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Would becoming a porn star help or hurt your chances of becoming a successful mainstream actor?

Ok. Say you go out to Los Angeles with a twinkle in your eye and dreams of becoming a famous movie star. When you get there, you realize it's no picnic and turn to porn to pay the bills. Have you now increased or decreased your chances of becoming a successful actor in the (non-adult) film industry?

Public Comments

1. I'd have to say decreased surely- particularly, though unfairly, if you're a woman. If you could do it secretly, then I guess it wouldn't hurt. Then there are always those porn actors who made a career in mainstream film through their earlier porn careers (i.e. Ron Jeremy). However, even in these permissive times, I'm figuring America would most likely have a problem with a hard-core actor/actress trying to break into mainstream cinema.
2. well i wouldnt do it. Reason(s).. being a pron star you will be type cast. Like Jim Carrey, imagine a funny man trying to play a serious role like terminator for example. it wouldnt work. He will be in only humour movies. If you were a porn star that would be pretty much what you would do always, untill your body gets all ugly and wrinkled, then they wont want you. Then the factor of your children going to high school and thier friends saying i watched your mom getting her burger pounded last night. It will wreck your life. If you desperatly need the money and think of resorting to sex acts, why not become an escort? You work in a high class house and there is no camera and it still has the big dollars without your friends, family and children finding out. You wont be on tv so who will know?! Then with the money you cannot only pay your bills but pay for an exclusive acting school to pusue your wanted career
3. Yes, Yes, Yes. It also hurt your luck.
4. It will definitely hurt your chances. Not to mention your back.
5. I would think you have harmed your chances of becoming a successful mainstream actor but maybe i could be wrong
6. Conventional thinking is that it would hurt your career. Most porn stars do not cross over into mainstream film and vice versa. THere have been a few exceptions, though. Tracy Lords: Did porn but, because she was under 18, it was all pulled when she revealed her true age. Her mainstream career still hasn't taken off, although she has appeared in a few John Waters movies. Sylvester Stallone: A very early film of his, wayyyy before he became as bulkily muscular as he was for Rocky, was a soft-core porn (Simulated sex acts). And of course, Stallone went on to stardom. Stephen Geoffreys, whom you may remember as Evil from the film "Fright Night" had an OK career in mainstream film up until 1991. Then in 1994 he started making gay porn and hasn't had a mainstream role since.
7. Well, if you'd like to be seen as a vapid sex symbol around Hollywood (think Pamela Anderson, Jenna Jameson), then you've done a great thing. If you want to be considered a serious actor and given roles with real merit, you've hurt your chances pretty severely.