Georgina Spelvin (Shelley Graham) was a chorus girl and appeared in Broadway productions of Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, Sweet Charity, and The Pajama Game before becoming an adult film actress in the late 1950s. He made four more short films before retiring from the limelight in the 1980s.įirst Major Film: The Devil in Miss Jones (1973) To follow up on the success of his first film, Berlin directed, produced, wrote, and starred in That Boy, which was also a major hit. In the early 1970s, Berlin moved to San Francisco and collaborated with his friend Richard Abel on the hardcore porn film called Nights in Black Leather.īerlin played the lead role and created the poster for the film, which helped make it a hit in San Francisco’s underground gay community. Berlin’s look was emblematic of the 1970s and he embodied the attitude of the the time period.īerlin was born in Germany and worked as a photographer in his early 20s, he photographed some of Europe’s biggest celebrities and film stars at the time. Long before he starred in his first adult film, Berlin was known in San Francisco for his suggestive clothing - which he designed/sewed himself - as well as his self-portraiture. Peter Berlin (Armin Hagen Freiherr von Hoyningen-Huene) rose to prominence as a gay sex symbol in the 1970s. Unlike some of the others on this list, Leonard enjoyed her time as a pornstar and became a lifelong advocate for the adult film industry.įirst Major Film: Nights in Black Leather (1973)Ĭountry of Origin: born in Germany but moved to United States of America She is also credited as a phone sex line pioneer as she was one of the first people to use “900 numbers” as an additional revenue stream. Her best-known role was as the star of The Opening of Misty Beethoven in 1976.įollowing her acting career, Leonard became the publisher of High Society magazine, a pornographic magazine similar to Playboy, in 1977 and held the position for the next 14 years. During her decade-long career, Leonard starred in over 40 adult films. Leonard began appearing in hardcore pornos in 1974 and stayed active in the industry until she retired in 1984. In the early 1970s, when Leonard was looking for work, she contacted casting agent Dorothy Palmer, who did not initially tell her that she had been cast in a pornographic film. Before starting a career in porn, Leonard had various jobs in the music and film industry. Gloria Leonard (Gale Klinetsky) was a prominent adult film star in the 1970s and early 1980s. Gloria Leonard (Aug– February 3, 2014)įirst Major Film: The Opening of Misty Beethoven (1976) However, the interviewer she communicated with solely by e-mail could not identify if the woman was actually Woods.Ħ. In 2007 a woman claimed to be Woods and said that she wanted nothing to do with her past. Many people believe that she died of a drug overdose or other mysterious circumstances. In the mid-1980s, Woods completely disappeared and no one is sure where she is or if she’s even still alive. Unfortunately, Woods spent all her earnings and her friend helped her land a job as an exotic dancer.
Woods said that she only appeared in the movie because she owed a friend some money and she arranged for Woods to star in the film. However, Woods was blindsided by all the attention she got for starring in the film and she was upset when the publicity led to her family finding out that she had starred in an adult film. Her one and only film, Debbie Does Dallas was a huge hit and for a moment it seemed like Woods would become the next big pornstar. Jeremy has starred in thousands of pornographic films and is even listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for “Most Appearances in Adult Films.”įirst Major Film: Debbie Does Dallas (1978)īambi Woods was a one hit wonder in the porn industry. This gamble was successful and Jeremy used the opportunity to start a career in the adult film industry. He was unable to find much work and his girlfriend at the time convinced him to send his pictures to Playgirl magazine so he could make some money.
Jeremy’s career began in the early 1970s when he tried to pursue a legitimate Broadway career. Additionally, Jeremy is considered the No. Jeremy has had the longest career of any pornstar and he is still currently active in the industry. He is a major household name and has appeared in a number of mainstream films and movies. Of all the pornstars on this list, Ron Jeremy (Ronald Jeremy Hyatt) is hands down the most famous. Country of Origin: United States of America