Arcadia Lake, born Michelle M. Carpenter on September 3, 1957, in Brooklyn, New York, was a captivating American pornographic actress of the golden age, active from 1978 to 1984. Of half-Japanese heritage—her mother Tamiya had an affair with a wealthy white man—she entered the industry via loops suggested by her unemployed musician boyfriend.
Meeting Eric Edwards in 1977, he helped her overcome heroin addiction through detox. They shared chemistry in films like Debbie Does Dallas (1978, as innocent Tammy), Pussycat Ranch, Summertime Blue, Honey Throat, and The Prey (1984). Standing 5'3" with 32-22-32 measurements, black hair, and brown eyes, she was praised for exotic beauty, intelligence, humor, and oral prowess, starring in over 40 titles.
After relocating to California in 1982 for a fresh start as an aerobics instructor, she relapsed into drugs, left Edwards, and vanished. She died of a drug overdose on September 13, 1991, at age 34, her life shrouded in mystery.