Jill Kelly is best known for her work in adult entertainment despite appearing in various mainstream films and starting her own production company. In fact, she was invited into the AVN Hall of Fame, which is only open to adult film stars with "a minimum of 10 years in the industry." Aside from acting in, producing, and directing pornography films, Jill Kelly has appeared in over 50 mainstream B movies, including Big Sister 2000, He Got Game, and The Legend of the Roller Blase Seven.
But it's no secret that pornography was her primary claim to fame. Kelly got her start in the industry as a stripper at the Babydolls theater. She was so desperate to enter the industry that she gave the club false identification to allow her to work there because she was only a teenager at the time. Later, she participated in live pornography shows in San Francisco, which led to landing roles in adult films. What is Kelly up to now?
Unlike other adult film stars who eventually retired from making adult films after 10 years, Jill Kelly isn't stopping anytime soon. As one of the industry's top stars, Kelly managed to jumpstart her own production company appropriately titled Jill Kelly Productions (JKP). Despite filing for bankruptcy in 2005, Penthouse paid millions to acquire its assets and essentially save her from ruining her reputation.
Despite other ventures, Kelly's not giving up on her adult film career despite bumps in the road. As for personal relationships, she married three times, divorced twice, and lost one husband to suicide. Fun fact: Kelly identifies openly as bisexual and had an exclusive relationship with fellow actress P.J. Sparxx. Kellly revealed in the documentary Sex Under Hot Lights that Sparxx had "supported her" after her husband Cal Jammer's death in 1995. Kelly remains unmarried.
Amber Rayne AKA Meghan Wren began her acting career as a child actress, not an adult entertainment star. Rayne was born in Detroit, Michigan, where she worked as an extra in mainstream movies and films. But once she hit her 21st birthday in 2005, Rayne entered the porn industry. Ten years later, she announced her retirement from an adult film.
This retirement wasn't permanent, however. Later in 2015, Rayne performed in her last adult film Wanted because of promises she made to Stormy Daniels six years earlier. As for other jobs she had within the industry, Razyne worked as an editor, director, producer, fluffer, and BDSM lifestyle influencer.
Even when Rayne officially retired from pornography, she continued to promote her BDSM lifestyle on personal social media accounts. Plus, in her retirement, she worked as a driving instructor, owned many animals (rabbits and a mule named Zephyr), and even battled various medical conditions, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma and uterine cancer.
Tragically, Rayne passed away from an accidental drug overdose in 2016. She collapsed in her Los Angeles home on April 2 and her official cause of death was announced in late June. The Medical Examiner-Coroner of Los Angeles County deduced that Rayne passed away from a lethal mix of cocaine and alcohol. Even so, Amber Rayne continues to live on in our memories as a successful actress, animal lover, and instructor.
Out of the biggest stars on the early 2000s online platforms, Sasha Grey is at the top. Her first film, Fashionistas Safado: The Challenge, was released in 2006 and instantly set the tone for the rest of her X-rated career after asking her costar to punch her "in the stomach." Well, that's an interesting way to get your name out there. Plus, she rode the new technological wave that created an entirely new and convenient way to experience adult content.
Grey is so iconic, in fact, that she won an award for Female Performer of the Year in 2008, emphasizing how influential she was during her five years of performing in the adult industry. She filmed her last porn movie in 2009 at just 21 years old and officially retired in April 2011. Despite her retirement, however, Grey's name continues to be a chart-topper around the world for her past performances. The Economist reported that the industry's revenue skyrocketed to around $40-$50 million during the 2000s!
Grey was able to translate her X-rated success into a mainstream career in both Hollywood films, modeling, and the music industry. For film her credits include both television (Entourage) and movies like The Girlfriend Experience and I Melt WIth You, which was featured at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. As a model, Grey posed for magazines like Penthouse, Rolling Stone, and Playboy as well as for brands, including American Apparel.
Most recently, Grey began hosting her own show on VENN titled the Grey Area and even dabbled in the world of online streaming on Twitch during 2020. Grey Area is described on IMDb as a "talk show that answers all of life and love's burning questions. Sasha Grey and Jon "Dumbfoundead" Park get raw with celebrity guests and experts on anything and everything."
In terms of porn stars, not many names are as recognizable as Ron Jeremy. And it’s this fame that has allowed him to break into the world of mainstream movies. Granted, he’s playing a fictionalized version of himself most of the time, but you can still catch him in films like Ghostbusters and Boondock Saints.
From video spoofs to web series and documentary films, Jeremy has done it all! He's even starred in music videos and dabbled in stand-up comedy. Up until 2020, Jeremy actively worked as a mainstream actor in both film and television, but some looming scandals ground his career to a sudden halt.
Unfortunately, Jeremy is infamous for much more than his pornographic films. In September 2021, USA Today reported that 21 women testified against Jeremy for "using his fame" to "lure" and "rape" his accusers. Jeremy was originally arrested back in January 2020 and eerily echoes the ongoing Harvey Weinstein scandals that began a few years prior.
Jeremy's court case is currently in progress, and the ex-star doesn't seem to be doing so well. According to Rolling Stone back in March 2022, Jeremy appeared "incoherent" at the courthouse. Writer Nancy Dillon reported, "The jailed porn star will undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine 'competency' after he allegedly failed to recognize his lawyer ahead of a court hearing Thursday."
Stormy Daniels is a notorious name both in pornography and mainstream media. Why? She might have risen to fame through pornography, but she achieved mainstream stardom during the infamous (and very public) scandal involving former U.S. President Donald Trump and his ex-attorney Michael Cohen. Trump and his team claim that Daniels is a fraud, yet it's not hard to believe that a president would pay $130,000 in hush money to cover up an affair.
Before the scandal, Daniels was primarily known for her work as a pornographic actress and director. She began her career as a stripper at just 17 in Baton Rouge. Daniels was recruited into adult entertainment while working as a stripper, leading her to work for Wicked Pictures and appear in American Girls Part 2 for Sin City.
In August 2018, everyone thought the Trump-Daniels scandal was finally over after the ex-president's lawyers refused to enforce the NDA or deny Daniels' claims. But the case was dragged out after the porn star was targeted by police in Columbus, Ohio, at a strip club. Daniels' attorney claimed the arrest was politically motivated... Turns out, the lead detective was an avid supporter of Donald Trump.
Daniels gave up stripping yet continues to act in pornographic films and win various awards for her roles. In more personal news, she divorced her third husband in 2018. Additionally, Daniels officially came out as bisexual on Twitter in 2019, leading many fans to rally around her in support despite her many scandals.
Sibel Kekilli was a porn star for around six months in Germany with the stage name Dilara, but she kept that stage of her career private until it was released by the media after her success in a mainstream film. Her father told Bild, "The disgrace is too great for the family... I can never forgive her for it. I don't want to ever see her again." Harsh, much?
Despite her father's opinion, Kekilli managed to make a name for herself even after retiring from pornography. For instance, she's popularly remembered for starring as prostitute Shae during the early seasons of the HBO series Game of Thrones. But many fans of the fantasy hit might not know that Kekilli first rose to fame in the film Head-On as the lead actress, winning two Lola film awards for her performance.
A year after being cast as Shae in Game of Thrones, Kekilli landed a permanent role in the crime TV show Tatort as Sarah Brandt. Previously, she was merely a supporting role but managed to land a long-term role. She mentioned her excitement for the role to Focus, citing she was "glad not to be playing a character of foreign descent" after being typecast in past roles. She left the series in 2017 to pursue other interests. Kekilli currently lives in her home country of Germany, recently opting for German roles rather than sots in Hollywood productions.
Aside from acting, Kekilli is a political activist for women, supporting the organization Terre des Femmes, International Women's Day events, and anti-domestic violence events. In 2006, Kekilli stated on behalf of the newspaper Hürriyet "I have experienced for myself that both physical and psychological abuse are regarded as normal in a Muslim family. Sadly, violence is part of the cultural heritage in Islam." This statement caused a lot of grief for Kekilli since the event and eventually caused her to block Turkey from her Instagram account.
Traci Lords has starred in numerous cult classics, like Serial Mom and Blade, but she’s probably most infamous for appearing in Penthouse magazine when she was only 16. After that, she went on to star in numerous adult films like What Gets Me Hot! in 1984 as well as appearing in the magazines Velvet, Juggs, and Club.
Lords starred in some of the first porn films during the industry's "golden age," was hailed as the "Princess of Porn," and made more than $1,000 per day as the best-paid sex performer ever. But her career in the industry wasn't made to last as she transitioned to mainstream acting in the late '80s.
Since 2015, Lords has focused on cultivating interests outside of traditional acting. Don't worry, you'll still see her popping up in films and TV series here and there. But it's clear that she wants to get her fashion career off the ground. In June 2016, she announced her Pinup Girl Clothing collaboration inspired by the film Cry-Baby and 1950s fashion.
Lords explained her inspiration for the clothing line to The San Francisco Examiner, saying, "John [Waters] wrote such strong characters in Cry-Baby. And in that rockabilly, punk rock, vintage pin-up girl kind of world, Wanda Woodward is pretty much a queen." She launched her second collection alongside Helmut Lang in 2017, the same year filming began for her directorial debut film The Unquiet Grave. One of her most recent films Nicole, her Ex & the Killer was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contrary to most fans' knowledge, Maitland Ward began her acting career as Jessica Forrester in a soap opera on CBS titled The Bold and the Beautiful before joining the cast of Boy Meets World during its sixth season. Similarly, she didn't delve into pornography until after experimenting with cosplay. Her costumes started out innocent enough until she started showing up at cons wearing only body paint!
The former child star found success outside of child acting, and it's not for anything particularly appropriate for children. From posing for pictures in sexy cosplays at Comic-Con to starring in porn films starting in 2019, Ward has truly explored every aspect of the entertainment industry. Ward quickly transitioned from costuming to posing for nude photographs on social media before the release of her debut adult film Drive.
Currently, Ward continues to capitalize on what she regards as a "savvy business move" into pornography, according to TMZ. Thinking back on when Kayden Kross approached her to pursue adult entertainment, Ward told In Touch Weekly in 2019 that she's never regretted switching up her career.
"It's been an evolution," Ward said. "It's all been my authentic journey because everything that I have done along the way is something I wanted to explore and do. I just did it publicly for my fans, that is the exhibitionist style of me." As for her personal life, the actress married a real estate agent in 2006 and moved to New York with him. Ward attended New York University where she studied writing and screenwriting.
Born in California, Riley Steele got her start in the performance industry working at Starbucks and a snack bar like most amateur actresses in Hollywood. She then met Jesse Jane in 2005 who led Steele to the world of pornography, but Steele wouldn't be convinced until a few years later. But once she signed with Digital Playground, her life changed forever.
Steele is another adult film star to make the jump to mainstream movies, but only barely. While she is probably most well known for her work in the porn-themed Pirates of the Caribbean spoofs, she also had a role in Piranha 3D, which we guess is technically a legit acting credit? But honestly, porn is more reputable than that terrible series of movies.
Not much is known regarding what Riley Steele is doing now — at least, stuff not related to pornography. She's still going strong in adult film and continues to win various X-rated awards, such as the NighMobes Award for Best Body (Fan's Choice) in 2017 and 2019. Well... she knows what she's good at!
Aside from Piranha 3D, Steele managed to nab a few acting roles in television, including Manswers in 2010, Life on Top in 2011, and The Girl's Guide to Depravity in 2012. Back in 2011, she even hosted an award show! Sure, it was for AVN... but it still counts!
Now considered a notable model and actress for American and Indian productions, Sunny Leone was once a prominent performer in adult entertainment. Named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003 (weird name, but whatever) and performed for Vivid Entertainment up to 2010. During those years, she rose through the ranks of porn stars, landing a top 12 spot.
After appearing in her first Bollywood film — erotic thriller Jism 2 — Leone officially transitioned away from pornography into mainstream acting in 2013. She announced to MTV, "I am lucky that the audience is accepting me. I have come my way from [porn industry]. I don't have any plans as of now to go back there."
After announcing her official retirement from pornography, Leone never went back. In 2016, she was featured in the list of BBC's top 100 Women and posed as a cover girl for Exhibit tech magazine. She's primarily focused on Indian-based acting roles, including reality series Bigg Boss 5 and feature films Ragini MMS 2 and Ek Paheli Leela.
In her personal life, Leone adopted her first child with her husband Daniel Weber in 2017 and later gave birth to twins via surrogacy in 2018. She currently lives in Mumbai, Maharashtra with her family and actively supports ASACP and PETA. To PETA India, Leone stated that she believes "every single dog should be spayed and neutered," which landed her the title of PETA's 2016 "Person of the Year."
Katie Morgan first entered the adult entertainment industry after being arrested for smuggling 100 pounds of marijuana into the U.S. in 2000. Those charges resulted in a hefty bail and plea bargain; thus, she turned to porn to pay off her debts. Her first appearance was in the 2001 Dirty Debutantes 197.
According to the 2003 HBO documentary Katie Morgan: A Porn Star Revealed (2005), Morgan revealed that she chose the pen name "Katie Morgan" because of Gone with the Wind and the rum Captain Morgan's. Morgan retired from the industry in 2008 for talk show hosting gigs and traditional acting but returned to shooting after seven years.
More recently in 2021, Morgan was inducted into the XRCO Hall of Fame, which lists the most well-known adult entertainment workers. For her, it's a well-deserved honor, especially since she Was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2013, an organization that only allows performers with 10+ years of experience.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported back in 2013 that Katie happily moved from California to Las Vegas with her husband, claiming it was "such a pay raise" tax-wise. Plus, she could raise exotic pets — including a kangaroo — when California wouldn't let her. "I have a whole herd of Chihuahuas and a couple of large dogs, and some cats, and a turtle collection, and my cockatoo. My kids all have four legs."
Marie Louise Hartman AKA Nina Hartley is (obviously) a pornographic actress, but you might be surprised to know that she's also worked as a director, sex educator, sex-positive feminist, and author. According to Hartman, she saw the first adult film directed by a woman, The Autobiography of a Flea, and chose her career because of it.
First, Harley was featured in photo spreads for Hustler and High Society, but she quickly landed her debut role in the film Educating Nina. While she was studying for nursing school in the early '80s, she worked as a stripper at the Sutter Cinema, which is when she chose her stage name "Nina."
Aside from adult entertainment, Hartley is an avid social reformer and sex-positive activist. "Sex isn't something men do to you," Harley preaches. "It isn't something men get out of you. Sex is something you dive into with gusto and like it every bit as much as he does." She co-authored her Guide to Total Sex alongside her husband Ira Levine in 2006, which is described by the Library Journal as a "well-written guide on... safe sex and... handles the material frankly, accurately, and with sensitivity."
As of 2015, Hartley continues to make and appear in adult films. The former registered nurse most recently won the XBIZ Award for Best Non-Sex Acting Performance for Future Darkly: Artifamily in 2019. Since then, she's kept a low profile with her porn-director husband as they continue cultivating their craft.
French actor Francois Sagat is no stranger to the world of porn — he’s starred and directed in numerous adult films. So many that there are too many to list here. But this X-rated reputation doesn't mean he’s a stranger to the world of mainstream movies, sporting roles in films like Saw IV and Man at Bath.
As one of the top gay actors in the industry with a one-of-a-kind scalp tattoo, he's come a long way since his first performance at age 25 under the pseudonym Azzedine. He switched to his birth name after transferring his practice to the U.S. and shooting his first film there Arabesque.
Sagat officially announced his retirement from pornography in 2017 but made a brief return for Men.com to film a Justice League parody as Aquaman. It seems he just can't stay away from adult entertainment, joining the adult pay-to-access website Just for Fans in 2018, which is pretty much the male LGBT+ version of OnlyFans.
Since the launch of his Just for Fans account, Sagat's mainstream pornography days are basically over. If anyone wants a piece of François him, they'll have to subscribe for upwards of $20 a month to see his content — his new content, at least. Even so, he managed to nab the XCIZ title of Gay Performer of the Year in 2019.
Joan Marie Laurer AKA Chyna has worked in everything from professional wrestling and modeling to bodybuilding and porn. You heard that last part correctly. First garnering fame in the world of WWE wrestling, the company claims she left "a lasting legacy as the most dominant female competitor of all time."
Aside from revolutionizing WWE, Chyna was also considered a sex symbol in the early 2000s. She modeled for Playboy twice and starred in five X-rated films after a sex tape with wrestler Sean Walman was released in 2004. Playing off Paris Hilton's infamous tape, it was dubbed 1 Night in China, becoming AVN's best-selling title in 2006.
Near the tail end of her adult film career, Chyna appeared for Vivid Entertainment in an Avengers parody as the She-Hulk. Soon after, she released a YouTube video explaining that she never planned to go into pornography, but was "making lemonade out of lemons" after her sex tape with X-Pac was released without her knowledge.
Tragically, Chyna passed away in 2016 at her California home from an accidental drug overdose. She was only 46 years old. Lovingly dubbed the "Ninth Wonder of the World," Chyna was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as the first woman to enter as a group or team member.
Surprisingly enough, renowned porn star Holly Sampson got her start in Hollywood as a child actress. Many people are aware of her mainstream films from later in life, but she truly began acting as a teenager in The Wonder Years, My Two Dads, Beauty and the Beast, and Pump Up The Volume.
Her mainstream career is best described as infrequent, so she naturally decided to jump headfirst into hardcore films as either the name "Nicolette" or "Zoe." However, she quickly transitioned to the softcore side of the industry and found plenty of success, becoming one of the most well-known adult entertainment stars in the industry.
One of Sampson's most controversial stunts included Tiger Woods. When news dropped in December 2009 about the golfer's many marital infidelities, Sampson was one of the names linked to the scandal. While the porn star admitted to having sex with Woods at his bachelor party, she denied engaging in a knowing affair during his marriage.
Sampson continues to engage in the adult entertainment industry but hasn't released any new hit films since 2018. Her most recent work is titled Vice Girls 2: Undercover Escorts, and there's no intel on any new films coming anytime soon. Perhaps with the COVID-19 pandemic, the veteran porn star decided it was time to take a break.
