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As I’ve mentioned before, my favorite ride at Disneyland is the Pirates of the Caribbean. I was delighted when I found Scarlett Harlott, a real life version of the famous Redhead from Disney’s pirate ride. I didn’t find her signing autographs at Disney’s theme park, instead I stumbled upon her while searching the internet. Many have met her at a pirate event, or Renaissance Faire, maybe they watched her ride by in the Grand Marshall carriage at the 2008 PyrateCon in New Orleans, or they’ve read her articles in Pirates Magazine. For anyone familiar with the classic ride at Disneyland, seeing her will bring out nostalgic memories.

Here is my interview with Scarlett Harlott:

HIH: When did you decide to become “The Redhead” being auctioned off on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland, and how did you get the idea?

Personally, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride is very dear to me. My dad used to take me to Disneyland as I was growing up as special “father-daughter time” and one of my earliest memories there was when my dad first took me on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride when I was about six years old. THAT was when I first fell in love with all things pirate! As we rounded the bend of the famous auction scene, “She” crept into view. It’s a vision I will never forget and it has stayed with me to this day. I gazed upon the splendor of the woman in all red, heard the beckoning pyrates bellowing, “We wants the red’ead!” and quickly informed my father, “I am going to be HER when I grow up!” (Which is amusing in itself as my father was a preacher at the time!) As a young impressionable girl, “The Redhead” personified and encompassed everything that I thought a woman should be. Her costume was especially inspiring and I remembered it more than ANYTHING on the ride or in all of Disneyland, for that matter! While my friends were dressing up in pink Disney Princess gowns and tiaras, I was trying to stuff pillows in top of my mom’s red dress, pathetically trying to “fill the dress out” to be “The Redhead”. God found it amusing I’m sure to give me more than my share later in life! I had been dreaming since that day, when I was six, to design “The Redhead” costume for myself but it finally came to fruition in 2006 when I debuted it for the Hollywood Pirate Ball at the Key Club and won FIRST PLACE! What was even more moving is that when I got up on stage to be judged the crowd of a couple hundred “pirates” started chanting, “WE WANTS THE REDHEAD!” over and over. It was a VERY special moment for me, indeed. I even got to meet and interview the woman in charge of costuming the entire ride back in 1967, Disney Legend Alice Davis! She was the wife of another Disney Legend, Marc Davis who created and drew all the characters for the POTC ride! That was quite an honor for me.  I showed up for the interview with Alice in my Redhead costume. She got quite a kick out of it!

HIH: Your MySpace page is loaded with impressive pics of pirate events, Renaissance Faires and lots of other reasons to get all decked out in a costume. How did your love of costuming come to be?

I have had a love for costuming and dressing up since I was born, I think. My mom tells me stories about me dressing up in her clothes, makeup, hats and wigs and putting on full-fledged singing and dancing shows for my family and friends since I was a toddler. My mom used to make elaborate costuming for me and enter me into contests every Halloween and I always seemed to win first place ribbons! So I guess this is all her fault! Performing and wearing elaborate costumes is something that feels very natural to me and I enjoy it immensely. I look for any excuse to get dressed up and have some fun with friends!

HIH: Were you always a pirate enthusiast?

Since that fateful day my dad took me on the POTC ride long ago, I have always searched for books, artwork, songs, etc. about pirates. Anything I could get my hands on. I became fascinated with all things piratical and still am to this day.

HIH: You have songs being made about you by Pirate themed bands, your own column in Pirate magazine and even fan artwork. It seems you have your own celebrity status, did this take a long time to build up or did you have a following early on?

To be honest, this so-called “celebrity status” has taken me quite by surprise! I started a MySpace page in 2005 at the urging of a friend and to also “watchdog” my daughter, then quickly realized this was an awesome way to network and keep up with friends and other people who were like-minded (and dorky like me!)  After I debuted my Redhead costume, I then changed my MySpace page theme to revolve around “The Redhead”, complete with the auction scene dialogue from the POTC ride playing in the background. My new page got A LOT of attention and I guess there were more fans of The Redhead and the Disneyland POTC ride than I had thought!

I just love life and enjoy living it to the fullest extent at all times. I like to express myself artistically through my costumes and characters and give 110% in everything I do and I think people respond to that. I treat people like I would like to be treated and I love meeting new people wherever I go! I have been blessed with wonderful, supportive friends and fans, I love them all very much.

HIH: You have an album on your Myspace page with pics from your home decorated with a pirate and Moulin Rouge theme. I noticed a lot of collector items such as Mark Davis artwork. Were you interested in Walt Disney and Mark Davis before you became the redhead?

Oh yes, I’ve ALWAYS been a Disney fan of all sorts. I actually started my collection of Marc Davis artwork before I evolved into “The Redhead”.  Since the POTC ride has always been my favorite, I’ve collected wonderful artwork and other collectibles since I was young. I even have an original pirate map from the Disneyland “Pieces of Eight” pirate store from 1967 that I found on eBay! I also have every “Redhead” item Disney ever released, including a 2½ foot tall statue of her (and the Auctioneer), figurines, dolls and all the collectors pins, too! Yup, I’m obsessed!

HIH: You obviously visit Disneyland often. Do you ever go in costume? If so how do the park guests react to you?

I wish I COULD go into Disneyland in my “Redhead” costume! Unfortunately, they won’t let you enter the park if you are wearing any kind of costume. I had a Disney cast member friend of mine (I won’t say WHO) tell me to pack my costume in a bag and put it on once inside the park, then stand by the exit of the POTC ride and enjoy being a “character” until I get kicked out! (SHHHH! I’m thinking seriously about this!) Actually, adults and children actually think I’m “Ariel” from “The Little Mermaid” when I go to Disneyland because of my long, bright red hair. I usually put my Ariel flower in my hair, carry around my “Flounder” fish character purse and wear my Ariel t-shirt when I go, too! HAHA!

HIH: I noticed many pics with more than a few Captain Jacks. Have you ever met the real Captain Jack Sparrow?

DON’T I WISH!!!!!! *le sigh* I do have several friends that got to work with Johnny Depp on the POTC movies, but not me. Not YET, anyway!

HIH: Besides the famous redhead on Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride, what other characters do you emulate?

She’s the character closest to my heart, but I also love to dress up in other eras and play a variety of characters besides “The Redhead”. I also play “Big Nose Kate” who was Doc Holliday’s girlfriend in the 1880′s during the Tombstone years and “Vallon the Voluptuous Viking Valkyrie from Valhalla”. I even got to ride a Percheron horse down Hollywood Blvd. wearing my Viking armour last month! What a hoot!

HIH: Is this just a fun hobby for you or more of a career at this point?

It’s a little of both at this point. I wish it was MORE of a career for me, but being a “professional pirate” doesn’t pay as steadily as the historical pirates got “paid”. I need a steady “day job” to pay for my costuming addiction! I am, however, available to hire for themed parties & events, just visit my website to email me: www.scarlettharlott.com

HIH: It is the summer of 2008 and there will be millions visiting the happiest place on earth. What are a couple of your most memorable Disneyland moments?

Well, besides the most obvious, here are some OLD SCHOOL (the younger generation may not remember these things) Disneyland memories from when I was just a wee one:

1. Eating warm churros and drinking hot chocolate while standing in line for the Haunted Mansion on winter mornings.

2. Playing on Tom Sawyer Island (before the pirates took it over) with my dad.
Riding the “People Mover” with my family in Tomorrowland!

3. Fighting over the very few “E-Tickets” in the ticket book with my older brother!

4. Thinking I was REALLY flying high over London on the Peter Pan ride.

5. Riding the ORIGINAL submarine (before “Nemo” came) ride with my folks and my mom always getting Claustrophobia!

6. Getting scared out of mind that the floating candelabra in the dark hallway on the Haunted Mansion ride was REAL (and most everything else on that ride, too, EEEP!)

7. Singing along with the Country Bear Jamboree show and wishing I could grow up to be “Teddi Barra”, the girl bear that came down from a hole in the ceiling on the swing, singing! “Big Al” and his deep, bellowing voice was a favorite of mine, too!

8. My dad buying me cotton candy, Mouse Ears and a HUGE rainbow lollypop!