# Lala Sloatman
**Lala Sloatman** is an American actress and costume designer whose screen career, begun as a teenager in the late 1980s, includes supporting roles in *Tequila Sunrise* (1988), *Dream a Little Dream* (1989), *[The Adventures of Ford Fairlane](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-adventures-of-ford-fairlane)* (1990), *Joe Versus the Volcano* (1990), and *Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story* (1993)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080). She was born Lala Cassandra Sloatman in [Winter Park, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/winter-park-florida), and is a niece of the musician [Frank Zappa](https://www.edgepedia.org/frank-zappa), a family connection that shaped her early career[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name and birth | Lala Cassandra Sloatman, born 1970 in Winter Park, Florida, USA[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080) |
| Name origin | "Lala" is Hawaiian for Laura; she was named for her grandmother Laura, who was born in Hawaii and still lives there[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080) |
| Family | Niece of Frank Zappa; cousins are Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet, and Diva Zappa; one younger brother, John Sloatman IV, 12 years her junior[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080) |
| Early screen name | Credited simply as "Lala" in several 1980s and 1990s films, and went by "Lala Zappa" during her relationship with Corey Feldman[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080) • [2](https://www.avclub.com/corey-feldman-on-child-actors-his-favorite-roles-and-1798235206) |
| Notable roles | Sherry Schnell in *Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story* (1993) and Layla in Sofia Coppola's *Somewhere* (2010)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080) |
| Marriage | Married musician Chris Robinson on September 8, 1996; divorced February 12, 1998, with no children[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080) • [6](https://www.ajc.com/blog/music/chris-robinson-gets-candid-about-the-black-crowes-reunion-his-mended-relationship-with-brother-rich-and-the-early-atlanta-days/9RSzGskSZ8kYyL8k3MY9fI/) |
| Screen credits | 17 actress credits and 1 costume designer credit listed on IMDb[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080) |
## Family and early life
Sloatman's connection to the Zappa family runs through her father's side. In a podcast interview she described [Gail Zappa](https://www.edgepedia.org/gail-zappa), Frank Zappa's widow, as "the matriarch of my dad's family", and said that much of the family worked for her; she recalled Gail encouraging her to act and to come live with her[3](https://www.podscan.fm/podcasts/the-actors-room/episodes/ep164-lala-sloatman-interview-1). By that time her cousins were already in entertainment: [Dweezil Zappa](https://www.edgepedia.org/dweezil-zappa) had released records and was an MTV VJ in the early 1980s, and Moon Unit Zappa had been associated with "Valley Girl" before a film version was made in which she did not appear[3](https://www.podscan.fm/podcasts/the-actors-room/episodes/ep164-lala-sloatman-interview-1).
Her given name reflects the Hawaiian side of the family. Lala is the Hawaiian form of Laura, and she was named after her grandmother Laura, who was born in Hawaii[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080). IMDb lists Danish and Maltese among her self-verified ethnic identities, and an alternative professional name, Jo Lala[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080).
## Acting career
**1980s breakthrough.** Sloatman's early credits came quickly in the late 1980s. She appeared as "Sin Sister #2" in *Tequila Sunrise* (1988), starring [Mel Gibson](https://www.edgepedia.org/mel-gibson), Michelle Pfeiffer, and [Kurt Russell](https://www.edgepedia.org/kurt-russell), and as Shelley in *Dream a Little Dream* (1989)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080). According to her *Dream a Little Dream* co-star [Corey Feldman](https://www.edgepedia.org/corey-feldman), an American actor known for 1980s films including *The Goonies*, she was his girlfriend at the time and was cast in the film alongside him; Feldman recalled that she went by the name Lala Zappa and that her real first name was Laura[2](https://www.avclub.com/corey-feldman-on-child-actors-his-favorite-roles-and-1798235206).
**1990s work.** In 1990 she was credited as Sorority Girl in *The Adventures of Ford Fairlane* and as a waitress in *Joe Versus the Volcano*, the [Tom Hanks](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-hanks) and [Meg Ryan](https://www.edgepedia.org/meg-ryan) comedy, in both cases billed as "Lala"[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080). Her most substantial early role came as Sherry Schnell in *Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story* (1993), the Jason Scott Lee biopic of the martial artist[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080). She also did voice work on the animated series *The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat* (1995–1997) and appeared in *Cityscrapes: Los Angeles* (1996)[4](https://www.kinopoisk.ru/name/113705/).
**Later credits.** Her 2000s and 2010s work includes Taylor in *Manfast* (2003), a role in *Net Games* (2003), a part in *Pauly Shore Is Dead* (2003), and Layla in *Somewhere* (2010), [Stephen Dorff](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-dorff) and [Elle Fanning](https://www.edgepedia.org/elle-fanning)'s film about a Hollywood actor living at the [Chateau Marmont](https://www.edgepedia.org/chateau-marmont)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080) • [4](https://www.kinopoisk.ru/name/113705/). French and Russian film databases list her filmography under the same core titles, with AlloCiné recording 17 years of career and Kinopoisk 16 films[5](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne_gen_cpersonne%3D53283.html) • [4](https://www.kinopoisk.ru/name/113705/).
## Work beyond acting
Sloatman has also worked behind the camera as a costume designer, with one costume design credit listed on IMDb alongside her acting work[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080). Early in her career she appeared with her cousin Moon Unit Zappa and actress [Kyle Richards](https://www.edgepedia.org/kyle-richards) in a short film titled *Bunny Bunny Bunny*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080). She is a [SAG-AFTRA](https://www.edgepedia.org/sag-aftra) member, and her listed height is 6 feet (1.83 m)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080).
## References
1. [Lala Sloatman, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806080)
2. [Corey Feldman on child actors, his favorite roles, and the Goonies sequel, The A.V. Club](https://www.avclub.com/corey-feldman-on-child-actors-his-favorite-roles-and-1798235206)
3. [Ep164 – Lala Sloatman Interview, The Actors Room podcast](https://www.podscan.fm/podcasts/the-actors-room/episodes/ep164-lala-sloatman-interview-1)
4. [Лала Слоутмен (Lala Sloatman): фильмография, Кинопоиск](https://www.kinopoisk.ru/name/113705/)
5. [Lala Sloatman, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne_gen_cpersonne%3D53283.html)
6. [Chris Robinson gets candid about The Black Crowes’ reunion, his mended](https://www.ajc.com/blog/music/chris-robinson-gets-candid-about-the-black-crowes-reunion-his-mended-relationship-with-brother-rich-and-the-early-atlanta-days/9RSzGskSZ8kYyL8k3MY9fI/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Sc to Sl*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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