pornographic film actor

{{Hatnote group|

{{Distinguish|Pawn Stars{{!}}Pawn Stars}}

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{{Infobox occupation

| name = Pornographic film actor

| synonyms =

| pronounce =

| image = Asa Akira at AVN Awards 2016 (2).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Porn actors Asa Akira and Toni Ribas in 2016

| official_names = Pornographic film actor/actress, pornographic performer, adult entertainer, porn star

| type =Performing arts

| activity_sector = Entertainment, sex industry

| competencies =

| formation =

| employment_field = Film, photography

| related_occupation = Actor, sex worker, webcam model

}}

A pornographic film actor or actress, pornographic performer, adult entertainer, or porn star is a person who performs sex acts on video that is usually characterized as a pornographic film. Such videos tend to be made in a number of distinct pornographic subgenres and attempt to present a sexual fantasy; the actors selected for a particular role are primarily selected on their ability to create or fit that fantasy. Pornographic videos are characterized as either softcore, which does not contain depictions of sexual penetration or extreme fetishism, and hardcore, which can contain depictions of penetration or extreme fetishism, or both. The genres and sexual intensity of videos is mainly determined by demand. Depending on the genre of the film, the on-screen appearance, age, and physical features of the actors and their ability to create the sexual mood of the video is of critical importance. Most actors specialize in certain genres, such as straight, bisexual, gay, lesbian, bondage, strap-on, anal, double penetration, semen swallowing, orgy, gang bang, age roleplay, fauxcest, interracial, teenage or MILFs and more.

The pornography industry in the United States was the first to develop its own movie star system, primarily for commercial reasons. In other countries, the "star" system is not common, with most actors being amateurs. Most performers use a pseudonym and strive to maintain off-screen anonymity. A number of pornographic actors and actresses have written autobiographies. It is very rare for pornographic actors and actresses to successfully cross over to the mainstream film industry. Certain pornographic actors have leveraged their success to branch into different entrepreneurial endeavours, such as Jenna Jameson's ClubJenna.

Leaked patient database of Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation in 2011 contained details of over 12,000 pornographic actors that it had tested since 1998, providing estimates of the number of pornographic film actors who have worked in the United States.{{cite web |last=Chen |first=Adrian |date=2011-03-30 |title=Porn Star HIV Test Database Leaked |url=https://www.gawker.com/5787392/porn-star-hiv-test-database-leaked |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120053539/https://www.gawker.com/5787392/porn-star-hiv-test-database-leaked |archive-date=January 20, 2015 |access-date=January 11, 2015 |work=Gawker |publisher=}}{{cite news| url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/porn-actors-personal-information-hiv-status-released-through-california-health-clinic-report-says/ | work=Fox News | title=Porn Actors' Personal Information, HIV Status Released Through California Health Clinic, Report Says | date=March 31, 2011}} {{As of|2011}}, it was reported that roughly 1,200–1,500 performers were working in California's "Porn Valley".{{update-inline|date=March 2024}}

History

File:Digital Playground Girls 2010.jpg. From left to right: Jesse Jane, Céline Tran, Raven Alexis, Riley Steele, Janie Summers, Kayden Kross, at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo (2010)]]

File:Digital Playground Girls 2012.jpg, Stoya, BiBi Jones, Kayden Kross, and Jesse Jane, at the AVN Expo, Las Vegas, Nevada on January 18, 2012]]

Production of risqué films commenced with the start of photography. "Moving pictures" that featured nudity were popular in "penny arcades" of the early 1900s which had hand-cranked films and stereoscope glasses, as well as vitascope theaters. These attractions featured topless women, full frontal nudity, and sexual coupling.{{cite journal |last1=Rosen |first1=David |title=Pornography and the Erotic Phantasmagoria |journal=Sexuality & Culture |date=20 September 2022 |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=242–265 |doi=10.1007/s12119-022-10011-9 |pmid=36157715 |pmc=9485786 |s2cid=252417735 |language=en |issn=1936-4822|doi-access=free }}

Production of erotic films commenced almost immediately after the invention of the motion picture. The first erotic film was the seven-minute 1896 film {{lang|fr|Le Coucher de la Mariée}} directed by Frenchman Albert Kirchner (under the name "Léar") which had Louise Willy performing a bathroom striptease.Richard Abel, [https://books.google.com/books?id=9cc71Uekc_EC&dq=%22Louise+Willy%22&pg=PA518 Encyclopedia of early cinema], Taylor & Francis, 2005, {{ISBN|978-0-415-23440-5}}, p.518{{cite web |date=Nov 3, 1996 |title=When the French Started Making Dirty Movies |url=http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9611b&L=archives&T=0&P=7163 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013084848/http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9611b&L=archives&T=0&P=7163 |archive-date=Oct 13, 2014 |access-date=2014-08-05 |website=The Observer |publisher=listserv.muohio.edu}} Other French filmmakers also started making this type of risqué films, showing women disrobing.{{cite web |last=Bottomore |first=Stephen |editor1=Stephen Herbert |editor2= Luke McKernan |year=1996 |url=http://www.victorian-cinema.net/lear.htm |title=Léar (Albert Kirchner) |work=Who's Who of Victorian Cinema |publisher=British Film Institute |access-date=October 15, 2006}}{{cite web |last=Bottomore |first=Stephen |editor1=Stephen Herbert |editor2= Luke McKernan |year=1996 |url=http://www.victorian-cinema.net/pirou.htm |title=Eugène Pirou |work=Who's Who of Victorian Cinema |publisher=British Film Institute |access-date=October 15, 2006}} The Pathé brothers supplied the demand throughout Europe.Michael Achenbach, Paolo Caneppele, Ernst Kieninger: Projektionen der Sehnsucht: Saturn, die erotischen Anfänge der österreichischen Kinematografie. Filmarchiv Austria, Wien 2000, {{ISBN|3-901932-04-6}}. In Austria, Johann Schwarzer produced 52 erotic productions between 1906 and 1911, each of which contained young local women fully nude, to provide an alternative local source to the French productions.

File:TOKYO GAME SHOW 2014 066 (15283870666).jpg, one of the most popular pornographic actresses in Japan and recipient of numerous awards for her filmography at Tokyo Game Show 2014{{Cite book |last=Wong |first=Heung-Wah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vAxADwAAQBAJ&dq=oikawa+av+idol&pg=PT65 |title=The Japanese Adult Video Industry |last2=Yau |first2=Hoi-yan |date=22 November 2017 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-48568-0 |page=65 |language=en}}]]

Performers in these early productions were usually uncredited or used pseudonyms to avoid legal sanction and social disapprobation. The use of pseudonyms was the norm in the industry; pornographic film actors maintained a low profile, using pseudonyms to maintain a level of anonymity, while others performed uncredited. The use of pseudonyms has remained a tradition in the industry, and actors would perform under a number of pseudonyms, depending on the genre of film, or changed a pseudonym when the previous one ceased to be a draw card.

Casey Donovan starred in the first mainstream pornographic hit, Boys in the Sand,{{cite web |title=40 Years of Gay History: the Early Seventies |url=http://www.advocate.com/40/timeline70_74.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011022659/http://advocate.com/40/timeline70_74.asp |archive-date=October 11, 2007 |access-date=November 5, 2007 |publisher=The Advocate}} in 1971. However, arguably the first pornstar to become a household name was Linda Lovelace (the pseudonym of Linda Susan Boreman) from New York City, United States, who starred in the 1972 feature Deep Throat. The film grossed millions of dollars worldwide, a success that was echoed by similar stars and productions such as Marilyn Chambers (Behind the Green Door), Gloria Leonard (The Opening of Misty Beethoven), Georgina Spelvin (The Devil in Miss Jones), and Bambi Woods (Debbie Does Dallas).

The period from the early 1970s through the late 1970s or early 1980s has been called the Golden Age of Porn, when erotic films were produced in the United States with narratives, backed by movie-style promotional budgets, and were shown in public theaters and accepted (or at least tolerated) for public consumption.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070715151809/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4053/is_200210/ai_n9085969 Second wave: Feminism and porn's golden age]. Radical Society Oct 2002 by Loren Glass Performers in these productions became celebrities including Peter Berlin, John Holmes, Ginger Lynn Allen, Porsche Lynn, Desireé Cousteau, Juliet Anderson (Aunt Peg), Lisa De Leeuw, Veronica Hart, Nina Hartley, Harry Reems, Seka, Annette Haven and Amber Lynn.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}} Meanwhile, in Europe, many pornographic actresses and actors come from the so-called pornographic bloc countries, such as Russia, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. In France, popular female performers have included Brigitte Lahaie, Clara Morgane, Céline Tran (Katsuni), and Yasmine Lafitte. In Italy, the Swedish Marina Lothar rose to prominence in the early 1980s, as well as Moana Pozzi, Ilona Staller (Cicciolina), and Lilli Carati.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

Performers

=Female performers=

File:Jenna Jameson 2014.jpg is a former pornographic actress.]]

File:Asa Akira holding Trophy 2 2012.jpg (seen here at the 2012 XBIZ Awards ceremony) is a two-time Pornhub Awards host; she hosted the 1st and 2nd ceremonies.]]

File:Anette Dawn Heroes' Square 2007.jpg is a former pornographic actress and call girl. She was one of the most prominent European porn actresses of the 2000s.]]

The on-screen physical appearances of the female performers is of primary importance. They are typically younger in age than their male counterparts, in their teens, 20s, and 30s. There is a preference in the industry for thinness and large-breasted actresses; some film studios encourage their actresses to have breast implants, and offer to pay for the procedure.

According to actor-turned-director Jonathan Morgan:

{{blockquote|The girls could be graded like A, B and C. The A is the chick on the boxcover. She has the power. So she'll show up late or not at all. 99.9% of them do that.}}

Less desirable actresses are more likely to agree to perform more extreme and high-risk sexual acts such as "double-anal" in order to get work. According to Morgan:

{{blockquote|Some girls are used up in nine months or a year. An 18-year-old, sweet young thing, signs with an agency, makes five films in her first week. Five directors, five actors, five times five: she gets phone calls. A hundred movies in four months. She's not a fresh face any more. Her price slips and she stops getting phone calls. Then it's, 'Okay, will you do anal? Will you do gangbangs?' Then they're used up. They can't even get a phone call. The market forces of this industry use them up.}}

Some performers note that "a performer's pleasure is not of primary importance" and that "porn sex is not the same as private sex".{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2008/04/24/violetblue.DTL|work=The San Francisco Chronicle|first=Violet|last=Blue|title=Sex for money, not love / Violet Blue asks rising adult superstar Lorelei Lee about the differences between sex work and sex not-for-work|date=June 28, 2011}}

According to a study investigating health risks for industry performers, female performers experience significantly higher risk within their job role than male performers. The study reported:

{{Blockquote|text=Performers engaged in risky health behaviors that included high-risk sexual acts that are unprotected, substance abuse, and body enhancement. They are exposed to physical trauma on the film set. Many entered and left the industry with financial insecurity and suffered from mental health problems. Women were more likely than men to be exposed to health risks. Adult film performers, especially women, are exposed to health risks that accumulate over time and that are not limited to sexually transmitted diseases.{{Cite journal|last1=Grudzen|first1=Corita R.|last2=Ryan|first2=Gery|last3=Margold|first3=William|last4=Torres|first4=Jacqueline|last5=Gelberg|first5=Lillian|date=January 2009|title=Pathways to Health Risk Exposure in Adult Film Performers|journal=Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine|volume=86|issue=1|pages=67–78|doi=10.1007/s11524-008-9309-4|issn=1099-3460|pmc=2629520|pmid=18709554}}}}

Furthermore, there is a contrary opinion stating that porn production is not necessarily unethical or degrading. According to Lynn Comella, a women's studies professor at UNLV, presenting demeaning practices as representative of the entire porn industry is "akin to talking about Hollywood while only referencing Spaghetti Westerns".{{cite news|author=Lynn Comella |url=http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2011/feb/02/feminists-gone-wild-response-porn-critic-gail-dine/ |title=Feminists Gone Wild! A response to porn critic Gail Dines |newspaper=Las Vegas Weekly |access-date=2011-09-14}}

A 2012 study titled, "Why Become a Pornography Actress?"{{cite journal | last1 = Griffith | first1 = James D. | last2 = Adams | first2 = Lea T. | last3 = Hart | first3 = Christian L. | last4 = Mitchell | first4 = Sharon | author-link4 = Sharon Mitchell | title = Why become a pornography actress? | journal = International Journal of Sexual Health | volume = 24 | issue = 3 | pages = 165–180 | doi = 10.1080/19317611.2012.666514 | date = July 2012 | s2cid = 143232567 }} analyzed female performers in pornography, and their reasons for choosing the occupation; it found that the primary reasons were money (53%), sex (27%), and attention (16%).{{sfn|Griffith|Adams|Hart|Mitchell|2012|pp=170}} Respondents also stated the aspects of their work which they disliked. These included industry-associated people, e.g., co-workers, directors, producers, and agents, whose "attitudes, behaviors, and poor hygiene [were] difficult to handle within their work environment" or who were unscrupulous and unprofessional (39%); STIs risk (29%); and exploitation within the industry (20%).{{sfn|Griffith|Adams|Hart|Mitchell|2012|pp=173}}

According to a 2013 study in the Journal of Sex Research, female porn performers were reported to have engaged in sexual activity at a younger age, utilized several drugs, identify as bisexual, had more sexual partners, and have better enjoyment of sex compared to their non-porn peers. They were also found to have a good quality of life, social support systems, sexual fulfillment, spirituality, and equal or better levels of self-esteem compared to their non-porn counterparts.{{Cite journal|last1=Griffith|first1=James D.|last2=Mitchell|first2=Sharon|last3=Hart|first3=Christian L.|last4=Adams|first4=Lea T.|last5=Gu|first5=Lucy L.|date=2013|title=Pornography Actresses: An Assessment of the Damaged Goods Hypothesis|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42002094|journal=The Journal of Sex Research|volume=50|issue=7|pages=621–632|doi=10.1080/00224499.2012.719168|jstor=42002094|pmid=23167939|s2cid=21131799|issn=0022-4499}}

A 2018 review published in the Journal of Sex Research found in a survey that the majority of male pornography consumers disliked seeing "acts that were more clearly unpleasant/painful for female performers, such as forced gagging or forceful anal penetration." The study concluded that despite the oversaturation of extreme and kinky content in the industry, most consumers are not interested in kinky, fetish or degrading pornography.{{Cite journal|last1=Shor|first1=Eran|last2=Seida|first2=Kimberly|date=January 2019|title="Harder and Harder"? Is Mainstream Pornography Becoming Increasingly Violent and Do Viewers Prefer Violent Content?|journal=Journal of Sex Research|volume=56|issue=1|pages=16–28|doi=10.1080/00224499.2018.1451476|issn=1559-8519|pmid=29669431|s2cid=4989437}}

=Male performers=

Image:Ron Jeremy 2010.jpg was ranked by AVN at number one in their "100 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list,{{cite web |url=http://www.action-dvd.com/avnt50ps.asp?whichpage=1&userid=3AED28DC%2D3047%2D4F5C%2D87F5%2DD9AC3B9DA6F3&sort_order= |title=AVN: The 10 Top Porn Stars of All Time |access-date=December 24, 2006|publisher=Action-DVD.com |date=January 2002 |work=Adult Video News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930015019/http://www.action-dvd.com/avnt50ps.asp?whichpage=1&userid=3AED28DC-3047-4F5C-87F5-D9AC3B9DA6F3&sort_order= |archive-date=September 30, 2007}} and is listed in the Guinness World Records for "Most Appearances in Adult Films".{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Being-Ron-Jeremy-Leslie-Brockett/dp/B000777I2O |title=Product Description |access-date=December 25, 2006 |work=Being Ron Jeremy|date=March 15, 2005 }}]]

File:Peter North 2010.jpg, active since the early 1980s, was ranked at number 15 by AVN in their "100 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list.]]

While the primary focus of heterosexual adult films are the women in them, who are mostly selected for their on-screen appearance, there is a definite focus on the male performers who are able to fulfill the desires of the male watching audience as their on-screen proxies. Most male performers in heterosexual pornography are generally selected less for their looks and more for their sexual prowess, namely their ability to do three things: achieve an erection while on a busy and sometimes pressuring film set, maintain that erection while performing on camera, and then ejaculate on cue.{{cite book |last=Jameson |first=Jenna |author-link=Jenna Jameson |author2=Neil Strauss |title=How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale |year=2004 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=0-06-053909-7 |quote=(Y)ou have to be able to get it up at will. You have to keep an erection, go a long time without coming, and then come on command. |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/howtomakelovelik00jame }} However, the majority of on-screen ejaculations, semen, and "money shots" are artificial.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wjpzdb/porn-stars-reveal-the-secret-to-massive-cum-shots|title=Porn Stars Reveal the Secret to Massive Cum Shots|last=Hay|first=Mark|date=2018-01-08|website=Vice|language=en|access-date=2019-12-05}} In the past, an actor's inability to maintain an erection or being subject to premature ejaculation could make the difference between a film turning a profit or a loss. If an actor loses his erection, filming is forced to stop. This problem has been addressed with the use of Viagra, although Viagra can make the actor's face noticeably flushed, give him a headache, make it difficult to ejaculate, and can take about 45 minutes to take effect. According to director John Stagliano, using Viagra means "You also lose a dimension. The guy's fucking without being aroused."{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/Archive/Article/0,4273,4153718,00.html |title=A rough trade |access-date=April 10, 2009|date=March 17, 2001 |work=guardian.co.uk |location=London|author-first1=Martin|author-last1=Amis|author-link=Martin Amis }}

Ron Jeremy, John Holmes, and Rocco Siffredi are considered by AVN as the top male performers of all time. Adding to his fame, Ron Jeremy has been a staple in the industry since the 1970s and has become something of a cultural icon.{{cite web |url=http://www.action-dvd.com/avnt50ps.asp?whichpage=1&userid=3AED28DC%2D3047%2D4F5C%2D87F5%2DD9AC3B9DA6F3&sort_order= |title=AVN: The 10 Top Porn Stars of All Time |access-date=December 24, 2006 |publisher=Action-DVD.com |date=January 2002 |work=Adult Video News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930015019/http://www.action-dvd.com/avnt50ps.asp?whichpage=1&userid=3AED28DC-3047-4F5C-87F5-D9AC3B9DA6F3&sort_order= |archive-date= September 30, 2007}}

Ken Shimizu is credited with having had sex with over 8,000 women in the course of making 7,500 films.[http://www.asiaone.com/showbiz/japans-pornaldo-slept-over-8000-women-7500-movies showbiz]{{dead link|date=August 2024}}[https://www.gq.com/story/shimiken-japanese-porn-star-interview interview]

Industry practices

{{update section|reason=The pay rates in this section do not reflect pay rates for 2012 onwards.|date=July 2019}}

=Pay rates=

== By scene ==

Payment for pornstars is dependent on the sex acts performed; penetration typically paying highest. In a single scene, female actresses typically make between $100{{cite web|url=http://www.hush-hush.co.uk/pornbus_men.html|title=How to become a porn star and get in the Porn business|website=hush-hush.co.uk|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801175901/http://www.hush-hush.co.uk/pornbus_men.php?q=pornbus_men.html|archive-date=August 1, 2012|url-status=dead|access-date=April 14, 2007}} and $6,000,{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/porn-stars-income-how-much-get-paid-for-what-adult-film-actor-agent-derek-hay-pornography-a7569746.html|title=This is how much porn stars get paid - depending on what they do|date=2017-02-14|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2019-07-02|quote=As standard, a female performer in a scene with an male performer could expect to earn around $1,000 (£800), a scene with another woman would see them earn around $700-800 (£550). The rates could go up or down by 10 to 20 per cent depending on who the performer is, their agent and other factors... "I don’t think that adult stars make as much money as the general public perceives them to make. I don’t think there’s anybody, even the biggest stars, who are making more than half a million a year, but if some of the top stars are making $300,000-400,000 per year, by most people’s perception that would still be a lot of money I think."}} while male actors make between $100{{cite web|url=http://ca.askmen.com/celebs/interview/34d_ron_jeremy_interview.html|title=Ron Jeremy Hyatt – AskMen|year=2008|publisher=ca.askmen.com|access-date=2011-03-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707175220/http://ca.askmen.com/celebs/interview/34d_ron_jeremy_interview.html|archive-date=July 7, 2011|url-status=dead}} and $400.

In 2017, The Independent reported that female performers in scenes with male performers typically earn around $1,000, compared with $700–800 in scenes with other females. The Independent also claimed that pay rates are subject to variation up or down by around 10–20%, depending on various factors. The Daily Beast claimed in 2019 that female performers could make between $300 and $2500 per scene, depending on their level of experience and the sex acts performed.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-much-money-do-porn-stars-actually-make|title=How Much Money Do Porn Stars Actually Get Paid for Sex Scenes?|last=Snow|first=Aurora|date=2019-04-14|access-date=2019-07-02|language=en|quote=Marie’s starting rate for a boy/girl scene was $1200, which is the higher end of today’s standard range...Double or triple penetration: $1200-$2500...Newbies boy/girl (anal or non): $300-$500}} Higher-paid female performers could make around $1200 per scene. The Los Angeles Times reported, in 2009, that the pay rates for a female actress performing heterosexual scenes were $700 to $1,000.{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-fi-ct-porn10-2009aug10,0,3356050.story|title=Tough times in the porn industry|last=Fritz|first=Ben|date=August 10, 2009|work=Los Angeles Times}} According to the porn website Videobox in 2008, actresses make these rates: Blowjobs: $200–$400; Straight sex: $400–$1,200; Anal sex: $900–$1,500; Double Penetration: $1,200–$1,600; Double anal: $2,000. For more unusual fetishes, women generally get 15% extra.{{cite web|url=http://blog.videobox.com/blog/index.php/2008/02/22/how-much-do-porn-stars-make/|title=The VideoBox Blog » Blog Archive » How Much Do Porn Stars Make?|date=February 22, 2008|publisher=Blog.videobox.com|access-date=2011-09-14}}

File:Montre-moi du rose tournage 2.jpg

Ron Jeremy commented in 2008 that, "The average guy gets $300 to $400 a scene, or $100 to $200 if he's new." According to producer Seymore Butts in 2007, who runs his own sex-film recruitment agency as well as producing sex films, "depending on draw, female performers who perform in both straight and lesbian porn earn more than those who do just heterosexual scenes [and] usually make about US$200–800 while those who only do oral sex (blow job) usually only make about US$100–300 for the scene". In a 2004 interview conducted by Local10 news of Florida, it was claimed that individuals were offered $700 for sexual intercourse while shooting a scene of the popular series Bang Bus.{{cite web|url=http://www.local10.com/news/3927246/detail.html|title=Porn Bus Shoots Sex On The Move|date=November 17, 2004|publisher=WPLG|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927044758/http://www.local10.com/news/3927246/detail.html|archive-date=September 27, 2007|access-date=June 29, 2008}} In 2001, actress Chloe said of pay-rates: "In Gonzo, you're paid not by the picture, but by the scene. So it's girl-girl: $700, plus $100 for an anal toy. Boy-girl: $900. Anal: $1,100. Solo: $500. DP: $1,500."

== Salaries ==

Salaries for female actresses typically range from $60,000 to $400,000, compared with $40,000{{cite web|url=http://www.retrocrush.com/archive2/ronj/|title=Jeremy spoke in class today: An exclusive interview with porn movie legend, Ron Jeremy|year=2003|publisher=www.retrocrush.com|access-date=2011-03-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101180033/http://www.retrocrush.com/archive2/ronj/|archive-date=January 1, 2011|url-status=dead}} for male actors. In 2017, The Independent reported that top porn performers' salaries were around $300,000 to $400,000. In 2011, the manager of Capri Anderson said, "A contract girl will only shoot for one company, she won't shoot for anyone else. Most actresses in the adult industry are free agents – they'll shoot for anyone. Most contract girls make $60,000 a year. In one year, a contract girl will shoot, on average, four movies and each movie takes about two or three weeks to shoot."{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/charlie-sheen-gives-porn-industry-shot-in-the-arm/|title=Charlie Sheen Gives Porn Industry 'Shot in the Arm'|author=Meaghan Murphy|date=March 10, 2011|access-date=2011-03-13|publisher=Fox News}}

== Other payment ==

Besides appearing in films, porn stars often make money from endorsements and appearance fees. For instance, in 2010, some night clubs were paying female porn stars and Playboy Playmates to appear there to act as draws for the general public; the Los Angeles Times reported that Jesse Jane was paid between $5,000 to $10,000 for one appearance by a Chicago club.{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/theguide/bars-and-clubs/la-et-night27-20100827,0,2675418.story|title=Some L.A. nightclubs attract crowds with racy models|author=Charlie Amter|date=August 27, 2010|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2010-08-29|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127184721/http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/27/entertainment/la-et-night27-20100827|archive-date=January 27, 2013|url-status=dead}}

=Health issues=

{{See also|Sexually transmitted infections in the pornography industry}}

In the 1980s, there was an outbreak of HIV/AIDS in the pornographic film industry which caused many deaths. This led to the creation of the Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation (AIM) in 1998,{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-porn-hiv13-2009jun13,0,4356396.story|title=Porn stars at L.A. convention defend HIV tests|access-date=June 13, 2009|author1=Kimi Yoshino |author2=Rong-Gong Lin II|date=June 13, 2009|newspaper=Los Angeles Times}} which voluntarily tested the pornographic performers for HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhea every 30 days; and twice a year for hepatitis, syphilis and HSV.{{cite book|author=Fred Basten|author2=Laurie Holmes |author3= John C. Holmes|title=Porn King: The John Holmes Story|year=1998|publisher=John Holmes Inc.|isbn=978-1-880047-69-9}} AIM closed all its operations in May 2011.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2011/05/porn_clinic_closed_aim_testing.php|title=Porn Clinic AIM Closes For Good: Valley-Based Industry Scrambles to Find New STD Testing System|last=Dennis Romero|date=May 3, 2011|work=LA Weekly|access-date=May 3, 2011|archive-date=May 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110507015636/http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2011/05/porn_clinic_closed_aim_testing.php|url-status=dead}}

Since 2011, STI testing for pornographic performers is being monitored by Free Speech Coalition, which set up the Adult Production Health and Safety Services (APHSS) system, now known as Performer Availability Screening Services (PASS). Performers are tested every fourteen days for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis B and C and trichomoniasis.{{cite web |title=Moratorium FAQs |url=https://www.freespeechcoalition.com/blog/blog/2014/08/28/moratorium-faqs/ |website=FreeSpeechCoalition.com |access-date=8 June 2020}} According to PASS, there has not been an on-set transmission of HIV on a regulated set since 2004.{{cite news |last1=Hay |first1=Mark |title=The Rift in the Porn World About How to Approach HIV |url=https://rewire.news/article/2019/09/27/the-rift-in-the-porn-world-about-how-to-approach-hiv/ |access-date=8 June 2020 |work=Rewire.News |date=27 September 2019}}{{cite news |last1=McNeil Jr. |first1=Donald G. |title=Unlikely Model in H.I.V. Efforts: Sex Film Industry |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/06/health/unlikely-model-for-hiv-prevention-porn-industry.html |access-date=8 June 2020 |work=The New York Times|date=5 November 2012}}

Awards

Exceptional performance of pornographic actors and actresses is recognized in the AVN Awards, XRCO Awards and XBIZ Awards. The AVN Awards are film awards sponsored and presented by the American adult video industry trade magazine AVN (Adult Video News). They are called the "Oscars of porn".{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/film/the-oscars-of-porn/2006/01/09/1136655116166.html|title=The Oscars of porn|access-date=July 25, 2007|date=January 9, 2006|work=Sydney Morning Herald }}{{cite news|url=http://www.dailynews.com/ci_6039690?source=most_emailed|title=Porn: The Valley's secret industry|access-date=July 25, 2007|author=Brent Hopkins|date=June 3, 2007|newspaper=Los Angeles Daily News|quote=...earned seven Adult Video News awards, referred to as the Oscars of porn.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070606225512/http://www.dailynews.com/ci_6039690?source=most_emailed|archive-date=June 6, 2007|df=mdy-all}}{{cite news|url=http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=3400|title=Porn's Big Night|access-date=July 25, 2007|author=David Schmader|date=March 9, 2000|newspaper=The Stranger|quote=...the most prestigious event in the world of adult film: the Adult Video News Awards, hereby known as the Avis, popularly known as the porno Oscars.}} The AVN Awards are divided into nearly 100 categories, some of which are analogous to industry awards offered in other film and video genres, and others that are specific to pornographic/erotic film and video.{{Cite news|url=http://vegasblog.latimes.com/vegas/2006/01/avn_awards_a_ca.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060506023029/http://vegasblog.latimes.com/vegas/2006/01/avn_awards_a_ca.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 6, 2006|title=AVN Awards Part Three: A Category for Everything and a Nomination for Every Body|work=Los Angeles Times |date=January 8, 2006|access-date=July 20, 2010}} The XRCO Awards are given by the X-Rated Critics Organization annually.{{cite web|url=http://www.bwdl.net/XRCO-2/winners.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060104042805/http://www.bwdl.net/XRCO-2/winners.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 4, 2006 |title=Yearly Winners & Noms |publisher=X-Rated Critics Organization |access-date=2008-10-17 }} The Venus Awards are presented each year in Berlin as part of the Venus Berlin trade fair.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

Media

=Media and press coverage=

File:Jaimee Foxworth.jpg series Life After chronicled Jaimee Foxworth's story in which she worked as a porn actress for a couple of years in order to support herself.]]

With some notable or occasional exceptions, pornographic actors are not generally reported on by mainstream media. As a result, specialized publications (or trade journals) emerged to serve as a source of information about the industry, its business dealings, trends and forecasts, as well as its personnel. Two of the predominant media outlets are Adult Video News and XBIZ. Certain performers also have had their public accounts blocked on social media platforms.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3k3d45/apag-union-sex-workers-account-deleted-from-instagram|title=A Sex Workers Union Is Organizing Against Instagram Discrimination|last=Cole|first=Samantha|date=6 May 2019|website=Vice|access-date=23 June 2019}}

The Internet Adult Film Database (IAFD) lists adult film productions dating back to the 1970s, the performers in those films, and the associated directors.

=Autobiographies=

A number of pornographic actors and actresses have written autobiographies, including the following:

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|

Celia Blanco – Secretos de una pornostar (2005) (in Spanish){{cite web|title=Ha estado con nosotros Celia Blanco|publisher=elmundo.es|url=http://www.elmundo.es/encuentros/invitados/2005/10/1753/|language=es|date=2005-10-31|access-date=2007-12-25}}
Jerry Butler – Raw Talent (1990, {{ISBN|087975625X}}){{cite book | last =Butler| first =Jerry| title =Raw Talent: The Adult Film Industry As Seen by Its Most Famous Male Star| publisher =Prometheus Books|date=September 1990| pages=33–35| isbn=0-87975-625-X}}
Marilyn Chambers – My Story (1975, {{ISBN|0446798274}})
Christy Canyon – Lights, Camera, SEX! (2005, {{ISBN|0972747001}}){{cite web|url=http://www.adultfyi.com/read.php?ID=11975 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927211319/http://www.adultfyi.com/read.php?ID=11975 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-09-27 |title=Christy Canyon & Taylor Wane Swap Guy Yarns |publisher=Adultfyi.com |date=2005-09-28 |access-date=2014-08-05}}
Jenna Jameson – How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale (2005){{cite web|url= https://www.cnbc.com/2014/01/15/jenna-jameson-makes-post-retirement-comback-to-porn.html|title= The return of Jenna Jameson|access-date= 2014-04-03|author= Chris Morris|date= 2014-01-15|publisher= CNBC}}
Ron Jeremy – The Hardest (Working) Man in Showbiz (2006, {{ISBN|0060840838}}){{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/1997/04/02/media_113|title=My Dinner with Ron: A chat with the improbable, ubiquitous porn star Ron Jeremy, poised on the brink of mainstream success – or so he thinks.|access-date=2012-07-11|publisher=Salon Media Group, Inc.|date=1997-04-02|author=Nick Ravo}}
Traci Lords – Traci Lords: Underneath It All (2003){{cite web |url=http://www.curledup.com/undernea.htm |title=Traci Lords: Underneath It All – book review |publisher=Curledup.com |date=January 27, 2007 |access-date=June 8, 2014}}
Linda Lovelace – Inside Linda Lovelace (1974), The Intimate Diary of Linda Lovelace (1974), Ordeal (1980), and Out of Bondage (1986)
Shelley Lubben – Truth Behind the Fantasy of Porn: The Greatest Illusion on Earth (2010, {{ISBN|9781453860076}}){{cite web|url=http://www.thirdage.com/news/shelley-lubben-exposes-secrets-porn-industry_11-8-2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101112013651/http://www.thirdage.com/news/shelley-lubben-exposes-secrets-porn-industry_11-8-2010 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 12, 2010 |title=Shelley Lubben Exposes Secrets of the Porn Industry |date=2010-11-08 |access-date=2010-12-03 }}
Monica Mayhem – Absolute Mayhem: Secret Confessions of a Porn Star (2010, {{ISBN|1616080914}}){{cite news|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/confidential/porn-star-monica-mayhem-on-a-rampage/story-e6freq7o-1225792100343|title=Porn star Monica Mayhem on a rampage|newspaper=Courier Mail|access-date=2010-10-10|date=2009-10-28|archive-date=June 3, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603130448/http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/confidential/porn-star-monica-mayhem-on-a-rampage/story-e6freq7o-1225792100343|url-status=dead}}
Tera Patrick – Sinner Takes All: A Memoir of Love and Porn (2009, {{ISBN|1592405223}}){{cite web |url= http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=books&sc2=reviews&sc3=biography&id=99775 |title=Sinner Takes All: A Memoir of Love and Porn|first= Steven|last= Hammond|work=edgeboston.com |date= 2009-12-31|access-date=3 April 2011}}
Kay Parker - Taboo: Sacred, Don't Touch (2001, {{ISBN|0971368406}})
Harry Reems – Here Comes Harry Reems! (1975, {{ISBN|0523004591}})
Rocco Siffredi – Io, Rocco (2006, {{ISBN|8804559950}}) (in Italian)
Annie Sprinkle – Annie Sprinkle: Post-Porn Modernist (1991){{cite news|date=June 18, 2009|first=Reg|last=Little|work=Oxford Times|title=Iffley and the former porn star|url=http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/features/4435987.Iffley_and_the_former_porn_star/|access-date=August 2, 2014}}
Ilona Staller – Per amore e per forza (2007) (in Italian){{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1583034/Porn-star-La-Cicciolina-sues-ex-husband-Jeff-Koons-for-child-support.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1583034/Porn-star-La-Cicciolina-sues-ex-husband-Jeff-Koons-for-child-support.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London | title=Porn star La Cicciolina sues ex-husband Jeff Koons for child support | first=Tom | last=Leonard | date=27 March 2008 | access-date=5 May 2010}}{{cbignore}}
Sunset Thomas – Anatomy of an Adult Film (2009, {{ISBN|1935444204}}){{cite web|url= http://www.institutionalized.net/More/sunset_thomas.html|title= An Interview with Porn Star Sunset Thomas|access-date= 2008-08-30|author= Max Gunner|year= 2003|publisher= institutionalized.net|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080919120148/http://www.institutionalized.net/More/sunset_thomas.html|archive-date= September 19, 2008|url-status= dead|df= mdy-all}}

}}

Discrimination

Porn actors have spoken out about discrimination they face due to their work, including being denied banking services and being fired from other jobs.{{Cite web |last=Witt |first=Mysterious |date=2020-04-18 |title=It's Time to Stop the Unfair Violation of Porn Performers' Rights |url=https://aninjusticemag.com/its-time-to-stop-the-unfair-violation-of-porn-performers-rights-3f9c9b153e87 |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=Medium |language=en}} Lana Rhoades and others faced difficulty when renting or buying a home.{{Cite web |last=Pollard |first=Amelia |date=2021-08-23 |title=Hot Union Summer Comes to the Porn Industry |url=https://prospect.org/api/content/8e75414e-0204-11ec-acdd-1244d5f7c7c6/ |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=The American Prospect |language=en-us}} On numerous occasions, banks closed or refused to open the accounts of porn actors. Chanel Preston was among those whose bank account was closed due to her profession.{{Cite web |date=2013-05-17 |title=Banks to porn stars: Your money's not welcome |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/banks-porn-stars-your-moneys-not-welcome-flna1C9967366 |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=NBC News |language=en}}

Porn actors also face discrimination from social media websites. Around 200 performers and models signed a letter to Facebook saying that their Instagram accounts were closed unfairly. Many say that they are being held to a different standard than mainstream celebrities. More than 1,300 performers claimed that their accounts have been deleted by Instagram's content moderators for violations of the site's community standards, despite not showing any nudity or sex. They claim that famous celebrities are allowed to be much more explicit on their accounts than porn stars or sex workers without getting sanctioned.Thomas Fabbri, "Why is Instagram deleting the accounts of hundreds of porn stars?" November 24, 2019, BBC News.

Over 100 platforms, including banks, payment processors, social media websites and hotels have been accused of discriminating against sex workers.{{Cite web |date=2018-04-07 |title=Platforms which Discriminate Against Sex Workers |url=https://survivorsagainstsesta.org/platforms-discriminate-against-sex-workers/ |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=#SurvivorsAgainstSESTA |language=en}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20091001214741/http://www.avnawards.com/ AVN Awards]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110906194613/http://www.iafd.com/ Internet Adult Film Database]
[https://www.adultfilmdatabase.com/ Adult Film Database]
[https://www.egafd.com/ European Girls Adult Film Database]

Category:Entertainment occupations

Category:Pornography