Vanessa del Rio | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Ana María Sánchez March 31, 1952 |
| Other names | Ursula Pasarell, Nessa, Diane Richards, Violet Reason, Ursula Passarell, Vanessa delRio |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) [1] [ unreliable source? ] |
| Website | http://www.vanessadelrio.com |
Vanessa del Rio (born March 31, 1952) is an American retired pornographic actress.
Vanessa del Rio was born Ana María Sánchez [2] and raised in Harlem, New York, the only child of immigrants from Cuba and Puerto Rico. Her mother would take her to see the Spanish language movies of Isabel Sarli, a passionate, voluptuous Argentinian actress with a charismatic power over men whom Vanessa credits as a big influence in her life. [3] She describes her mother as "an innocent, deeply religious woman who didn't really relate to Sarli's sexuality," [4] while her young daughter focused on Sarli's power over men, and wanted that power for herself. After an early childhood as religious as her mother's, Sanchez dropped out of school in the 8th grade, tired of the sheltered life imposed on her at home. She studied coding, and became a computer programmer at age 18, then abandoned the straight life altogether to live in a series of stolen Volkswagen Beetles with a criminal boyfriend. [5] When that adventure ended two years later she became "a waitress, then a topless barmaid, and finally a go-go dancer" before accepting her first hardcore porn role in the film China Doll because "it paid $150, which was exactly my half of the rent," [6] [7] so she could join a boyfriend in Europe. In her illustrated biography from TASCHEN Publications (Vanessa del Rio: Fifty Years of Slightly Slutty Behavior, 2007) she revealed to editor Dian Hanson that she also worked as a streetwalker and call girl [8] [9] prior to entering adult films.
For her stage name, she took the name "Vanessa" from a childhood friend and "del Rio" from actress Dolores del Río at the suggestion of another friend who was a movie buff. [10]
Del Rio made her first adult film in 1974. [11] In a span of 12 years, she appeared in 81 pornographic films [6] and countless "loops" – 10 minute film clips produced for use in sex shop peep shows.
Del Rio retired from adult films in 1986, in part due to the AIDS scare prevalent at the time. [3] [6] She then worked as a feature dancer and magazine model. [6] After that she used her coding skills to create her own website, produce original content, continued to appear in magazines, and made special appearances at award shows and conventions.
During and after her porn career she appeared on many TV shows as herself, including a 1996 episode of NYPD Blue titled "Head Case" (Season 3, episode #15). [12] [13] In 2008, she made a cameo opposite Bernie Mac as the amorous "full-figured neighbor" in the film Soul Men , which also co-starred Samuel L. Jackson. [14]
She has been mentioned in lyrics by several rap artists, including Chubb Rock's "Just the Two of Us", Gangsta Boo's "Fuck You", The Game's "House of Pain", Ice Cube's "Roll All Day" and Giving Up The Nappy Dug Out" on Death Certificate (album), Digital Underground's "Freaks of the Industry" on their debut studio album Sex Packets, and Junior Mafia's 1995 single "I Need You Tonight" and "Get Money". She had a cameo in the "Get Money" music video. [13]
In 2007, the German art book publisher TASCHEN released a deluxe, heavily illustrated biography, Vanessa del Rio: Fifty Years of Slightly Slutty Behavior edited by del Rio's long time friend Dian Hanson. [15] [16]
A feature film, The Latin from Manhattan, based on del Rio's life, written and directed by Thomas Mignone, and starring Vivian Lamolli as del Rio began production in 2019. [17] [18] [19]
The Czech EBM band Vanessa was originally named Vanessa Del Rio in an allusion to the adult film star. [20] They have since mentioned her in several interviews, as well as songs.
Marilyn Ann Taylor, known professionally as Marilyn Chambers, was an American pornographic actress, exotic dancer, model, actress, singer and vice-presidential candidate. She was known for her 1972 hardcore film debut, Behind the Green Door, and her 1980 pornographic film Insatiable. She ranked at No. 6 on the list of Top 50 Porn Stars of All Time by AVN, and ranked as one of Playboy's Top 100 Sex Stars of the Century in 1999. Although she was primarily known for her adult film work, she made a successful transition to mainstream projects and has been called "porn's most famous crossover".
Shelley Bob Graham, known professionally as Georgina Spelvin, is an American former actress and pornographic performer, best known as the star of the classic 1973 pornographic film The Devil in Miss Jones, released during the Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984).
Désirée Cousteau is a pornographic actress and striptease artist who was active in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She is best known for her role in the 1978 film Pretty Peaches.
Pornographic magazines or erotic magazines, sometimes known as adult magazines or sex magazines, are magazines that contain content of an explicitly sexual nature. Publications of this kind may contain images of attractive naked subjects, as is the case in softcore pornography, and, in the usual case of hardcore pornography, depictions of masturbation, oral, manual, vaginal, or anal sex.
Uschi Digard is the stage name of a softcore pornographic actress and pin-up model active between 1968 and 1982. Born in Europe, she was said to be aged thirty-two in 1977 and sixty in 2006, but her date of birth is not known. She emigrated to the United States in 1968 and settled in California. She is remembered particularly for her work with Russ Meyer.
Jamie Gillis was an American pornographic actor, director and member of the AVN Hall of Fame. He was married to the porn actress Serena.
Serena is an American former pornographic actress. She was married to porn actor Jamie Gillis.
Gerardo Rocco "Gerard" Damiano was an American director of adult films. He wrote and directed the 1972 pornographic film Deep Throat, which starred Linda Susan Boreman aka Linda Lovelace. He also directed The Devil in Miss Jones, which ranked #7 in Variety's list of the top-grossing pictures of 1973. Damiano is one of the seminal directors of what is known as The Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984).
Stasia Micula, known professionally as Samantha Fox, was an American pornographic film and B movie actress. She started working in 1978, working in film for almost a decade. During her film career, Fox starred in over 100 films, including Roommates, A Night to Dismember and The Devil in Miss Jones 2.
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Edward Earle Marsh was an American actor, musician, adult film director and star. He is principally known by his stage name Zebedy Colt.
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Kimberly Kane is an American pornographic actress.
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Marina Ann Hantzis, known professionally as Sasha Grey, is an American actress, model, writer, musician, and former pornographic film actress. She began her acting career in the pornographic film industry, winning 15 awards for her work between 2007 and 2010, including the AVN Award for Female Performer of the Year in 2008. In 2023, she was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame and the XRCO Hall of Fame.
Long Dong Silver is a British retired porn star known for his large penis. He was born in 1960 in London, England, as Daniel Arthur Mead. His stage name is a reference to the fictional Treasure Island character Long John Silver.
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The Critics Adult Film Association (CAFA) was a New York–based group of East Coast adult sex film critics, which bestowed awards upon those working in pornographic film during the 1980s. The awards were first presented in 1981, honoring the movies of the previous year. Talk Dirty to Me, a sex comedy starring John Leslie, who won Best Actor, was voted best film of 1980. Samantha Fox was the first Best Actress, winning for her role in This Lady Is A Tramp, another sex comedy.
Her Name Was Lisa is a 1979 American pornographic film directed by Roger Watkins under the pseudonym Richard Mahler.
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