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We knew her as Amber the Sea Gal, and now she's a rising Hollywood starlet.
In the four years since this column began, Amber Lancaster has generated more buzz than all of the beverage-cart girls combined.
Two years ago, she won over the Go 2 Guy by agreeing to sit on a sidewalk, attracting motorists to a car wash benefiting Howard Hanson, a bedridden Federal Way man.
The most popular Sea Gal in the history of the Seahawks' dance team, Lancaster left Seattle more than two years ago to pursue a modeling and acting career in Los Angeles. Now everyone, it seems, is pursuing her.
Reached on Tuesday night before meeting friends for dinner in Santa Monica, Lancaster said she was going to attend an X Games party Wednesday and is scheduled to return to Seattle on Friday to co-host a party at Venom, a downtown nightclub.
These are the engagements she keeps now, but Amber doesn't want it to sound like she's become a hobnobbing snob.
Since her reign as Miss Makita ended in December, Amber turned down a modeling job on Howie Mandel's "Deal or No Deal" to go on tour with Budweiser in Europe during the World Cup.
She is Miss Hot Import Nights 2006, a coveted title to be sure, appearing at 20 events around the country this year, including Qwest Field on Sept. 30. Log on to hotimportnights.com for a look at Amber now -- she's the one in the black teddy.
Amber is also on the cover of Import Tuner magazine, which she says is available at most grocery stores.
This fall you'll see her in a Miller Lite commercial, featured prominently as a ring-card girl.
It won't be her TV debut. Somehow I missed this, but she was Bo Bice's love interest in his hit video of "The Real Thing" on MTV earlier this year.
Asked if the 2005 "American Idol" runner-up hit on her, Amber said, "No, he's married and has a baby."
The silver screen is next, with Amber getting a small part in "Redline," which is said to be an auto-action thriller -- i.e. expect to see a lot of cars crashing, including a $440,000 Porsche Carerra GT.
Eddie Griffin, the hilarious star of "Undercover Brother," is one of "Redline's" stars. Amber is Angus Macfadyen's girlfriend in the movie. She said "Angus Macfadyen" as if I'd heard of him, and I hadn't.
I'll bet Ebert and the other guy give "Redline" two thumbs down, but I'll give 'em one finger up, just because Amber's in it. The movie will be released next month.
She also has been asked by Maxim to fly to Pittsburgh to interview NFL quarterbacks for a story in the magazine. She didn't ask for pointers -- Maxim will give her the questions to ask. Details are sketchy. She figures the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger will be one of the quarterbacks she interviews.
"Of all places," Amber said of Pittsburgh, still seething over last year's Super Bowl. "I'll spit on the field when I get there."
Amber's connected. Her manager works for "The Firm," which apparently is big-time in Hollywood, big enough anyway to get her an invitation to an after-Oscars party.
It was held at a Hollywood Hills mansion and lasted all night, Amber not getting to her Brentwood home until dawn.
Asked if any celebrities asked for her phone number, she said, "Actually, a couple."
Amber's got another gig, too, a back-to-school campaign for Wet Seal. Ultimately she hopes to parlay the modeling jobs into an acting career, a la Cameron Diaz.
When Amber gets her own Oscar, I know who she'll thank first.
"I don't know where I'd be without you," she said.
COUG LICENSE PLATE: Two weeks ago, reader Jack Witsoe said he wanted to auction off his personalized COUGDAD license plate to the highest bidder, with proceeds going toward a WSU scholarship of some sort.
I thought there would be fast-and-furious bidding, but it's been slow and whatever the opposite of furious is. In fact, only 2 1/2 bids came in. First offer: 47 cents. Second offer: $200 from a guy named Mitch, who withdrew his bid after his wife complained about it. Way to wear the pants in your family, Mitch.
So that leaves Ed Clark as the winner after the Redmond CPA bid $500, which would be a very nice offer until I learned of his intentions.
"I will pay $500 to keep that license plate off the road," said the '77 UW alum.
Clark is the same man who won the Go 2 Guy's only other auction two years ago, as high bidder for lunch with Bob Melvin, proceeds going to the Moyer Foundation.
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