James Lipton, of Inside the Actor’s Studio reveals his past life as a pimp in Paris.
On the show’s 200th episode, Lipton divulged a bit of his past during an interview with Dave Chappelle. Lipton, 86, elaborated on his past underground business to Parade Magazine .
“Paris was different then, still poor,” Lipton says of the French capital in the 1950’s. “Men couldn’t get jobs and, in the male chauvinist Paris of that time, the women couldn’t get work at all.”
Lipton became involved with prostitution through a friend who enabled him to set up business in “the underworld.” Lipton agreed to join “ le miliu ” to avoid returning to America after running out of money in Paris.
“I did a roaring business, and I was able to live for a year,” Lipton says. “The French mecs didn’t exploit women. They represented them, like agents. And they took a cut. That’s how I lived. I was going through my rites of passage, no question about it. It was a great year of my life.”
New York Daily News reports that while Lipton dabbled in prostitution years ago, he does not condone that as a lifestyle.
“I think if you can't earn it on your own, then you don't deserve it," Lipton said of sex, while explaining his present perspective of the taboo profession.
Lipton, who is currently married to Kedaki Turner, says that the reason his happy marriage has lasted 40 years is because his wife is “a masterpiece.”
Despite his success on Inside the Actor’s Studio throughout the show’s 19 year run, Lipton says his greatest achievement was “marrying Kedaki.”
“No question about it,” Lipton said.
Image: NBC