Alex Carson
Hollywood has always been a place of reinvention, but for actresses who began in x-rated films, the transition to mainstream entertainment has been anything but easy. Some, like Traci Lords and Maitland Ward, reshaped their careers entirely, while others, like Nina Hartley, balanced both worlds. Angelique Pettyjohn found early fame in Star Trek before moving into adult films, later embracing her cult status at fan conventions.
▬Contents of this video▬
00:00 – Intro
00:41 – Angelique Pettyjohn: From Sci-Fi Starlet to X-Rated Films
01:49 – Traci Lords: Scandal, Reinvention, and Hollywood Success
03:06 – Nina Hartley: Balancing Two Careers
04:34 – Maitland Ward: Disney Star to Award-Winning Adult Actress
06:27 – Kristine DeBell: From X-Rated Alice to Mainstream Comedy
07:30 – Dana Plato: A Troubled Path
08:35 – Joanie Laurer (Chyna): WWE Superstar Turned Actress
10:03 – Outro
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Traci Lords’ career nearly ended in scandal when it was revealed she had entered the adult film industry as a minor, but she successfully reinvented herself with roles in Cry-Baby and Blade. Nina Hartley became one of the few actresses who openly embraced her past, appearing in Boogie Nights and using her platform to advocate for sex education. Maitland Ward, once a Disney Channel star, took a different path, fully committing to x-rated films and becoming one of the industry’s most successful crossover figures. Kristine DeBell, in contrast, quietly transitioned from an explicit version of Alice in Wonderland to mainstream Hollywood comedies like Meatballs, never addressing her past publicly. Not all transitions were smooth—Dana Plato, best known for Diff’rent Strokes, turned to adult films out of desperation rather than reinvention, and her struggles with addiction ultimately led to her tragic early death.
Joanie Laurer, better known as WWE’s Chyna, was a groundbreaking athlete who faced difficulty after wrestling, with adult films becoming one of the many controversial choices that shaped her post-WWE years. Each of these women navigated their careers in different ways, some overcoming the stigma, others succumbing to it. Their stories reflect the challenges of Hollywood, the unpredictability of fame, and the societal judgments placed on those who enter x-rated films before attempting to carve out a future beyond them.
Hollywood Actresses Who Got Their Start in Adult Films
