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John Holmes’ Hottest Old School Porn Co-Stars

Tomorrow marks the publication of John Holmes: A Life Measured in Inches, the first full-length (ayo!) biography of the late great porn titan. It also marks what would have been the big guy’s (ayo!) 64th birthday, so now is as good a time as any to look back at some of the ladies who shared the screen with him. Before Jenna, before Tera, before Kim K.’s exploits, these were the golden era skin queens…

MARILYN CHAMBERS

Real Name: Marilyn Ann Briggs
Big Break: Behind the Green Door (1972)
Niche: “The 99 and 44/100% Pure Girl”—She was the woman on the Ivory Snow soap box
Career Highlight: Insatiable (1981)
Trivia: She fainted after filming a 45-minute scene in Behind the Green Door

SEKA

Real Name: Dorothiea Hundley
Big Break: Dracula Sucks (1978)
Niche: “The Platinum Princess,” the Marilyn Monroe of porn
Career Highlight: Making 37 movies in 1981
Trivia: Julianne Moore’s character in Boogie Nights was partially based on her.

RHONDA JO PETTY

Real Name: Rhonda Jo Petty
Niche: The hardcore version of Farrah Fawcett
Big Break: Little Orphan Dusty (1978)
Career Highlight: AVN Hall of Fame
Trivia: Born and raised a Mormon (later excommunicated, for reasons we can’t possibly understand)

CANDIDA ROYALLE

Real Name: Candice Royalle
Big Break: Analyst (1975)
Niche: The thinking woman’s porn star—she went on to produce and direct movies aimed at women and couples
Career Highlight: Founding Femme Productions, her company, in 1984
Trivia: Her mother was a professional jazz drummer

SHARON MITCHELL

Real Name: Sharon Mitchell
Big Break: Lisa Meets Mr. Big (1975)
Niche: “vigorous cunnilingus technique” (thank you, Wikipedia!)
Career Highlight: Getting a PhD in human sexuality
Trivia: Started in porn when she was 16–but because she was married at the time, those movies are not considered “underage.”