a montage of Randy and Julie as they fall in love; it also plays over the end credits. Coolidge later said she heard the song on the radio and thought it would be perfect for the movie, but she didn’t catch the band’s name so she had to call the radio station to track down who it was.
