While many adult stars aspire to make the crossover to regular acting, their ambitions are rarely realized. Hollywood — and, more broadly, mainstream culture — tends to separate porn’s men and women, keeping them at arm’s length.
However, some performers are able to break through due to their passion, perseverance, and fan base. Some of them make it to the big screen. Others go in a different direction. But by the end, their names are known to a considerably larger audience than they began with. Here are 14 celebrities who have successfully transitioned from a ‘celebrity’ to a ‘citizen’ celebrity.
Mary Carey
Mary Carey is better known for her non-porn activities than for her role in adult films. While she has appeared in over 80 pornographic films, her race for governor of California in 2003 (albeit a PR stunt) garnered a lot of media attention (she finished 10th out of 135 candidates, receiving around 6,000 less votes than “Hustler” publisher Larry Flynt but more than double the number received by comedian Gallagher).
Nina Hartley
Nina Hartley is an adult film legend who, at the age of 52, is still actively producing films. That alone has made her well-known among non-porn fans. She went on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to freely discuss the industry, and she portrayed William H. Macy’s wife in the 1997 film “Boogie Nights.”
Jesse Jane
Jesse Jane is one of today’s most popular adult celebrities. While she has stated that she has no plans to quit the profession for Hollywood, she has made several mainstream appearances that have broadened her fan base. She appeared in Luke Wilson’s 2009 film “Middle Men,” and she now has her own tequila brand, Diosa.
Riley Steele
Riley Steele‘s first work in the adult film industry was for a Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired franchise entitled… uhh… Pirates. She appeared in the sequel too, Pirates 2: Stagnetti’s Revenge, which boasts an insane $8 million budget thanks to loads of CGI. It’s considered the most expensive adult film ever made.
Sasha Grey
While she only spent three years in the porn industry, she quickly became such a force that her fans followed her every move. And her journey from pornography to mainstream movies has been one of the most stunning. Her major break came in 2009 when she secured the role of a high-end call lady in Steven Soderbergh’s film “The Girlfriend Experience.” Sasha Grey rose to prominence the following year with a recurring part as herself in “Entourage,” and she most recently co-starred in the thriller “Open Windows” with Elijah Wood.
Sunny Leone
After a prolific porn career that spanned more than a decade, Sunny Leone landed roles in three Hollywood films, “The Girl Next Door,” “Pirate’s Blood” and “The Virginity Hit.” Sunny Leone then made a very rare and unexpected transition into a successful Bollywood actress and has starred in more than 10 films in the industry to date.
Sibel Kekilli
While HBO sometimes appears to be only a tiny step away from pornography, it turns out that one of the key characters in the enormously famous series “Game of Thrones” is a former adult film star. Sibel Kekilli, who plays Shae, is a German actress who performed in the porn industry under the stage name Dilara over a decade ago.
Katie Morgan
Katie Morgan entered the world of porn in order to pay her bail after being jailed for smuggling marijuana into the United States from Mexico. She continued to work in adult films until she obtained a mainstream part in the 208 film, “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” and she also starred as herself in an episode of “Entourage.”
Ginger Lynn
Ginger Lynn started making porn in the 1980s and worked till 2011. While she had a successful career in adult entertainment, Ginger also appeared in mainstream films such as “American Pie Presents Band Camp,” “The Devil’s Rejects,” and “Young Guns II.”
Jenna Jameson
It’s no surprise that Jenna Jameson is well-known, having progressed from pornstar to published novelist. Jenna, arguably the most renowned pornstar, has made her way into mainstream culture via mainstream films and reality TV series.
Traci Lords
Traci Lords sparked one of the most significant controversies in the adult film industry’s history. The actress lied about her age and appeared illegally in scores of films while she was underage, costing production firms millions of dollars to remove from theaters. Traci subsequently concentrated on launching a career as a mainstream actress, appearing in films and TV shows such as “Melrose Place,” “Rosanne,” and “Blade.”
Kristine DeBell
In 1976, Kristine DeBell made her cinematic debut as Alice in the porn parody “Alice in Wonderland: An X-Rated Musical Fantasy.” The actress was able to reinvent herself when she transitioned into major television and cinema roles. She is well known for her role in the 1979 Bill Murray comedy Meatballs.
Jesse Capelli
Jesse Capelli, who has around 70 credits to her name, worked in the porn industry for over a decade until retiring in 2010. With parts in “Not Another Teen Movie” and “Van Wilder,” the adult film star broke into mainstream film, and she also had a recurrent role on the wresting TV show “Battle Dome.”
Shu Qi
Shu Qi is a well-known Taiwanese actress who has had a successful film career. She is most recognized for her performance in “The Transporter,” in which she co-starred with Jason Statham. Shu Qi participated in the adult film industry before her movie star career took off (though only softcore).
