While these adult-movie stars’ X-rated films may not be coming to a theater near you, the stars themselves are becoming household names. Book deals, feature film roles and reality shows have put these salacious stars on the Hollywood map and poised them for ample tabloid fodder.
Jenna Jameson may be the “Queen of Porn,” but it wasn’t until she got a mainstream break in Howard Stern’s “Private Parts” that audiences could admit they knew who she was. Jameson scored a six-figure book deal and even appeared on the red carpet for L.A.’s Fashion Week.
Traci Lords made more than 100 films before the age of 18 making her a screen queen for adult-film audiences. However, that minor detail that Lords was not of age while filming the X-rated movies prompted authorities to order the films taken off shelves. Lords changed her ways and appeared randomly in mainstream movies and TV shows, including “Serial Mom,” “Blade,” “Melrose Place” and “MacGyver.” She also penned an autobiography of her adult-film experiences, “Underneath It All.”
Mary Carey may be known for her busty blonde adult-film looks, but now she hopes to get noticed for her political views. Carey, who has appeared in numerous adult films and on Playboy TV, ran in the 2003 California recall election for governor. She placed 10th (out of 135 candidates). As a declared Republican, she hopes that her film career will help propagate her political career, according to an interview on the Fox News Channel in 2006.
The notorious “King of Porn,” Ron Jeremy has starred in more than 1,700 movies and directed more than 250. His familiarity of the business landed him a gig as a technical adviser on “Boogie Nights,” while his well-known average looks have cameoed in numerous TV shows and films. In addition, Jeremy’s role on VH1’s “The Surreal Life” has brought him into the homes of viewers of all ages.
Stormy Daniels won the award for best new starlet from Adult Video News in 2004. However, her adult-film career success hasn’t deterred her mainstream ambitions. Daniels has not only appeared in men’s magazines GQ and FHM, but she has also written for FHM. In addition to small stints in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and the FX show “Dirt,” Daniels even scored herself an invite to the 2007 Grammys.
Ginger Lynn’s prolific adult-film career in the 1980s made her one of the biggest names in X-rated films. However, in 1986, Lynn stopped working in adult films to begin a mainstream career and began using her full name: Ginger Lynn Allen. Although she managed to land some mainstream parts on TV and on the big screen, her relationship with actor Charlie Sheen garnered more Hollywood attention. More recently, Lynn appeared in “American Pie: Band Camp” in 2005, and since last year hit satellite airwaves as the host of Playboy Radio’s Sirius Radio Show.
Turkish-German actress Sibel Kekilli left a porn past behind when she starred in the critically acclaimed German film “Head On.” Although Kekilli won awards for her gritty role, German tabloids seemed more interested in Kekilli’s numerous adult films under the stage name Dilara. However, Kekilli will continue on a mainstream path and is set to portray a young Jewish woman on the way to an Aushwitz concentration camp in an upcoming film.
Adam Glasser goes by the pseudonym Seymour Butts for his X-rated films. He directs, produces and occasionally stars in his “gonzo” genre films (faux, reality-based films). However, in 2003, a Showtime series stuck Glasser at the center of his own reality show, “Family Business.” The show featured his mother and cousin who helped him run the family business. A 2001 obscenity-based court case fueled his free speech activism, and he used his Showtime fame to help further free speech causes.
Belladonna has appeared in more than 250 adult films, appearing often as a dominant lesbian. However, her fame has skyrocketed recently, in part due to some TV fame in the last few years. In addition to appearing on Adam Glasser’s “Family Business,” Belladonna was also the focus of a Diane Sawyer piece on ABC in 2003.
