Any pornstar will tell you that their career involves acting. Even for the horniest nymphomaniacs, sex on camera requires giving more than you’re getting. But we still, somewhat arbitrarily, consider these women pornstars, not porn actresses.
But there is an intersection where a pornstar becomes an actress. If she works on a TV show, movie, or other work as an actress, she’s an actress. But that’s not the only way to become a bonafide porn actress. Some women go the other route, becoming an actress before shooting their first adult video.
Whether they acted before or after is irrelevant, however. Both groups deserve the porn actress title, and they’re all represented in our list of the top porn actresses.
Are you lost? Were you expecting a list of the best pornstars of all time, like Elsa Jean, Lena Paul, Madison Ivy, Lana Rhoades, or Gabbie Carter? Check out that link, or another popular topic, the hottest petite pornstars, for more sexy stars.
Who Are the Best Porn Actresses?
10. Lana Rhoades
Lana Rhoades is one of the darlings of the adult entertainment industry. Lana is petite and a joy to watch having sex. Her blue eyes and dark hair make a stunning contrast. She’s succeeded in almost every venue she’s entered, including working for Brazzers and becoming a Penthouse Pet. Lana Rhoades is one pornstar that you won’t forget about.
Has Lana Rhoades Retired?
Unfortunately, Lana is no longer a pornstar. She retired from the industry to pursue other opportunities. One of Lana Rhoades’ most recent projects was the podcast 3 Girls, 1 Kitchen, which she co-hosted with friends Olivia and Alexa. She’s also acted in a music video for performer The Kid LAROI, which was directed by famed YouTube star Logan Paul.
9. Riley Reid
No one in the porn business is ignorant of Riley Reid. She’s hot as hell, has multiple talents, and began her porn career in her late teens. Watching this girl is all you need to do to see why she’s a star. See her talent on sites like Brazzers and Playboy.
Has Riley Reid Done Non-Adult Roles?
But what you might not realize about this pornstar is that she’s also an actress. You won’t see her in any mainstream movies or television shows, but she’s established quite a presence in the world of internet fame. Appearing on podcasts, talk shows, and special programs, her star power is quickly becoming more about name recognition than her porn career itself.
8. Sibel Kekilli
Sibel Kekilli may not be a name you associate with the adult film industry. It’s far more likely you know her from her work on the hit show Game of Thrones. Her role as an actress on the show saw her playing a sex worker and the love interest of the character Tyrion Lancaster.
What Was Sibel Kekilli’s Original Stagename?
But you can also watch Sibel in German porn videos from the turn of the millennium. In 2001 and 2002, she fucked on camera for movies like Hotel Fickmichgut and Lollipops #16. She wasn’t quite in her late teens but more in her early twenties. And she went by the stage name Dilara.
She’ll leave you all hot and bothered, but that part of her career lasted less than two years. In 2004, she starred in the successful film Head-On. Shortly after its release, the public learned about her time as a porn actress. And since working on Game of Thrones, she’s enjoyed continuing success in television and movies.
7. Traci Lords
Traci Lords started performing in the adult entertainment industry at the age of 16. How is this possible? She’ll be the first to tell you that she forged her birth certificate to get her first role. Obviously, when this came to light, her hopes of becoming a pornstar were dashed against the rocks. In fact, you can only watch the last of her scenes, as it was filmed two days after her real eighteenth birthday.
How Did Traci Lords Reinvent Herself?
Still, Traci took the change in stride, enlisting in theater school. After studying method acting, she entered Hollywood’s glitzy and glamorous world. Her career has been successful, including television, movie, and video game credits. From voice actor to tongue-in-cheek cameo appearance, she’s one of the best examples of a porn actress.
It’s clear that Traci Lords doesn’t take herself too seriously, which is good. At the start of her post-adult acting career, she did a lot of full-frontal nudity. But these days, she spends her free time advocating for the LGBT and homeless communities.
6. Chloe Cherry
If the name Chloe Cherry is unfamiliar to you, did you install your internet under a rock? She’s all over the place in the adult film industry, showing off her blonde hair and petite body. She’s worked with big studios like Team Skeet and Reality Kings. But having sex is only half her life.
How Did Chloe Cherry Get Her Part in Euphoria?
She’s also an actress in the HBO teen drama Euphoria. She’s also happy to stick it to the industry by appearing on variety shows. Plus, Chloe models and has even walked the runway in New York Fashion Week.
Unlike other pornstars-cum-actors on this list, Chloe hasn’t had to choose between mainstream and adult. She’s been successful at both and has many fans on social media, where Euphoria showrunner Sam Levison first discovered her. At least that’s what he claims, but who knows what happened on that fateful night?
5. Mia Khalifa
Mia Khalifa is a bit of an odd actress in the porn industry. Mia filmed porn like anyone else, using her mouth, hot ass, and tiny, slim body to delight our visual senses. But the surprise of a lifetime came after Mia starred in a scene with Julianna Vega and Sean Lawless.
In the video, Mia Khalifa plays a rebellious daughter showing off her biker boyfriend. But the scene is legendary because Mia and Julianna wear hijabs. It was a big deal as the first instance of this kind of religious garb in the American adult industry. Mia rocketed towards stardom with that video’s release.
Why Did Mia Khalifa Quit Porn?
But actress Mia decided that the industry life wasn’t right for her. Shortly after signing a contract, Mia Khalifa backed out of the deal to pursue other projects. Since then, Mia has worked as a sports commentator, fashion model, podcaster, activist, and influencer. So while she hasn’t done any acting yet, no one can deny that her stardom has reached beyond its roots.
4. Sasha Grey
Sasha Grey is a tiny, petite actress who has sex on camera. She’s outspoken about the porn industry and feminine sexuality more broadly. It’s hard not to admire how she’s headstrong, delicate, and driven. Her videos rival famous other girls, like Jenna Jameson. For how long it’s been since we saw new content, you may be surprised to learn that her career spanned seven years.
What Hollywood Movie Did Sasha Grey Star In?
Her mainstream roles have often been in low-budget horror flicks, but she did have a starring turn in Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience. While her performance got mixed reviews, she did receive some positive feedback. I prefer to watch her in New Sensations‘ Seinfeld #1: A XXX Parody. You might find her various Evil Angel scenes more compelling.
3. Sunny Leone
Sunny Leone is arguably the most famous Indian pornstar, even though she left the industry in 2013. She was born in Ontario, Canada, to Sikh Punjabi parents and attended a Catholic private school, so she had a relatively conservative upbringing. So she’d often choose to stay home rather than party when she was young. But she didn’t stay a shy wallflower for long.
Where Did Sunny Leone’s Last Name Come From?
Sunny is her real name, and former Penthouse owner Bob Guccione chose Leone for her. Every video she has is hot, so it’s easy to see why she’s one of the most popular pornstars in the world. Still, when you have sex as an adult film actress, it makes sense you’d want it to be engaging.
But she’s also celebrated in the industry, including her stint as a Twistys Treat. Celebrated glamour photographer J. Stephen Hicks captured gorgeous shots of Sunny that you can see on Digital Desire. If you want to watch her do more than pose seductively, look her up on Blow Pass.
Is Sunny Leone a Bollywood Star?
But Sunny stopped shooting adult content around 2013. It’s interesting to watch her iMDb credits subtly shift from racy porn titles to Indian ones. That’s right: She’s now a Bollywood actress. Her work started with several guest roles, dancing gigs, and one-off projects.
In more recent years, Sunny has had recurring roles on shows like Bullets and Ragini MMS Returns. And what makes this remarkable is India is home to extremely conservative politicians who have done everything possible to ban porn. And while her new persona has little to do with her adult past, it would still be difficult for most performers to overcome the stigma.
2. Tasha Reign
Tasha Reign is an actress and pornstar. She’s made porn videos for sites like Reality Kings and Naughty America. It’s always a treat to watch a video of her ass while she has sex. But like almost any other girl on this list, her connection to her two paths is a bit unorthodox.
Where Do I Recognize Tasha Reign From?
Let’s talk about her time in mainstream television. Technically, Tasha hasn’t gone through the process of learning lines and reciting a script in the traditional sense of an actor because she got her start in reality television. She starred in the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. Still, where the acting ends and the person begins is also tricky on these programs, and Tasha is no exception.
As a pornstar, she’s been nominated for awards nearly every year she’s been in the industry. Some of them are even for best actress awards, which should tell you that she’s not just another pretty face. Her adult fans are surely happy that she’s still making fresh content.
1. Maitland Ward
Maitland Ward is the best example of a successful actress perfectly transitioning into one of the best pornstars around. Maitland took her time with the approach, doing a few risque photo shoots and nude art installations. But she’s talented enough to do just about anything, so it was only a few years before she starred in her first adult film.
Her first hardcore shoot was with Deeper.com in 2019, and it’s been a steady uphill trajectory since then. Maitland has won multiple awards every year she’s been in adult, including Best Leading Actress at the AVN Awards in 2021 and Performer of the Year at the 2022 XBIZ Awards.
Did Pornstar Maitland Ward Star in Boy Meets World?
But all this sex-on-camera talk tells you nothing about who Maitland was before becoming a pornstar. If you’re in a certain age bracket, you’ll remember her most notable role as Rachel McGuire on Boy Meets World, a nineties coming-of-age sitcom.
But her first acting gig was as Jessica Forrester on the CBS daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful. After her time on Boy Meets World, she starred in several television shows and even a blockbuster movie. These days, it seems self-evident that she would transform her name recognition into a new and exciting chapter of her life.
Discover More Actress Porn Stars
Now that you’re familiar with all the best actress pornstars, you probably want to go “sample” their content. But what if none of these top pornstars are for you? That’s no issue! You’ve clearly come here looking for something you didn’t find. Let’s remedy this.
Is Choosing the Best Pornstar All About the Bod?
Maybe when it comes to the best adult performers, you care less about their abilities to act and more about what kind of body they’re packing. If that’s the case, perhaps you were looking for a list of the best thick pornstars if you like some cushion for the pushin’, or you prefer those who keep it tight like the fittest pornstars?
Do Latinas Make Better Pornstars?
Maybe you’re looking for a specific ethnicity, like the hottest Latina pornstars, which covers a wide range of women. You’ve got plenty from Mexico, Colombia, and various South American countries. At the same time, you’ve got many Hispanic and Latino Americans in the adult industry. So that’s a wide group of performers, but maybe you like an individual country instead. For example, you might like the best Hungarian pornstars.
Are Lesbian Pornstars the Best?
If the first two options for narrowing down your fav performers, surely something must satisfy you more than anything else. So how about the best lesbian pornstars? It can be a tricky category because while a performer like Mia Malkova may have performed some top-notch girl-girl scenes, that doesn’t mean she’s truly a lesbian pornstar. But we always take that into consideration.
With all these additional suggestions on top of the list of amazing actress-pornstars above, you’ll find new and exciting videos and photos that will get your heart racing and your blood pumping. Just make sure you read our reviews to get the best deals and most up-to-date information on your memberships!
Best Porn Actresses FAQ
Porn stars make money through several different methods. If we’re discussing what they make on a scene-by-scene basis, it ranges from $300-$2,500 per shoot (guys generally make on the lower end). Experience, star power, representation, and the content within the scene will all affect the price. Whether or not they’re on a contract is also relevant. But that’s just the beginning for porn stars.
Most porn stars also generate revenue through subscriptions and custom content, like OnlyFans or Fansly. These aren’t necessarily profitable independently, as the average monthly profit is only around $150. However, the top earners are much more successful, and it’s an excellent way to gain fans worldwide.
And then there’s the more general world of celebrity income. Merchandising opportunities (think Fleshlight, Bad Dragon, and other sex toy manufacturers), product endorsements, advertising, escorting guys, modeling, acting, directing, and producing: These are all viable paths that have been trodden by pornstars in the past.
Plus, pornstars are people, so there’s a good chance she’s also making money in something totally unrelated to the industry. In summation, every actress is different, and the amount of money they make can vary considerably.
The good news is that the industry is always looking for stars. Any young girl with a nice ass could do better here than she would if she stayed home. But the adult entertainment industry is like any other industry involving fame, meaning it can be difficult to succeed.
The best place to launch your porn career is on cam sites or OnlyFans. These have the lowest barrier to entry and are a great springboard to other opportunities. However, most reputable studios provide an application process right on their website. This may be a preferable route for a shy girl, guy, or the right actress.
Hiring an actress that does porn is no simple feat. The porn industry looks after its employees, so random people can’t go soliciting them willy-nilly. To hire a porn actress, chances are you’ll have to go through her modeling agency or other representation. It helps to remember that these women are building a career, not just having sex for fun.
Our favorite actress is Maitland Ward, according to our list of who to watch above. But really, any actress that does porn and acting could fit the actress title. After all, it’s a subjective ranking, as there’s no way to define who is the best overall. Remember what they taught you about absolutes in school (or that one Star Wars scene)?
Were you not reading the list? Nah, we’re just kidding around. Many an actress (and actor, for that matter) have starred in an adult film. So many, as a matter of fact, that to list them here would be a waste of everyone’s time. Here’s a Wikipedia article listing mainstream actors who have appeared in pornographic films. And here’s a Wikipedia article that goes the other way, listing the pornographic actors who appeared in mainstream films.