Legendary 1970s blaxploitation movie star Pam Grier is also a business force to be reckoned with.
Not only does she manage a movie career — she just finished shooting “Just Wright,” a romantic comedy starring Queen Latifah — but she runs a Franktown ranch, trains horses and contributes to a hay bank, which operates much like a food bank.
Grier was one of four local celebs to be honored with the Mile High Legends Awards during a dress-up affair Friday on the United Club Level of Invesco Field, sponsored by the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce. Also honored were Nuggets star Chauncey Billups, music-industry executive Big Jon Platt and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey.
More than 500 attendees gathered to fete these local notables. I had the chance to catch up with Grier, who was accompanied by her actor/artist brother Rod Grier and her marvelous mom, Gwen Samuels, during the VIP party inside an Invesco suite.
Besides making movies, Grier is poised to debut her memoir “Foxy: My Life in Three Acts,” published by Grand Central Publishing, out on bookshelves April 1. The title pays homage to “Foxy Brown,” the 1974 action movie that was a pivotal point in her career.
She’s also been on a world tour for the cable-television series “The L Word,” which is out on DVD.
“I was in the U.K. for a convention for the ‘L Word,’ ” she said, towering above the crowd in TDF (to-die-for) high, high heels. “I signed 1,000 autographs.”
“The L Word,” in which she played one of the few non-lesbian characters, is in syndication in 23 countries. While she was shooting the show in Canada, Grier, an East High grad, had four of her horses brought there so she could continue training them. Her newest passion is golf with her coach Dennis Murray at the Ridge in Castle Pines.
“I started with the short game,” she said. “I’m learning to putt first, then I’ll graduate to a wedge, then driver.”
Plummer’s price plunge.
If you want to live in the house where former Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer lived, you can buy it for an $800,000 price reduction.
The 1980s-era Cherry Hills mansion — 10,000 square feet on 2.81 acres at 6 Sunrise Drive in the Reserve subdivision — has just gone through a $1 million makeover to bring it up to 2009 upgrades.
Asking price was $4.6 million, but Re/Max Collection real estate agent Lisa Lopez just lowered it to $3.8 million.
“We are serious about selling,” Lopez said.
More info: Call Lopez at 303-667-8760.
Foodie find.
The newly opened 8100 Mountainside Bar & Grill in the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek is included in Esquire magazine’s “15 restaurants not to miss” list.
The November edition features the best new restaurants in America.
The seen.
Former New York Giants running back and current “Today” show correspondent Tiki Barber dining at Opus Restaurant in Littleton on Sunday night.
Eavesdropping.
A woman and a man at the Mile High Legends Awards VIP party:
“This is my gay husband.”
“She means her gusband.”
Penny Parker’s column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Listen to her on the Caplis and Silverman radio show between 4 and 5 p.m. Fridays on KHOW-630 AM. Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail pparker@denverpost.com.
