Marilyn Chambers

A pioneer in the adult industry, Marilyn Chambers was one of the few stars to have crossed from adult films into mainstream media easily making her one of the most recognized names in the industry. Marilyn grew up in Westport, Connecticut where she dreamed of some day becoming a star. At the age of 14 Marilyn began scouting modeling agencies and soon landed work, including ads for Ivory Snow and Pepsi. Success as a model led the way to Hollywood but young Marilyn soon became discouraged with the casting couch way of business. After doing a small part in Barbra Streisand's 1970 film The Owl and the Pussycat, Marilyn left Hollywood and moved to San Francisco to rethink her career. It was while in San Francisco that Marilyn met with the Mitchell brothers, for whom she shot her first adult film, XXX classic Behind the Green Door. Although hesitant at first, before agreeing to the role the savvy Marilyn Chambers negotiated a very lucrative contract, 10% of the movie's box office gross, and in the pre-disease aware era of the early '70s, she insisted on STD tests for the entire cast. Since her first film, Marilyn enjoyed a long and filling career making several comebacks throughout the years. In 2001 she was awarded AVN's highest honor, a lifetime achievement award. Marilyn was found dead in her home on April 12, 2009, less than two weeks from her 57th birthday. An autopsy revealed that Chambers died of a cerebral hemorrhage and aneurysm related to heart disease. She had been signed to appear as the "aging pornstar girlfriend" of the title character in a an off-Broadway production of "Deep Throat The Play," a role written specifically for her. Marilyn's legend lives on, even though she appeared in only 23 hardcore films, including Behind the Green Door, The Resurrection of Eve, Inside Marilyn Chambers, Beyond DeSade, Never a Tender Moment, Insatiable 1 & 2, Charli, Up 'n Coming, Marilyn Chambers' Private Fantasies 1-6, Still Insatiable, Dark Chambers, Edge Play, Nantucket Housewives, and a Marilyn Chambers' Guide to... series.