From Porn to Mainstream: How a Few Adult Film Stars Made The Switch

The world famous “HOLLYWOOD” sign with the San Fernando Valley in the background.  Both locations are synonymous in entertainment for different reasons.

The adult film industry always has been mainstream film industry’s “dirty little step sister”. The main film industry has Hollywood, the porn industry has the San Fernando Valley. Both industries generate revenues in the tens of billions of dollars every year. But unlike Hollywood, Porn Valley has very few performers with widespread name recognition. There have been a few porn stars that have made the switch in both adult and mainstream films. Here’s a short list of actors who’ve made the jump.

Pettyjohn with William Shatner in Star Trek eposide, “The Gamesters of Triskelion”

Angelique Pettyjohn – Her mainstream acting career quite was notable for her performance as the drill thrall ‘Shahna’ in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, “The Gamesters of Triskelion”. She also appeared in TV shows “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”, “Batman”, “The Green Hornet” and “Love, American Style”. During the early 1980’s, Pettyjohn made use of her buxom figure in such hardcore adult films as “Titillation”, “Stalag 69” and “Body Talk” under the pseudonyms Angelique, Heaven St. John, and Angel St. John. She died of cervical cancer in 1992.

Paul Thomas (left), credited as Philip Toubus with Yvonne Elliman (right) in “Jesus Christ Superstar”

Paul Thomas – He was credited as Philip Toubus and played the role of Simon Peter in the 1973 film Jesus Christ Superstar. It was produced by Robert Stigwood and directed by Academy Award nominated director, Norman Jewison. The next year, he met with porn producers, the Mitchell Brothers while playing in a musical in San Francisco. He performed in several porn loops for them and in 1976, appeared in his first porn feature, ‘The Autobiography of a Flea’. He wound up performing in over 700 adult films during a 40 year career and was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame.

Marilyn Chambers in David Cronenberg’s “Rabid”

Marilyn Chambers – Born Marilyn Ann Taylor, she got her start professionally with a small part in the film, ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ with Barbra Streisand and George Siegel, having been credited as Evelyn Lang. She was notoriously known as, “The Ivory Snow girl”, as her face was plastered on boxes of the Procter and Gamble product. She also worked with future horror film directors, Wes Craven and Sean S. Cunningham in a low budget release called “Together”. But in 1972, she made her adult film debut in the Mitchell Brothers mega-hit, “Behind the Green Door”. In 1977, she would grab the attention of an up and coming Canadian director named David Cronenberg for his fourth release, Rabid. Executive producer Ivan Reitman, who had heard that Chambers was looking for a mainstream role. Reitman felt that it would be easier to market the film in different territories if the well-known porn star portrayed the main character. Chambers died of a cerebral hemorrhage and an aneurysm related to heart disease in 2009.

Robert Kerman with Richard Dreyfus in “The Goodbye Girl”

Robert Kerman – Kerman was a trained actor, having studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and acted in many off-Broadway plays. He got his start in adult films by using the pseudonym “R. Bolla”  in 1975 and was memorable as Mr. Greenfield in the 1978 porn classic, “Debbie Does Dallas”. But he also was able to switch from porn to mainstream often with a non-speaking role next to eventual Academy Award winner Richard Dreyfus in the 1977 romantic comedy, “The Goodbye Girl”. He also had appearances in horror film, “Cannibal Holocaust” and “The Concorde…Airport ‘79”. One of his final roles was as the tugboat captain in “Spider-Man”.  He died in 2018.

Sylvester Stallone with Lindsay Wagner talking about her boss, played by Jamie Gillis (middle) in the film, “Nighthawks”

Jamie Gillis – Gillis got his start in adult films around 1971 and starred in more than 470 films including “The Story of Joanna”, “The Opening of Misty Beethoven” and “Barbara Broadcast”. But in 1981, he appeared in a small part as the boss of Lindsay Wagner’s character in the Hollywood action film “Nighthawks”. Ironically, the film’s star Sylvester Stallone appeared in an early adult film prior to his breakout role in Rocky. Producers took advantage of the publicity and renamed the film, “Italian Stallion”. It would be Gillis’ only appearance in a mainstream film.  He died in 2010.

Arnold Schwarzenegger with Landham in “Predator”

Sonny Landham – Landham studied for two years at Pasadena Playhouse before moving to New York in 1968 to pursue a career in acting. At the beginning of his career, Landham participated in more than 25 films over a five year span. He would get a break in 1979 when he played a cop in the urban action film, “The Warriors”. He would continue the switch to mainstream films, starring as one of the killers in the 1982 hit, “48 Hours”. He also starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the mega hit action thriller “Predator”. He would parlay his notoriety into the political arena, running for Governor in Kentucky as a Republican and for US Senator as a Libertarian.  Latham died in 2017.

John Anthony Bailey with co-star Carol Anne Seflinger in “Wonderbug”

John Anthony Bailey – I wrote about his career in a blog nearly 15 years ago. He starred in the children’s TV show “Wonderbug” in the mid-70’s. He also had bit acting parts in “M*A*S*H”, “Good Times” and “Happy Days”. But after a tough time finding work, he made the switch to acting in porn under the stage name, Jack Baker. In all, he starred in 155 films, half of them non-sex roles due to his reluctance to perform because of the AIDS crisis. He died in 1994.

Traci Lords in Cry-Baby

Traci Lords – During the mid-1980s, Nora Louise Kuzma used a fake ID to conceal her age, which she was two years younger than she was supposed to be. Nevertheless, she went on to star in more than 100 adult films and was one of the most sought-after pornographic actresses in the adult entertainment industry. When the FBI acted on an anonymous tip that Lords was a minor, the industry responded by pulling all but one of her films. After her departure from pornography two days after turning 18, Lords enrolled at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute, where she studied method acting with the intention of becoming a mainstream actress. She made her mainstream screen debut the next year in a leading role in the 1988 remake of the 1957 Roger Corman science fiction film “Not of This Earth”. Lords followed-up with the role of Wanda Woodward in John Waters’ teen comedy, “Cry-Baby” (1990). She would also make a guest appearance on the Fox sitcom, “Married With Children”.

Bernie Mac and Vanessa Del Rio in Soul Men

Vanessa Del Rio – Del Rio’s adult film career has been stellar, appearing in over 230 films since 1975. Though she retired in 1984, in part due to the AIDS scare, she returned to make six final films in 1986/87, following a stint as a bodybuilder, including the faux biopic “Deep Inside Vanessa del Rio” and “The Devil in Miss Jones 3” for the notorious punk-inspired, Dark Brothers. After her porn career, she appeared on many TV shows as herself, including a 1996 episode of ABC police drama, NYPD Blue. In 2008, she made a cameo opposite Bernie Mac in the film, “Soul Men”.

Ginger Lynn Allen in The House of Many Sorrows”

Ginger Lynn Allen – After answering an ad for the World Modeling Agency, Allen did pictorials for Cheri, Club, and Penthouse magazine. This led to work in adult films, including “New Wave Hookers” and “Surrender in Paradise”. In all, she starred in nearly 360 films during her AVN Hall of Fame career. She started her career in mainstream features with a small part in the western “Young Guns II”, which co-starred her future boyfriend and Charlie Sheen’s brother, Emilio Estevez. Her mainstream career included parts in horror films, “The Devil’s Rejects”, “The House of Many Sorrows” and TV shows, such as “NYPD Blue” and “Silk Stalkings”.

Nina Hartley in “Boogie Nights”

Nina Hartley – In addition to her long career as a porn actress, Hartley was also a registered nurse. In 1982, during her sophomore year of nursing school, Hartley started working as a stripper in San Francisco. She made her foray into the world of pornographic movies during her junior year in 1984. She started out at first in photo spreads for Hustler and High Society. Her debut performance was in the film “Educating Nina”, making her a protégée of Juliet Anderson. Up to this post, Hartley has made nearly 1,400 adult films in her career. She made mainstream film debut with a role in the 1997 film, “Boogie Nights”, playing William H. Macy’s character’s serially unfaithful wife. Hartley also appeared in the late rapper Tupac Shakur’s music video for his 1996 single, “How Do U Want It?”

Veronica Hart, credited as Jane Hamilton in “Boogie Nights”

Veronica Hart – Born Jane Hamilton, Hart graduated from high school at age 16 and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas at age 19 in 1976 with a degree in theatrical arts. After school, she worked in England before returning to the United States and moving to New York City. Between 1980 and 1982, she would star in high-end adult films, including “Amanda by Night”, “Wanda Whips Wall Street”, “A Scent of Heather” and the critically acclaimed, “Roommates”. In 1997, she portrayed a judge in the film, “Boogie Nights” and also appears in the film “Magnolia”. Both films were directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, who has called Veronica Hart, “the Meryl Streep of porn.”

Jenna Jameson interviewed by Howard Stern

Jenna Jameson – Born Jenna Marie Massoli, Jameson started acting in erotic videos in 1993 after working as a stripper and a glamor model. By 1996, she had won the “top newcomer” award from each of the three major adult movie organizations. She has since won more than 35 adult-video awards, and has been inducted into the X-Rated Critics Organization (XRCO) and Adult Video News (AVN) Halls of Fame. In all, she’s been in over 220 film in her career. In 1997, Jameson crossed over into mainstream pop culture, with a minor role in Howard Stern’s film “Private Parts”.

Sasha Grey in “The Girlfriend Experiment”

Sasha Grey – After bussing tables and saving enough money, Grey (born Marina Ann Hantzis) would take that cash and head to Hollywood. She wound up in Porn Valley and performed in more than 387 films between 2007 and 2013, along the way, picking up awards including AVN Performer of the Year honors in 2008. In 2009, Grey made her mainstream feature film debut as the lead in Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience. She also starred as a caricature of herself in the HBO comedy-drama, “Entourage”.

Ron Jeremy in The Boondock Saints

Ron Jeremy – Of course, this post would be nothing without mentioning “The Hedgehog”, one of the greatest adult film stars of all time. Born Ronald Jeremy Hyatt, his career in porn began when a then-girlfriend sent a nude photo to Playgirl Magazine. From there, he made his adult film debut in the 1980 film, “Fascination” which also starred porn legend, Samantha Fox. Over the years, Jeremy has starred in nearly 2,300 porn films in his hall of fame career. Along the way, he worked his way into mainstream films, including the John Frankenheimer directed, “52-Pick Up”. He also starred in “The Boondock Saints” and “Ronin”. His work in adult films has also been valuable as a technical consultant in mainstream films like “9½ Weeks” and “Boogie Nights”. He also made his way into TV audiences in 2004 in the reality TV show, “The Surreal Life”.  Jeremy is currently awaiting trial on numerous counts of sexual assault and alleged rape against women over a 25 year period.

Maitland Ward, shown right with the cast of the ABC sit-com, ‘Boy Meets World’.

Maitland Ward – Usually, it’s adult film stars that make the switch to mainstream. For performers who resort to doing porn, its usually because they’re in a desperate situation (the lack of acting work, money problems, etc.). Not Maitland Ward. She insisted on doing adult film from the very beginning. Her career in acting was pretty successful, getting her start in the soap, ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’. She then had a stint on the sit-com, ‘Boy Meets World’. Guest stints included shows such as ‘Home Improvement’, ‘Boston Public’ and ‘Rules of Engagement’.

She retired from mainstream acting in 2007. Beginning in mid-2013, Ward began posting nude and topless photographs of herself on Snapchat and Instagram, gaining a large following on both sites. Then in 2019, she signed a deal with Society 15, an adult talent agency and began career performing in hardcore adult films. She told In Touch Weekly magazine about her decision to make the switch, “It’s been an evolution. 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. In her four-year career, she’s won top awards from AVN, XBIZ and XRCO. This year, she was nominated for Performer of the Year at the AVN Awards.

Updated: 1-5-2023