Veronica Hart
Jane Hamilton is an American film director and former pornographic film actress who performed under the stage name Veronica Hart. Described by columnist Frank Rich as "a leading porn star of the late '70s and early '80s", Hart is a member of the AVN Hall of Fame.
Director Paul Thomas Anderson has called her "the Meryl Streep of porn."
Early life and education
Hart was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1976 with a bachelor's degree in theater arts. After school she worked in England before returning to the United States and moving to New York City.Career
Hart began appearing in pornographic films in the 1970s, becoming a major star by the 1980s. According to film scholar Chuck Kleinhans, she portrayed the "stylish 'native New Yorker type. She is best known for her performances in Amanda by Night, Wanda Whips Wall Street, Roommates and A Scent of Heather.Around 1984, Hart began directing segments on the Playboy TV series Electric Blue, appearing in B movies and working as a stripper.
After retiring from performing in pornographic films, Hart became an executive at film distributor VCA Pictures.
With the sale of VCA to Hustler Video in 2003, and the direction of the company moving from feature, storyline-driven films to gonzo, she left the company when her existing contract expired. Afterwards, Hart moved on to other work, including working as a tour guide at the Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas.
Hart has acted in off-Broadway theater productions such as The House of Bernarda Alba, A Thurber Carnival, The Dyke And The Porn Star, and The Deep Throat Sex Scandal.
She has also made appearances in non-pornographic films. She played "Telephone Trixie" in Ruby and a judge in the film Boogie Nights, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
As of 2014 Hart had become a sex educator in China. An article in AVN magazine stated that she has been instructing women through an arrangement with a chain of adult retail stores and clubs called Sediva Maison.
Personal life
Hart has two sons who attended magnet schools for highly gifted students.Selected TV appearances
- Six Feet Under, Jean Louise Macarthur a.k.a. Viveca St. John - in season 1's episode "An Open Book" Lady Chatterly's Stories, Amy - in the episode "The Manuscript" First Years, Lola - in the episode "Porn in the USA"
Awards
Wins- 1981
- 1982
AFAA Award for Best Supporting Actress – Foxtrot
- 1991
- 1994
- 1996
AVN Hall of Fame
- 1999
- 2004
- 2006
Nominations2001
AVN Best Director – Video for White Lightning2002
AVN Best Director – Film for Taken2003
AVN Best Director – Video for Crime and Passion2004
AVN Best Director – Film for Barbara Broadcast Too2005
AVN Best Director – Film for Misty Beethoven: The Musical2006
AVN Best Non-Sex Performance for Eternity2007
AVN Best Non-Sex Performance for Sex Pix2008
AVN Best Non-Sex Performance for Delilah
- 2009
Literature
- Dedicated to her, and one chapter covers Hart's early career.
- Features a chapter on Hart.