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Yahoo Music - News

Every wonder what happened to that girl who starred in video for Night Ranger’s 1984 hit power ballad “Sister Christian”? Marc Tyler Nobleman did. Not only that, the music video sleuth tracked her down and interviewed her on his Noblemania blog.

Turns out the girl-now-woman is named Macha Bennet-Shephard, but back when she starred in the dramatic video that made her a cult star, she was known as Annie Hubbard. Nobleman goes into great detail on his blog how he managed to track Bennet-Shephard down, but rather than focus on his “motoring” detective techniques, we’re going to take a look at the woman herself.

She was just 19 when she starred in the video shot at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, Calif. and was living in San Francisco at the time. Prior to the Night Ranger video, she hadn’t had a lot of onscreen experience, save for a PSA for car seat safety for babies.

She got the gig through one of her five agents at the time, who told her it was “for some sort of musical,” she recalled, “which made me most nervous as I thought it would possibly requires singing or dancing. Neither is in my skill set.”

Bennet-Shephard’s audition for the gig consisted only of an interview with a few questions in a hotel room. She wasn’t familiar with Night Ranger, but said that during the making of the clip “the band were, of course, all complete gentlemen,” she told Nobleman.

Despite the song’s iconic status, Bennet-Shephard doesn’t remember much from the shoot, other than nuns on roller skates. She went on to also star in the band’s follow-up clip for “When You Close Your Eyes,” but that failed to have the impact of “Sister Christian.” As Bennet-Shephard says, “Nobody seems to remember that one.”

For her trouble, she got paid $250 to appear in the “Sister Christian” clip and found herself becoming somewhat of a minor celebrity. “I used to get recognized. All. The. Time,” she told Nobleman. “People used to ask for my autograph, which I found funny as they had no idea what my name [was].”

Aside from the acclaim, the teen found her video fame helped her get through tough times. “I’d turn on MTV and see myself on TV at pretty much any given time,” she says. “That’s a very strange thing. Feeling blue? Turn on the TV and see yourself! Instant mood-lifter!”

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