Ms. Kitaen gained fame for her carefree spirit and sultry dancing in music videos for bands like Whitesnake and Ratt and her role in the movie “Bachelor Party.”
Tawny Kitaen, an actress who gained fame in the 1980s for her roles in rock music videos and who starred with Tom Hanks in the movie “Bachelor Party,” died on Friday at her home in Newport Beach, Calif. She was 59. Ms. Kitaen’s death was confirmed by a daughter, Wynter Finley, who said the cause was not known. Ms. Kitaen became a mainstay on MTV in the 1980s when the network was at its peak cultural influence with music videos playing all day. With her flowing red hair and acrobatic moves, Ms. Kitaen appeared in videos for bands like Whitesnake and Ratt, coming across as both sultry and playful. She famously danced on the hood of a white Jaguar in the Whitesnake music video “ Here I Go Again ” and graced the cover of Ratt’s 1984 album, “Out of the Cellar.” Julie Kitaen was born on Aug.5,1961, in San Diego. She studied ballet and gymnastics until she was 15.
