This Marina Anderson is not the same person as the erotic book genre author.
This Marina Anderson is a dual citizen (American-Canadian), multi-hyphenate. A noted actress, voice-over artist, writer-journalist (including children's books), TV host, producer, designer makeup artist, acting teacher and coach, personal manager and career consultant. For over 35 years, Marina has made a successful life for herself venturing in practically every facet of the entertainment industry in front of and behind the camera.
Marina Anderson is an established actress, published author ("David Carradine: The Eye Of My Tornado"), publicist, personal manager (The Media Hound PR) and freelance writer specializing in entertainment. She was wife and personal manager to David Carradine, and responsible for resurrecting his career, which culminated in the Tarantino film, Kill Bill. Her diverse roles include starring and supporting roles in television shows, features films, webisodes and national commercials such as "The Mentalist," "Dexter," "Law & Order LA," "Seinfeld" and more. Learn more at www.MarinaAnderson.net or www.IMDB.com. Marina's passion is helping animals and she is an advocate for domestic and wildlife protection. Look for her next book (for children), "The Adventures of Lulu the Collie," which stars her beloved dog, Lulu, daughter of Lassie VIII.
She was singly responsible via her efforts as personal manager and publicist, for resurrecting the career of actor David Carradine (her now, ex-husband), which culminated with his being cast in Quentin Tarrantino's film KILL BILL. It was Marina who befriended and introduced Tarrantino to Carradine, which ultimately led to his being cast in the film. During their six years together, her life and career with Carradine has been highly publicized worldwide. It was publicly acknowledged that Marina was the sole motivating factor of his sobriety after many years of alcohol abuse (E! True Hollywood Stories and E! Hollywood Wives Tales). Marina combined her skills to rebuild his career as well as pursuing her own.
During this time and throughout her career, Marina has been cast in unique and diverse starring, recurring, supporting roles in many independent feature films. Her talents as a skilled, versatile character actress were showcased in many comedic and dramatic films and television shows where she displayed chameleon like qualities in roles from murderers to moms, attorneys to bimbos. She has achieved notoriety and recognition in her own right within the indie movie circuit as well as prime-time mainstream distribution. Her talents have lent themselves to hosting, reporting and other journalistic ventures as well.
Other credits: Licensed To Wed, Wild Hogs, Rendition Sex & Mrs. `X' (for Lifetime opposite Linda Hamilton), Macon County Jail (Ally Sheedy and David Carradine), Kiss Of A Stranger (opposite Mariel Hemmingway), My Little Hollywood (Sylvester and Frank Stallone, Dennis Hopper), Naked Movie (Christian Slater, Tori Spelling), Shepherd and Natural Selection (supporting with David Carradine, Michael Bowen, Bob Balaban), The Donor (starring Marina), American Reel, Puzzle In The Air, Zoo, Dangerous Curves (Marina co-lead).
Previous credits include starring and supporting roles in many television shows, feature films, commercials and voice-overs include three films directed by Walter Hill (Brewster's Millions, Johnny Handsome, Crossroads) and 32 SHORT FILMS ABOUT GLENN GOULD (which won Canada's equivalent to the Oscars, directed by The Red Violin award winning French-Canadian Francois Gerard), Dynasty, Cagney & Lacey, Seinfeld, Amazing Stories, Forever Knight and more.
Marina began her acting and modeling career at age 13, appearing in various commercials and television shows. An Art major at Ulysses S. Grant High School, she later attended Los Angeles Valley College where she became their first female DJ (KLAV). After attaining her Associate Arts degree in Theatre/Cinema, Coco received the ASO scholarship, which allowed her to pursue Journalism and Broadcasting at California State University Northridge and UCLA. As an artist, she sold her Grandma Moses style primitive paintings (as Nina Penn) to various galleries in Southern California and also ran her own basket decorating company (The Basket Lady), selling high-end, one-of-a-kind creations she crafted herself, to famous Hollywood clientele.
Entertainment runs in Marina's family. Her mother (MARIANA DOTTORE, the Sicilian side) was a contract singer for Warner Bros. in the 40's, also Pasadena Civic Light Opera as well as appearing in various noted nightclubs. She is related to famed CARDINAL d'ESTE (Villa d'Este in Italy) and LUCREZIA BORGIA. Coco's father (JOSEPH BENJAMIN, Lithuanian descent) was a professional musician, inventor, aerospace engineer and Imagineer for EPCOT/DISNEY. Her father's uncle was film and TV producer, HARRY JOE BROWN (Randolph Scott westerns, classic films such as CPT. BLOOD starring Errol Flynn). Via Brown, Marina is related to acclaimed actor PETER O'TOOLE and Academy Award winning lyricist, RAY EVANS (Mona Lisa, Que Sera Sera, Silver Bells, Mr. Ed and Bonanza themes). Marina has one older brother, Daniel who is also a professional musician as well as a computer programmer and analyst. He is happily married to Maggie Lew (Benjamin), a real estate investor born in Hong Kong).
In 1990, Marina returned to acting and moved to Toronto, Canada, where she received her dual citizenship , wrote and developed comedy projects as well as guest starred in many Canadian-American TV and film projects (as Marina Anderson). It was there in Toronto, where Marina had recurring guest star roles on the show KUNG FU, THE LEGEND CONTINUES, where she met Carradine (1992). They did not start their relationship until 1995.
On February 20, 1998, Marina and David were married in a highly publicized ceremony on Laramie Street of the Warner Bros. Studio's Western street back lot where they first met in the 70s. David was filming the original series Kung Fu and Marina was taking acting classes located on the lot. Marina divorced David December 12, 2001 and changed her name to Coco d'Este for a time.
Marina enjoys working on the other side of the camera and for over 15 years "at practically every studio in town in just about every capacity from production assistant to Executive Assistant of company's CEO's to producing". In the 70s, Marina co-owned American Biograph Production Company, where she held the position VP of Production and was the youngest producer at that time to join the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The company produced commercials and live-action promotions for record companies such as Motown and Warner Bros.
Freelancing in other areas, Marina has held the positions of: Script Analyst for ShowTime/Viacom, makeup artist (specializing in glamour makeovers, personal makeup artist to Yoko Ono), Director of Publicity for various companies, freelance journalist and screenwriter. to owning her own basket decorating company (The Basket Lady) which sold hand-painted and porcelain one-of-a-kind creations across the country and Canada. She has worked as Director of Publicity for various companies and publications and as a modeling and acting teacher (John Casablancas/Elite, John Robert Powers, Sutherland Models (Canada), Film Actors Lab).
Originally trained in theatre, Marina has performed leads in over twenty productions and touring companies including Taming Of The Shrew, Twelfth Night, Butterflies Are Free, My Fair Lady and Company. Marina has also hosted her own roving reporter on-the-town interview show for WCCO radio Minneapolis.
Dividing her time between Toronto, Canada and Los Angeles, Marina is currently writing her autobiography, a spiritual journey that takes us to, through and beyond her publicized marriage and divorce to Carradine. To add to her schedule, Marina has her own jewelry line -- The Flying Goddess™ which has been covered in the media and is in the possession of celebrities such as: Shirley MacLaine, Fran Drescher, Dr. Maya Angelou, Jillie Mack (Mrs. Tom Selleck) and Jan (Mrs. Mickey) Rooney.
Marina is also developing film projects, paints, sculpts and has an active acting career. She enjoys playing guitar, singing, dancing, horseback riding, jet skiing, golf and bowling! Previous owner of Lulu The Collie (who was Lassie IX's sister and a Ralph Lauren Model) and three cats, Marina actively supports animal and children's rights groups (American Oceans, World Wildlife Foundation, PETA. MADD, ASPCA, Children Uniting Nations, LA Family Housing, to name a few).