While I agree with you, jilted, that some of the mainstream success of certain adult entertainers is a bit hyped, I think a few have started to break that mold. Since I haven’t seen ‘Canyons’, I can’t comment in Deen’s role, however it was announced Tommy Gunn (‘Spartacus XXX’) is working on a mainstream horror movie, and is in a supporting role. . . . but yes many of the cross-over parts for adult performers are often eye candy/a sex worker role.

Stereotypes, and casting performers by stereotype, are/is not new to the acting profession and I can’t say it only affects adult entertainers, as no one can. There are many mainstream actors/performers that are also stereotyped. Some do it to themselves, and in a way that’s why I believe a lot of the adult performers end up typecast. And for women, whether they are “porn stars” or general actors, they will likely end up playing the pretty face and rarely get the chance to play something other than that. Even the “Lara Croft” type roles are little more than action hero eye candy. Until the women get older, and then they rarely find good roles at all.

This is only my opinion, but I believe the reason why we won’t see many adult performers on Leno or Letterman has more to do with personalities and the good old “ethics and standards” FCC rules. You have to be very careful of what you are putting out there on an unscripted show. IF the performer was available, presentable, could avoid dropping F/C/S Bombs and overly sexual references, then yes it may happen. There are some mainstream performers (musicians included) that they don’t like to book for the same reason. I’d think it more likely on one of the after midnight shows, though. I’m not sure that there haven’t been adult performers on any of those talk shows in the past, no way to confirm or negate that I know of either. And if it was tied to a mainstream movie, then the future appearance of someone from porn on one of them is practically a given.

And as far as actors being considered as props? That can be said for mainstream actors, as well as those that started out in adult and then get a mainstream part. There are a few directors that are notorious for not even speaking directlyto the actors on set, and many more that just want an actor to shut up and follow directions, unless they are actually saying written lines. 😉

the “other” Mike lived in Boston for many years. MW, that is…

Asa Akira and Jenna Haze have had some crossover modeling success, I believe…

I think the adult industry has overstated the cross over success of a few of these performers, and the mainstream considers most of the performers they use as more props than actors. Their really are only a small handful of performers who have ever done any mainstream work where they have portrayed anything other than sex workers.

Do you ever see any performer having real cross over success, maybe starring in a mainstream show, sticom, or cop show? Do you ever see any performer being a guest on The Tonight Show, or Letterman?

This is only my opinion, based on experience granted, but most of the women (and men) adult performers do not want to be the next Jenna or Tera. They want to make as much money as possible, and get out without any more people associating their face with “porn” as possible and still being able to command modeling top rates while they are in the industry. Unless they want the stigma of being an adult performer to follow them all of their lives, the choice to become a household name can be very undesirable.

Personally, I wish that wasn’t the case, but I’m not naive either. . . . I know that once anyone becomes known as an adult industry professional (especially a performer) it will haunt them. Only the strong and unfazed will attempt it. LOL Such is why Deen, Gray, Nina Hartley, Tera, Jenna and Ron Jeremy were able to go for it.

As for the possibility of a new Jenna? Yes, I believe it can happen. The thing is that the person has to either claim their faults upfront and outright, or not have any. Above all, the qualifications I mentioned have to be in place. Otherwise, there is no actual victory in the “crossing-over” and the performer becomes yet another “pretty face” just bumping up the ratings of some mainstream show. 😉 I’m not entirely sure that is worth the time and effort for someone that truly wants the mainstream fame of a Tera or Jenna, or even Deen.

As an aside, what strikes me as funny is that Deen has become such a media darling because he played opposite LiLo, and of the two the “porn stud” is more presentable, likeable and well spoken. Now that’s a grand slam in the PR realm, turning the “beast” into the beauty of the pair. LOL Then again Adella had a great client to work with; Deen is willing to be up a 4AM to field morning show calls from outside California, travel on his own dime to NY or Bulgaria (kidding) to attend some event and isn’t being some diva that refuses to take calls before 3PM and won’t show up at the airport for the flight to CBS’s NY offices . . . . That is the reality with the “somewhere in between” performer that you speak of. 😉

Off to get dinner and work on another project. Thanks for the great question jilted!

BBMedia,
Great,informative answer. I think any male performer who can position himself like JD deserves all the accolades he gets. One would think that a female, who had all of the marketable qualities you mentioned, well spoken, commitment,, and something noteworthy, would be an easier sell than a male. But with the whole emotional, mental, trainwreck qualities of a good portion of female, and male performers for that matter, would make a publicists job difficult, if not nearly impossible.

One thing I might note, there are so many in the industry that talk about these ‘adults'(18-23) females, who are making choices to do this work, and they all know what they’re doing, and they all know the consequenses, and they are professionals. But it is refreshing to see more people who are breaking these myths, and not afraid to talk about the emotional, mental, societal trainwecks that populate this industry. People who directly deal with performers telling it like it really is. Not to say there arent some very well adjusted and successful performers, but I beleive the trainwrecks out number the very successful, and then the majority are just somwhere in between.

Do you think there will ever be another to rival Jenna, given the current state of the industry and the overall change in the entire structure of the industry in the past 5-10 years?