Pornstars are people, too, which fuels our interest in knowing more about these famous adult performers. When did they enter the industry? How did their careers start? What are their likes and dislikes? Some folks prefer to worship their idols from afar to keep them clouded in mystery. But many know the stars shine brightest when you see them dazzle against a clear backdrop.
While the concept of someone being a movie star is as old as mainstream cinema, the notion of pornstars is a relatively more recent invention. After all, adult content spent the first half of the 20th century hiding in the shadows of polite society. Regardless of their always being open-minded individuals, the general public tended to conform to more puritanical views.
Until the late 1960s, the only hardcore porn the average man would have an opportunity to watch were stag films. These were short explicit movies played secretly at private men's clubs and brothels or rented for bachelor parties. They were silent films shot by anonymous directors, and the performers were often equally unknown.
Attitudes began to change during the decade of the '60s. The invention of the birth control pill led to the sexual revolution and moved intercourse from the realm of reproduction to recreation. By the early 1970s, adult movies were being screened in arthouse cinemas. Despite depicting hardcore sex, they entered the mainstream consciousness. Top performers became pornstars!
You can check out some of the sites in our Retro Porn category to watch adult films from the Golden Age of Porn. Feature-length XXX movies like Behind the Green Door ('72), The Devil in Miss Jones ('73), The Opening of Misty Beethoven ('76), and Debbie Does Dallas ('78) made household names of Marilyn Chambers, Georgina Spelvin, Gloria Leonard, and Bambi Woods.
Arguably the most famous adult film of porn's golden age was Deep Throat. Shot in 1972, the premise of this Deepthroat porn was that a sexually frustrated young woman had her clitoris in her throat. It skyrocketed its featured performer Linda Lovelace to worldwide fame (or, at least, infamy). In fact, most people consider Linda Lovelace the first true pornstar.
From the start with Linda Lovelace, it became apparent that adult stardom could have its dark side. When she looks back on the early days of her career, she remembers many negative experiences. More recently, Jessica Jaymes, who cofounded Spizoo with her ex-husband, decided to take her own life because of the pressure she felt from her fans and critics.
But while women in the adult industry can feel powerless and exploited, often, male pornstars have the opposite problem. Just search online names like Peter North and James Deen, for example. You may notice that controversies involving performers lack a sense of closure. Often after a negative story breaks about someone, there is no further press coverage.
Even if some guys in adult develop problematic reputations, others seem to excel as producers and directors. They may continue to perform on screen, but they also use their contacts in the industry to secure top talent to work both in front and behind their cameras. Rocco Siffredi is one of the most famous examples of one of these super-talented pornstars.
Another male performer turned producer-director is Jules Jordan. You've also got Pascal White of Pascal's Sub Sluts. Guys like these can attract the best female talent, like Riley Reid, Dee Williams, Vina Sky, and Scarlit Scandal.
Of course, ever since Jenna Jameson made a name for herself, women in the industry have also parlayed their onscreen talent to success behind the camera. For example, alt pornstar Joanna Angel's Burning Angel is a popular site showcasing her onscreen work and BTS. Alicia Silvers has used her business acumen to create 1111 Customs XXX fan-based porn.
Besides Jenna Jameson breaking into the business side of the adult industry more successfully than many of her male counterparts, she also made a name for herself in the non-adult media. She appeared on Oprah! Of course, she retired from the industry, often leading to pornstars making their mark elsewhere.
Lisa Ann has famously portrayed "Sarah Paylin" in a politically-themed parody porn movie. She's also known as the Comeback Queen, thanks to returning to the industry after retiring to pursue various mainstream interests. Lisa Ann has been active in fantasy football, television acting, and hosting a couple of radio shows. The Lisa Ann is her popular namesake site.
Of course, one of the hottest Indian pornstars and most famous performers, in general, is Sunny Leone. She retired from adult around a decade ago. Her mainstream career is perhaps one of the most intriguing transitions. After all, she's managed to become a top Bollywood star. That's quite a difficult switch to make, considering the widespread conservative views in India.
Besides reading our informative Pornstar Guides, check out our Porn Star porn sites to find the industry's top talent in action. Alternatively, you should consider checking out our Casting porn sites. After all, they'll let you find past scenes of pornstars before they were famous and potentially discover the aspiring adult stars of tomorrow.
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