And competition from the Internet makes stardom on that level considerably less likely.Ī few seem to get that – and are paying much closer attention to the business side of porn as they perform.
The problem is: The porn world has changed dramatically from Jameson’s days. The actress, who translated her porn fame to the pop culture world, is a model of what many stars strive for. Talk with today’s porn stars, though, about life after their film career and the same name comes up over and over: Jenna Jameson. Others - typically the ones who reach a modicum of success, but not real stardom - become on-set photographers or make-up artists. Some start talent agencies or their own production company. Some chase a dream of becoming a mainstream actress – never managing to get more than an occasional role.Ī larger number move into the behind-the-scenes side of porn. (Nursing is a popular choice, for some reason). Others get degrees and move on with their life. At the same time, she’s also trying her hand as a club DJ as she attempts to branch into new fields. She also continues to operate an adult video production company. But the industry tends to protect its own – and many of the true superstars, who are its ambassadors to the mainstream world, keep their toes in the water even after they retire.Ī book tour for her just-released memoir.
A career in porn typically overshadows an actress’s other achievements, no matter what successes they have. “I always knew that whatever I did, it would be associated with ‘Christy Canyon’.” “I couldn’t imagine doing something unrelated to porn,” she says. An encouraging teacher at a writing class led to a book (which she self-published, since she didn’t like the one-time payment deal publishers were offering her).įor the better part of the last five years, she has been the host of Playboy Radio’s “Night Calls”. In the early days of eBay, she sold memorabilia directly to fans. Rather than curling up in that blanket, she bounced around, trying new things after leaving the set. “When I retired, I knew I could survive another 20 years without earning a dime,” she says. (The first stock she bought, she says, was Wal-Mart). She saved the money – investing it in the market and prospered. And in the heyday of porn, that was a substantial number. Entertainment, she also negotiated a $1 royalty for each copy of the film that was sold.