Pornographic actor

A pornographic actor or a porn star is somebody who appears in pornographic movies, live sex shows or peep shows. Many actors/actresses may appear nude in films (usually rather briefly) or on stage but even if they depict sexual behavior they are not considered erotic actors. To be considered a porn star, one must appear chiefly in porn movies and be filmed in explicit sexual acts, usually with close-up shots of the genitalia during sexual acts and where explicit nudity is involved. Most porn stars use stage names.

History

The first porn star with name recognition was Linda Lovelace who starred in the 1972 feature, Deep Throat. The success of this movie, which grossed hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide, spawned a slew of other films and pornographic film stars such as Marilyn Chambers (Behind the Green Door), Gloria Leonard (The Opening of Misty Beethoven), Georgina Spelvin (The Devil in Miss Jones), Jeremy Cohen ("the Speed Demon Of Porn"), and Bambi Woods (Debbie Does Dallas). This was followed by what is called The Golden Age of Porn in the early and mid-eighties. Such legendary performers as John Holmes, Seka, Ginger Lynn Allen, Annette Haven, Veronica Hart, and Hyapatia Lee became well known in this era. Jenna Jameson and Silvia Saint are among the most well known porn stars of the late nineties and the early 2000s

Related Topics:
Linda Lovelace - 1972 - Deep Throat - Marilyn Chambers - Behind the Green Door - Gloria Leonard - The Opening of Misty Beethoven - Georgina Spelvin - The Devil in Miss Jones - Bambi Woods - Debbie Does Dallas - John Holmes - Seka - Ginger Lynn Allen - Annette Haven - Veronica Hart - Hyapatia Lee - Jenna Jameson - Silvia Saint - Nineties - 2000s

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Attempts in the 1970s to outlaw pornography in the United States by prosecuting porn stars for prostitution failed, as the courts made a distinction between someone who took part in a sexual relationship for money, and the act of portraying a sexual relationship as a performance for money.

Related Topics:
1970s - United States - Prostitution

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The ability for people to view adult movies in the privacy of their own homes, due to the popularity of the VCR (and now DVD) created a new adult market that could not be ignored. The production values of adult films declined dramatically in the attempt to create product for ever increasing demand. As a result of this, there are hundreds of adult film companies today, releasing tens of thousands of shot-on-video titles annually.

Related Topics:
VCR - DVD

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As a result, there are thousands of people working as pornographic actors to meet the demand for these films.

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Since the main market is for pornography aimed at a heterosexual male audience, the primary demand is for good-looking female performers. Female performers in pornography aimed at the heterosexual male audience are generally expected to perform with both male and female partners.

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Male performers are generally selected less for their looks as for their ability to get and maintain an erection ("get wood") for a long period on a crowded movie set, as well as the ability to ejaculate at will. Ron Jeremy is probably the most famous male performer in heterosexual pornography. A number of male performers perform in both heterosexual and gay male pornography. Male performers are, in general, paid substantially less than female performers.

Related Topics:
Erection - Ejaculate - Ron Jeremy

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As the popularity of titles increases (profits are in the billions of dollars a year in the United States as of 2005), numerous niche and fetish markets have arisen in recent years. The vast number of titles has created the urgency for companies for stand out, and recent years have seen increasing numbers of risque and shocking video components, often involving pain (forced oral sex or "gagging" videos), simulated rape or the consensual physical assault of actresses during filming.

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