Perrine As In Queen

Unlike most movie sex queens of the past, Valerie Perrine has received more critical acclaim for her acting than for her anatomy. As Montana Wildhack, Billy Pilgrim's bare-chested celestial companion in Slaughterhouse-Five, Perrine got critical raves, even though her performance was more visual than verbal. As Jeff Bridges' sexy drag-strip groupie in The Last American Hero, she was again singled out for her acting. And for her latest role as Lenny Bruce's ex-stripper wife, Honey Harlow, in Lenny, she won a New York Film Critics Award. Still, the media have thrust upon her the title of sex symbol. And yet, Valerie, who never took an acting lesson, finds it hard to believe her rapid ascent. "Look at me," she says in disbelief. "Do I look like a sex symbol?" Next question.