She’s the world’s most downloaded adult star. And she is able to juggle a career as an adult film actress and model with a burgeoning career in mainstream movies and television. Now Jenna Jameson is set to take her legit film career even further with aspirations to win an Oscar. Traci Lords certainly proved that one could cross over from adult films into so-called legit movies, so why should Jameson?
Jenna Jameson was born on April 9, 1974 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her father was the President of NBC in Las Vegas and her mother was a revered Las Vegas showgirl. Jenna was raised by her father after her mother passed away when she was only four years-old. Well aware of Jenna’s charm and good looks at a young age, her father nicknamed her “Heartbreaker” which resulted in her infamous tattoo of the same name at the age of 16. With Jenna’s love for dance and the spotlight, she became and instant success in the pageant circuit.
After graduation from high school, Jenna danced as a showgirl on the Las Vegas and then moved on to the Las Vegas Crazy Horse II. Instantly recognized for her beauty and sex appeal, Jenna was encouraged to pursue a career in nude modeling. As a model, she has appeared many times over in Penthouse, Hustler, Club, and every other leading “men’s sophisticate” magazine. She has been named as Porn’s #1 Girl by every adult magazine. Up to now, she has graced over 300 magazine covers and appeared in over 700 magazines. Her popularity has crossed over to numerous mainstream magazines including Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Allure, Jane and FHM, where Jenna was listed as one of the 100 Most Beautiful Girls in the World for the year 2000.
After encouragement from a friend to visit an adult movie set, Jenna appeared in her very first adult scene, for Andrew Blake’s “Fantasy Woman”. Shortly thereafter, Jenna signed a five-film contract with Vivid Video.
Her big break came when she starred in Howard Stern’s critically acclaimed “Private Parts” in a scene in which she appeared totally nude. As arguably the world’s most popular adult star, Jameson’s popularity quickly transcended into the mainstream. Besides her many appearances on E’s Wild On and Talk Soup, she has made numerous appearances on Comedy Central’s The Man Show, Nash Bridges, The Roseanne Show, Later with Cynthia Garrett, Entertainment Tonight, Extra and HBO.
In 1995, Jenna was honored by AVN with a bevy of awards including Best New Starlet, Best Actress, and Best Couples Sex Scene, marking it the first time ever a new starlet had won all three awards. She was also honored with the XRCO Starlet of the Year award and the FOXE Video Vixen award. Jenna is the only performer in the history of adult entertainment to win the Best New Starlet award from all three voting organizations. In total, Jenna has won over 25 awards and countless nominations. Could this prestigious career in adult films pave the way to Oscar success alongside such actresses as Julia Roberts?
Jenna’s recent film accomplishment is “Wrong Way to Sundance,” (check out the Wrong Way web site) in which she plays herself, in a mockumentary about independent filmmaking. Written and directed by Dan Settani (“The Night Ferris Bueller Died”), “Wrong Way” follows the lives of six failed filmmakers and the toll their “hobby” has taken on their jobs, marriages, and their sanity. In Jenna’s scene, one of the failed filmmakers is convinced that indie films are a waste of time, and that the only real success out there is in porn. “Wrong Way” will be premiering this January in Park City, Utah, and is produced by outspoken indie Brent Roske.
Now you know the resume, but what’s the real Jenna like? I recently had the pleasure to get to know the woman behind the tattoos and the blonde mane in this exclusive question and answer session…
Get the interview in part two of FIERCELY INDEPENDENT: A JENNA JAMESON INTERVIEW>>>
