RICHMOND, Va. — The personification of the Virginia Lottery for more than two decades, Lady Luck, is retiring.
Addressing a group of retailers Friday, lottery Executive Director Paula I. Otto said the Lady Luck character, played by Melanie MacQueen, is hanging up her wand.
The new face of the lottery is Game Guy, actor Jason Kypros, the central character in the lottery's "We're Game" ad campaign.
The Lady Luck image of a disheveled, wry fairy princess has been associated with the lottery since 1990, when MacQueen first appeared in a commercial pushing a grocery cart along a road. She was delivering luck to Virginia for its first Lotto game — long before Virginia joined other states in the Powerball and Mega Millions games.
"It was never intended that she would be a continuing character," Otto said.
But the advertising agency that cast her for the commercial at the time liked the character. "They decided to use her in the next campaign, and the next — and on it went."
So long that the Virginia Historical Society and the Library of Virginia have plans to include memorabilia of the character in their collections, Otto told those attending the Retail Merchants Association's monthly meeting at the Westin Richmond hotel. She talked about the lottery's 25 years.
She said the lottery staff is working on a proper send-off for Lady Luck, probably this summer.
Though Lady Luck's commercials haven't been aired for some time, Otto said, she still has a Facebook page, so she hasn't disappeared completely for her many fans.
"I attribute Lady Luck's longevity in large part to Melanie MacQueen's talent as an actress," Otto said. "She gave the character a personality that went far beyond what the brilliant writers came up with."
Otto said MacQueen's appearance at a Los Angeles casting call in 1989 immediately influenced the way the character was to be portrayed. In MacQueen's hands, Lady Luck became immensely popular.
Otto recalled a shopping-center appearance in the early 1990s. Lady Luck was mobbed and stayed hours beyond the appointed time, signing autographs, talking to fans, waving her wand to bestow luck on a wide array of items.
"We finally had to have a police escort to get her out of there," Otto said.
Game Guy, Otto said, doesn't replace Lady Luck. Rather, he personifies a different message for the lottery.
The campaign, crafted by Richmond's Big River Advertising, emphasizes fun, observing that Virginians will make a game of anything.
Kypros has been touring the state as Game Guy since last summer. A Norfolk native, he lives in Virginia Beach and is a Virginia Tech graduate.
The Game Guy character even has his own Web site, at VAGameGuy.com.
He spent time in Los Angeles and trained there at the Groundlings School of improvisation. He has a string of movie, television and stage credits.
Back in Virginia, he worked with an improv group, Plan B, and has been a standup comic.
Answering a casting call that first went out in 2011, Kypros started the lottery job in mid-2012. Since he took on the role, he has taken part in a sand-castle competition, a mud run, a surfing extravaganza, a New Year's Day polar plunge and a whole range of other games.
The commercials are filmed live, reflecting the makeshift nature of many of the games.
Terry Taylor, Big River's executive creative director and the principal architect of the "We're Game" campaign, said Kypros is a perfect fit for the Game Guy character.
"He really appreciates the idea of Virginians making a game out of anything," Taylor said. "He loves to get out there and be part of it. He'll have fun just showing up in a neighborhood and being part of the games they play."
I'd rather see 'em use that money to catch crooked clerks and throw their asses in jail.
What the hell do they need a dancin' boy for?
Yea, all that $$ and they come up with a will ferrell chippendale.
I remember seeing lady luck on LCML
She seemed like a really nice woman on that episode.
oh my
Kinda sad, wish her the best
wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Sniff sniff..... She has a great FB site and will even compose birthday poems for people. She loved her fans. Dancing boy is a poor choice. Poor decision VA!!! DC or Maryland....do you need a lottery fairy???
maybe this is not the right time, this is quite sad :-(
Best wishes Lady Luck.
I have never known Lady Luck. I wish I did.
ditto!
if it is not broken do not fix it.