Actress, musician, and photographer Sasha Grey certainly didn’t take the traditional path to fame. Best known as one of the adult-film industry’s biggest banner names, Grey made a huge splash in the porn world almost immediately after filming her first scenes at the age of 18. Five years later, Grey has officially stepped away from the X-rated side of on-camera appearances, focusing instead on traditional acting, modeling, experimental music (with her band aTelecine), and photography. Along the way, she starred in Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience, picked up a recurring role on Entourage, posed for Terry Richardson, featured in videos by the Smashing Pumpkins and the Roots, and modeled for American Apparel.
In our exclusive interactive video interview, Grey discusses her debut photo book, Neü Sex&, her upcoming “black metal” film, the idea of porn as performance art, and what art form she wants to tackle next.
With the release of Neü Sex by Sasha Grey, we decided to do a roundup of porn stars and directors who have written memoirs. This seems to be a popular genre for obvious reasons, though the quality of the writing varies. Most are, predictably, really bad, either because the scenes are described through hackneyed, awful phrasing, or because what was advertised as a “tell-all” doesn’t really tell us much of anything in the end. There’s the “now I hate porn and was exploited” memoir, the “insider view of the industry” memoir, and the how-to guide for aspiring porn stars. Click through to peruse our roundup of some of the most interesting titles from the past twenty years.
1. If you’re in New York: Tonight’s Repulsion show is the Blackened Music Series’ inaugural event, set to bring seriously heavy music to the Brooklyn metal masses. Pig Destroyer and Brutal Truth will also play. 2. If you’re in Los Angeles: The lavishly illustrated docu-novel from artist Zak Smith expands on certain extant themes in his paintings and drawings — specifically those relating to the alt-culture, or indie wing, of the porn business. He reads tonight at Skylight Books. 3. If you’re in San Francisco:Nosaj Thing is the alias of Jason Chung, a 24 year-old L.A. based glitch-hop artist and producer whose perfectionism inspires the of use nearly any object capable of making noise to create his eerie, elegant tracks. Catch him at Mighty tonight. 4. If you’re in Chicago: In Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience, porn star Sasha Grey portrays Chelsea, a high-class escort who visits clients during the economic crisis before the 2008 presidential election.
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Hipster porn star Sasha Grey was barely a year old when director Steven Soderbergh’s Sex, Lies, and Videotape came out; now she’s the unlikely star of his latest film, a low-budget digital project called The Girlfriend Experience. The fragmented story follows Chelsea (Grey), a high-priced call girl who provides companionship and conversation to Manhattan bigwigs in the weeks leading up to the 2008 presidential election. Surrounded by various businessmen and clients concerned with the collapse of U.S. economy, Chelsea keeps her sanity by making $2,000 an hour and living with an understanding boyfriend. Of note: This film doesn’t include a single sex scene. Read More »
