Marina Ann Hantzis (born March 14, 1988), known professionally as Sasha Grey, is an American actress, model, writer, musician, and former pornographic actress. Grey 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. After her 2009 feature film debut as the lead in

Steven Soderbergh Steven Andrew Soderbergh (; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. A pioneer of modern independent cinema, Soderbergh is an acclaimed and prolific filmmaker. Soderbergh's direc ...

's ''

The Girlfriend Experience ''The Girlfriend Experience'' is a 2009 American slice of life drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring then-pornographic actress Sasha Grey. It was shot in New York City, and a rough cut was screened at the Sundance Film Festiva ...

'', she starred in independent films including '' Open Windows'', the Canadian black comedy horror film ''

Smash Cut A smash cut is a technique in film and other moving picture media where one scene abruptly cuts to another for aesthetic, narrative, or emotional purpose. To this end, the smash cut usually occurs at a crucial moment in a scene where a cut would ...

'' and the horror film ''

Would You Rather "Would you rather" is a conversation or party game that poses a dilemma in the form of a question beginning with "would you rather". The dilemma can be between two supposedly good options such as "Would you rather have the power of flight or the ...

''. In 2011, she played a fictionalized version of herself in the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

comedy-drama series '' Entourage''. Grey was a co-founder, singer, and writer of

aTelecine aTelecine was an American industrial band featuring Ian Cinnamon and Sveio. The band was co-founded by actress Sasha Grey. They released their first EP '' aVigillant Carpark'' in 2009 in 7 inch vinyl only. Their debut album ''The Falcon ...

, an

industrial music Industrial music is a genre of music that draws on harsh, mechanical, transgressive or provocative sounds and themes. AllMusic defines industrial music as the "most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music" that was "initiall ...

band. She is the author of '' The Juliette Society'' trilogy of novels and also writes, directs, and co-produces films and music videos.

Early life

Hantzis was born in North Highlands, California, into a working-class family. Her father was a Greek-American who worked as a mechanic and died in June 2015. Her mother is of English, Irish, and Polish descent. Hantzis's parents divorced before she started middle school and she was subsequently raised by her mother, who remarried in 2000. She was raised as an adherent of Catholicism. Hantzis attended four high schools, including Highlands High in North Highlands, and was unhappy at each. She graduated a year early at the age of 17, and in late 2005, she attended Sacramento City College and took classes in film, dance, and acting. She bussed tables at a Black Angus steakhouse until March 2006 and saved $7,000 for a move to Los Angeles.

Career

Pornographic films

In May 2006, Hantzis moved to Los Angeles, California, and performed in

hardcore pornography Hardcore pornography, or hardcore porn, is pornography that features detailed depictions of sexual organs or sexual acts such as vaginal, anal or oral intercourse, fingering, anilingus, ejaculation, and fetish play. The term is in contrast wi ...

. She initially considered calling herself Anna Karina, after the

French New Wave French New Wave (french: La Nouvelle Vague) is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation and a spirit of iconocla ...

actress of the same name, before choosing Sasha Grey. The name 'Sasha' was taken from Sascha Konietzko of the band KMFDM. Her surname either came from

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

's novel '' The Picture of Dorian Gray'' or, alternatively, was inspired by how the

Kinsey scale The Kinsey scale, also called the Heterosexual–Homosexual Rating Scale, is used in research to describe a person's sexual orientation based on one’s experience or response at a given time. The scale typically ranges from 0, meaning exclusive ...

, grades homosexual and heterosexual attraction as a continuum, a "scale of grey". Grey's first scene was with Rocco Siffredi for '' Fashionistas Safado: The Challenge'' by

John Stagliano John Stagliano (born November 29, 1951), also known as Buttman, is an American entrepreneur, former pornographic film actor, producer and director who founded and owns the Evil Angel pornographic film studio. Early life and career Stagliano gr ...

and helped Grey quickly make a name for herself in the adult film industry after she asked Siffredi to punch her in the stomach during the scene, an act she later stated was improvised.Feinberg, Scott (December 27, 2010). . Less than six months after entering the adult industry, Grey was featured in the November 2006 edition of '' Los Angeles'' where she was flagged as a potential major star, perhaps the next Jenna Jameson. In December 2006, Grey was interviewed on the syndicated entertainment industry news program '' The Insider''. In February 2007, Grey appeared on '' The Tyra Banks Show'' and discussed teenagers working in the sex industry. There was speculation the show was heavily edited and had not included her defense of adult film as a career choice. The show was also criticized for editing the interview to increase its dramatic value. In 2008, she became the youngest woman ever to win the

AVN Female Performer of the Year Award The AVN Award for Female Performer of the Year is presented every January in Las Vegas, Nevada at the AVN Awards ceremony sponsored and presented by the American adult video industry trade magazine ''Adult Video News'' (AVN). It represents the f ...

In 2008 Grey announced that she would represent herself in the adult industry through her agency ''L.A. Factory Girls''. Grey also appeared in '' Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge'', which won in 15 categories at the

26th AVN Awards The 26th AVN Awards ceremony, presented by Adult Video News (AVN), honored the best pornographic movies of 2008 and took place on January 10, 2009, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Paradise, Nevada. During the ceremony, Adult Video News pre ...

ceremony in 2009, making it the most awarded film ever at the ceremony. Grey filmed her last adult film at age 21 in 2009 and announced her retirement from the industry on Facebook in April 2011.

A. O. Scott Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic. He has been chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' since 2004, a title he shares with Manohla Dargis. Early life Scott was born on July 10, 1966 in ...

of '' The New York Times'' described Grey's pornography career as "distinguished both by the extremity of what she is willing to do and an unusual degree of intellectual seriousness about doing it". Grey was the

G4tv G4 (also known as G4TV) was an American pay television and digital network owned by Comcast Spectacor that primarily focused on video games. The network was originally owned by G4 Media, a joint venture between the NBCUniversal Cable division ...

host in a two-hour documentary on Sexpo Australia for ''

Attack of the Show! ''Attack of the Show!'' (''AOTS'') is an American live television program and that aired on G4. AOTS features segments on pop culture, video games, and movies. After an initial run from 2005 to 2013 (which originally aired from 2005 until 2013 ...

'' in 2009. In 2011, CNBC named Grey as one of the 12 most popular stars in adult films and noted that her mainstream roles had kept interest in her earlier adult film work high and that several companies continued to release compilations from her films. '' The Guardian'' counted her as starring in 270 adult films. Grey directed the films ''Birthday Party'' and ''The Seduction'' (2009).

Modeling

Grey was named ''

Penthouse Penthouse most often refers to: *Penthouse apartment, a special apartment on the top floor of a building *Penthouse (magazine), ''Penthouse'' (magazine), a British-founded men's magazine *Mechanical penthouse, a floor, typically located directly u ...

''s

Pet of the Month This is a list of the models who have appeared in the American edition of '' Penthouse'' magazine and were either named Pet of the Month or Pet of the Year from September 1969 to the present. Pet of the Year names are in bold type and are typic ...

for July 2007 and was photographed by

fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

photographer

Terry Richardson Terrence Richardson (born August 14, 1965) is an American fashion and portrait photographer. He has shot advertising campaigns for Marc Jacobs, Aldo, Supreme, Sisley, Tom Ford, and Yves Saint Laurent among others, and also done work for ma ...

. She was also profiled in the December 2008 '' Rolling Stone'' magazine and appeared twice in '' Playboy'', in a December 2009 pictorial and as the cover feature in October 2010. Grey has modeled for various clients, including Max Azria's line Manoukian, American Apparel, and '' Flaunt''. Grey modeled for

Richard Kern Richard Kern (born 1954) is an American underground filmmaker, writer and photographer. He first came to prominence as part of the cultural explosion in the East Village of New York City in the 1980s, with erotic and experimental films like ...

as a part of '' Vice'' magazine's anti-fashion layout and appeared in his book and in the three-part

VBS.tv VBS.tv was an online television network owned by ''Vice Media'', and later absorbed into VICE.com. The network produced original, short-form, documentary-style video content under the auspice of VICE Films. Subject matter included humanitarian ...

program ''Shot by Kern''. Grey appeared in Taschen's 25th anniversary reprint of Terry Richardson's book ''Terryworld'' and in his ''Wives, Wheels, Weapons'', a companion book to James Frey's ''

Bright Shiny Morning ''Bright Shiny Morning'' is a novel written by James Frey, published in 2008. Set in Los Angeles, it follows the lives of several characters: a married couple, both celebrities, named Amberton and Casey; a young couple, Maddie and Dylan; a Mexican ...

''. She has modeled for artists James Jean,

Zak Smith Zak Smith (born July 16, 1976), also known as Zak Sabbath, is an American artist, role-playing game author, and adult actor. Early life and education Smith was born in Syracuse, New York and grew up in Washington, D.C. After receiving a BFA f ...

Dave Naz David F. Nazworthy, professionally known as Dave Naz (born September 2, 1969) is an American photographer and film director. Early life Nazworthy was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Beverly Hills. He is the son of Maxine F. Naz ...

David Choe David Choe (born April 21, 1976) is an American artist, musician, and former journalist and podcast host from Los Angeles. Choe's work appears in a wide variety of urban culture and entertainment contexts. He has illustrated and written for mag ...

, and Frédéric Poincelet, who also created the artwork for her industrial music band

's '' ...And Six Dark Hours Pass'' album. In May 2010 she interviewed artist

Terence Koh Terence Koh (born 1977 in Beijing, China ) is a Canadian artist who has also worked under the alias "asianpunkboy". The artist's work spans a range of media, including drawing, sculpture, video, performance, and the internet. Originally workin ...

for BlackBook. In 2010, Grey was one of four actors who appeared in

Julião Sarmento Julião Manuel Tavares Sena Sarmento (4 November 1948 – 4 May 2021) was a Portuguese multimedia artist and painter. Biography / Work Born in Lisbon in 1948, Sarmento studied painting and architecture at the Lisbon School of Fine Arts. He be ...

's video installation ''Leporello'' and was featured in the ''Richardson magazine A4''. Richard Phillips made a short film called ''Sasha Grey'' in the

Chemosphere The Chemosphere is a modernist house in Los Angeles, California, designed by John Lautner in 1960. The building, which the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' once called "the most modern home built in the world", is admired both for the ingenuity of ...

for the Gagosian Gallery in 2011 and also portrayed her for the Frieze Art Fair in 2013. ''Hypocrite Design'' described Sasha Grey in the film as a "perpetually evolving figure". In an interview with '' Allure'' in 2018, Grey said her look was "definitely punk-inspired, definitely the anti-aesthetic, and I've definitely grown out of that because I'm older".

Acting

The Girlfriend Experience

In director

's film ''

'', Grey played the

lead role A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typic ...

of Chelsea, an escort who is paid to act as her clients' girlfriend. Soderbergh cast Grey after reading her profile in ''Los Angeles'' magazine. As Grey prepared for her role in ''The Girlfriend Experience'', Soderbergh asked her to watch

Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Luc Godard ( , ; ; 3 December 193013 September 2022) was a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter, and film critic. He rose to prominence as a pioneer of the French New Wave film movement of the 1960s, alongside such filmmakers as Fran� ...

's films '' Vivre sa vie'' and '' Pierrot le Fou'', both of which star Anna Karina. Grey and Soderbergh also interviewed two escorts whom they took character traits and behaviors from. Reviews of Grey's performance in ''The Girlfriend Experience'' were mixed. '' Entertainment Weekly'' found Grey was "not so much a natural actress as a natural-born placid, affectless Barbie doll". ''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

'' said the actors "appear to be improvising (badly)". Violet Blue wrote that "Grey herself is as complex and layered and mesmerizing as a Soderbergh film itself—that's why Grey's fans cross all kinds of cultural and moral divides". On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a rating of 66% based on 138 reviews. In 2016,

Glenn Kenny Glenn Kenny (born August 8, 1959) is an American film critic and journalist. He writes for ''The New York Times'' and '' RogerEbert.com''. Biography Kenny attended William Paterson University, where he majored in English literature.majordomo A majordomo is a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. Typically, this is the highest (''major'') person of a household (''domūs'' or ''domicile'') staff, a head servant who acts on behalf of the owner of a large ...

of an escort-review site, described ''The Girlfriend Experience'' as a "digital film from another era" with most scenes being two-handers.

Other

Grey appeared in a 2009 episode of ''

James Gunn's PG Porn ''James Gunn's PG Porn'' is a web series created by brothers James Gunn, Brian Gunn, and Sean Gunn. It consists of a series of pornography spoofs, with a humorous event occurring just before the supposed commencement of pornographic sexual acts. E ...

'' with James Gunn, made a cameo appearance in

Dick Rude Dick Rude (born 1964) is a director, actor and writer known for his appearances in and contributions to many Alex Cox films including a starring role in 1986's '' Straight to Hell'', for which he also served as a writer and contributed to the sou ...

's 2010 independent film ''Quit'', and starred in the 2009 Canadian low-budget black comedy/horror film ''

'' with

David Hess David Alexander Hess (September 19, 1936 – October 7, 2011) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and director. He came to prominence for his portrayals of murderous villains and gruff characters in several films in the 1970s and 198 ...

from Odessa/Zed Filmworks. Grey played a fictionalized version of herself in the seventh season of the

series '' Entourage'' as Vincent Chase's new girlfriend in a multi-episode arc. The season has a 57% rating (13 fresh, 10 rotten) on Rotten Tomatoes. Grey played Raven in the thriller ''

I Melt With You "I Melt with You" is a song by the British new wave band Modern English. The song, produced by Hugh Jones, was the second single from their 1982 album '' After the Snow''. It became the band's most successful single, largely in the United ...

'', directed by

Mark Pellington Mark Pellington (born March 17, 1962) is an American film director, writer, and producer. Life and career Pellington was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Bill Pellington, an All-Pro linebacker who played football with the Baltimore Colts ...

, which premiered at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

on January 26, 2011. She then starred in the Indonesian film ''Shrouded Corpse Bathing While Hip-Shaking'', which premiered on April 28, 2011. She co-starred in the 2012 horror-thriller ''

'', which was directed by

David Guy Levy Periscope Entertainment is a Los Angeles-based film and comic book company that was founded in 2004 by producer David Guy Levy. It has several projects in development and set for release. Film releases *'' The Mandela Effect'', directed by David ...

, and which has a critics' consensus rating of 59% based on 22 reviews at Rotten Tomatoes. A critic noted the similarity of her role as "unflinching in the wildest of circumstances, when vying for a hefty sum of cash at the expense of erhealth" to Grey's own career as an adult actor. She voiced the character Viola DeWynter in the 2011 video game '' Saints Row: The Third'' and reprised the role again in 2015 for '' Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell''. In 2013, in the documentary series '' Durch die Nacht mit ...'',

Mariya Ocher Mary Ocher (''"Oh-chur"'', born Mariya Ocheretianskaya on November 10, 1986. Legally changed to Ocher at age 18) is a recording artist, performer, poet, director and visual artist. Music Mary recorded her first song at age 14, produced by Idan ...

took Grey to nightlife venues in Hamburg where Grey ignored the "women prohibited" barrier of the

Herbertstraße Herbertstraße (until 1922 ''Heinrichstraße'') is a street in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg, located near the ''Reeperbahn'', which is the main red-light district. It is the only street in the city where it is still possible to find pros ...

. In 2014 she starred with Elijah Wood in '' Open Windows'', which was directed by

Nacho Vigalondo Ignacio Vigalondo Palacios (born 6 April 1977), better known as Nacho Vigalondo, is a Spanish filmmaker. Career Vigalondo's first film was the 2003 Spanish-language short film '' 7:35 in the Morning'', about a suicide bomber who terrorizes a ca ...

. Nikola Grozdanovic wrote that "all of ''Open Windows'' is constructed in a way for all of the action to unfold through some kind of computer screen". The

Tomatometer Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

critics' consensus for ''Open Windows'' was 40% based on 40 reviews. In 2017, Sasha Grey and Danny Trejo starred in the arthouse thriller ''Black Licorice'', which was directed by Frankie Latina and in 2009 Grey was a co-producer of Latina's ''

Modus Operandi A ''modus operandi'' (often shortened to M.O.) is someone's habits of working, particularly in the context of business or criminal investigations, but also more generally. It is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode (or manner) of op ...

'', also starring Danny Trejo.; September 22, 2010. Grey appeared in music videos for The Smashing Pumpkins' 2007 song " Superchrist", and for

The Roots The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...

' 2008 song "Birthday Girl". In 2011, she appeared in the music video for

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

's song " Space Bound", which premiered on Vevo, playing a girlfriend whom Eminem strangles before realizing that she is only a figment of his imagination.

Music

In 2008, Grey began an

collaboration called aTelecine with Pablo St. Francis and the two later added Anthony D' Juan and Ian Cinnamon. The project's first EP, ''

aVigillant Carpark ''AVigillant Carpark'' is the first EP by the American industrial band ATelecine, released in 2009 by Pendu Sound Recordings.

,'' was released in 2009. The same year, Grey also contributed vocals to the Current 93 album '' Aleph at Hallucinatory Mountain''. In 2010, aTelecine released its first album, '' ...And Six Dark Hours Pass'', and followed it up with the first of three '' A Cassette Tape Culture'' compilations.

Paul Maher Jr. Paul Maher Jr. (born 1963) is an author, book critic, photographer and filmmaker best known for his published books about Jack Kerouac. Early life and education Paul Maher Jr. was born in Amarillo, Texas, where his father was stationed in the Ai ...

compared Sasha Grey with

Cathy Ames Cathy Ames, later known as Kate Trask or Kate Albey, is a fictional character and the main antagonist in John Steinbeck's novel '' East of Eden''. She is married to the main protagonist Adam Trask, and the mother of his twin sons, Caleb and Aron. B ...

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...

's novel East of Eden, describing the ambient tracks of aTelecine as aural wrecking balls, stated that Grey's artistic temperament comes close to that of the

Marquis de Sade Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade (; 2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814), was a French nobleman, revolutionary politician, philosopher and writer famous for his literary depictions of a libertine sexuality as well as numerous accusat ...

as "a proponent of freedom tethered to its furthest extremities, yet untethered by laws, morality or religion" and admired her courage and audaciousness. In July 2013 it was announced that Grey had left the band, leaving Ian Cinnamon and a new vocalist as the only remaining full-time members. In 2012, Grey covered Nico for the X-TG album ''

Desertshore ''Desertshore'' is the third studio album by German musician Nico. It was released in December 1970 on the Reprise label. Recording ''Desertshore'' was co-produced by John Cale and Joe Boyd. Unlike its predecessor ''The Marble Index'' it incor ...

.'' In 2014, Grey and Jayceeoh produced "Heat of the Night", featuring Bella. In 2015, psytrance band Infected Mushroom featured Grey's vocals in their album ''

Converting Vegetarians II ''Converting Vegetarians II'' is the ninth studio album by Israeli psychedelic trance duo Infected Mushroom. It was released on September 11, 2015 on Dim Mak Records. It is a sequel to the band's 2003 album ''Converting Vegetarians''. Track listi ...

'' in the track "Fields of Grey". In 2016, Grey contributed to the

Death in Vegas Death in Vegas are an English electronic music group, for which Richard Fearless serves as frontman. The band was formed in 1994 by Fearless and Steve Hellier and signed to Concrete Records under the name of Dead Elvis. Owing to an Irish record ...

album ''Transmission''. The former

Throbbing Gristle Throbbing Gristle were an English music and visual arts group formed in 1975 in Kingston upon Hull by Genesis P-Orridge, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Peter Christopherson, and Chris Carter (British musician), Chris Carter. They are widely regarded as pi ...

members

Chris & Cosey Chris & Cosey, sometimes known as Carter Tutti, are a musical duo formed in 1981, consisting of couple Chris Carter (electronics) and Cosey Fanni Tutti (electronics, guitar, cornet), both previously (and as of 2020 the sole surviving) members ...

remixed "Consequences of Love", a ''Transmission'' song performed and composed by Grey and

Fearless Fearless or The Fearless may refer to: Psychology * Lack of fear * Courage or bravery Film, television and audio Film * ''Fearless'' (1978 film), an Italian film directed by Stelvio Massi * ''Fearless'' (1993 film), an American drama directed ...

. In 2017, Michael Mayer adapted the Chris & Cosey remix in his DJ-Kicks album. '' Vice'' described ''Transmission'' as an "EBM-inspired romp through the darker edges of the sleazier clubs in the nightlife spectrum". In a cameo appearance,

DJ Harvey DJ Harvey (born Harvey Bassett) is a DJ born in Cambridge, England. He was an early exponent of the US disco/garage/house sound in the UK. Career Ersatz and transition to DJing (1978–1991) At age 13, he became a drummer for a Cambridge punk ...

plays "Consequences of Love" in the rave party at the

Grand Palais The Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées ( en, Great Palace of the Elysian Fields), commonly known as the Grand Palais (English: Great Palace), is a historic site, exhibition hall and museum complex located at the Champs-Élysées in the 8th arro ...

scene of '' Mission: Impossible – Fallout''. In 2018, Death in Vegas published the single "Honey", with Grey as writer, singer, and film director of Drone Records' video for the song. In August 2018 PIG published "That's The Way (I Like It)", featuring Grey, and premiered it on the website Pornhub. Since 2010, Grey has regularly performed as a DJ and has published some of her mixes on SoundCloud. Grey said she uses CDJs, USB-sticks, and SD cards when making her music. '' Earmilk'' editor David Sikorski considered her mixes as "testament to her wide range, eclectic taste in music, and her ability to understand the mechanics of solid electronic music production".

Books

Grey's

photo book A photo book or photobook is a book in which photographs make a significant contribution to the overall content. A photo book is related to and also often used as a coffee table book. Early Early photo books are characterized by their use o ...

''Neü Sex'' was released on March 29, 2011. BlackBook described it as "another right step in transforming herself into the multimedia artist she sees herself as" and the Portland Mercury compared Grey's "distinct style" with the photography of Cindy Sherman and

. Her second book, an erotic novel titled ''The Juliette Society'', was released on May 9, 2013. Karley Sciortino described the book as a "satirical, erotic novel that follows Catherine, a film student who enters a secret, elite sex society", and in an interview Grey stated she paid homage to novels like ''

The 120 Days of Sodom ''The 120 Days of Sodom, or the School of Libertinage'' (french: Les 120 Journées de Sodome ou l'école du libertinage, links=no) is an unfinished novel by the French writer and nobleman Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade, written in ...

'', '' Thérèse the Philosopher'', and Voltaire's ''

Candide ( , ) is a French satire written by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, first published in 1759. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled ''Candide: or, All for the Best'' (1759); ''Candide: or, The ...

''. Alisande Fitzsimons wrote that ''The Juliette Society'' contains references to classic erotic literature and film, and ''

Cosmopolitan UK ''Cosmopolitan'' is an American monthly fashion and entertainment magazine for women, first published based in New York City in March 1886 as a family magazine; it was later transformed into a literary magazine and, since 1965, has become a wome ...

'' called it "erotica with a difference". In 2016, the second book of ''The Juliette Society'' trilogy, ''The Janus Chamber'', was published and the third installment, ''The Mismade Girl'', followed in 2018. Grey described ''The Juliette Society'' as somewhat autobiographical. Allen Foster wrote that ''The Janus Chamber'' is "a brilliant work of literature", much more '' Satyricon'' than '' Fifty Shades of Grey'', where Grey's "wry sense of humor reveals itself in the obscure pop culture references". The trilogy was translated into several languages, and in October 2019 the German translation of ''The Mismade Girl'' was published by Heyne Hardcore as ''X''.

Other ventures

In 2020, Grey began hosting a show on VENN called ''Grey Area''. Grey began streaming video game playthroughs on Twitch in the first half of 2020.

Personal life

Grey identifies herself as an existentialist and as

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

. She was in a long-term relationship and engagement with Ian Cinnamon, who is 13 years her senior, but the couple split up in 2013. In May 2016 interview, rock and pop culture critic Art Tavana compared Grey with

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

, describing her as "defiantly feminist" and as "novelist, EDM DJ, sex-positive feminist, Formula 1 racer or action star—no matter what it is, it's more than 'ex-porn star'". In 2009, Meghan O'Rourke wrote that Grey "sees her extremity as helping to liberate female sexuality" but she called Grey's persona "a clever marketing tactic". Vanessa Grigoriadis stated that "what's most important about her is her impact on feminism". In a 2011 interview with ''Journal Frankfurt'', Grey commented that she dislikes the term 'feminist', saying she would be a 'post-modern feminist' if she was one. Grey is a professed movie buff, leading to her 2006 alias Anna Karina after the French-Danish film actress, and likes the work of Italian film director

Michelangelo Antonioni Michelangelo Antonioni (, ; 29 September 1912 – 30 July 2007) was an Italian filmmaker. He is best known for directing his "trilogy on modernity and its discontents"—''L'Avventura'' (1960), ''La Notte'' (1961), and ''L'Eclisse'' (1962 ...

filmmaker

, Danish Dogme 95 director Lars von Trier, New German Cinema filmmaker Werner Herzog,

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

filmmaker Catherine Breillat, and American filmmaker

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...

. MovieLine recognized her as "Twitter's Art-House Eulogist". Sasha Grey described herself as a David Bowie fan and contributed to a French homage after he died in 2016. Other musical influences of Grey's include KMFDM,

, Coil, and

Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...

. Grey also collects vinyl records and her motto is Lotta continua. In 2010, in an interview with '' Maxim'', Grey said her parents were not happy with her involvement in the adult film industry but that they were on good terms with her nonetheless; Grey's father died in 2015.

Activism

In February 2010, Sasha Grey and Joanna Angel were

Sex Week at Yale Organized originally in 2002 by then Yale College students Eric Rubenstein and Jacqueline Farber, Sex Week at Yale was a biennial event described on its website as "an interdisciplinary sex education program designed to pique students' interest th ...

panelists. Later the same year, she published her opinions on the

Mark Sanford extramarital affair From June 18 until June 24, 2009, Republican South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford's whereabouts were unknown and the media covered what was described as his disappearance. Subsequently, Sanford reappeared and admitted that he had been in Buen ...

in an op-ed for '' Newsweek 20/10''. In a March 2014 interview Grey spoke in defense of the adult industry and on behalf of outed

Duke University Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...

student-turned-adult-actress Belle Knox. In November 2011, Grey participated in a guest reading program at Emerson Elementary School in

Compton, California Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and, on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city in Los Angeles County to incorporat ...

. After some parents complained, Grey responded to the controversy by stating, "I committed to this program with the understanding that people would have their own opinions about what I have done, who I am, and what I represent". Grey also appeared on the American talk show '' The View'', where she said she thought the schoolchildren's parents should have been given prior notice of the identity of guest readers and that she would not have accepted the job if parents had objected to her. In March 2012, she published a video supporting Equal Pay Day. In July 2013, shortly after the National Security Agency's PRISM surveillance program was first publicized, Grey starred in a '' Funny or Die'' "Sexy NSA Commercial" parody. Funny Or Die (July 1, 2013). . She supported

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...

during the

2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries Presidential primaries and caucuses were organized by the Democratic Party to select the 4,051 delegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention held July 25–28 and determine the nominee for president in the 2016 United States presidential e ...

and supports

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Reve ...

. In 2020, she supported

Direct Relief Direct Relief (formerly known as Direct Relief International) is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical assistance and disaster relief in the United States and internationally. The organization is headed by an inde ...

for the Puerto Rico earthquakes and Black Lives Matter on her Twitch stream.

Awards

Filmography

Film

Series

Music videos

Video games

Discography

;with

:2009: ''

aVigillant Carpark ''AVigillant Carpark'' is the first EP by the American industrial band ATelecine, released in 2009 by Pendu Sound Recordings.

'' ( EP;

Pendu Sound Recordings Pendu Sound Recordings was an independent record label used by aTelecine, Chelsea Wolfe, Azar Swan, Mater Suspiria Vision, White Ring, Talibam!, Von Haze, and others. The label, also known as Pendu Sound, was started by Todd Brooks in 2005 ...

) :2010: '' A Cassette Tape Culture'' (Pendu Sound Recordings) :2010: '' ...And Six Dark Hours Pass'' (

Dais Records Dais Records is an American independent record label founded in August 2007 by musicians Gibby Miller and Ryan Martin, based in Los Angeles, California, and Brooklyn, New York. The label has released recordings from artists including Drab Majest ...

) ;with Current 93 :2009: '' Aleph at Hallucinatory Mountain'' (

Coptic Cat Coptic may refer to: Afro-Asia * Copts, an ethnoreligious group mainly in the area of modern Egypt but also in Sudan and Libya * Coptic language, a Northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century * Coptic alphabet ...

) ;with X-TG :2012: ''

'' (covering Nico, Industrial Records) ;with Infected Mushroom :2015: ''Fields Of Grey'' (EP; Dim Mak Records) ;with

:2016: ''

Transmission Transmission may refer to: Medicine, science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual transmission *** ...

'' ( LP,

Drone Records Drone most commonly refers to: * Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg * Unmanned aerial vehicle * Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft * Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to: ...

) :2018: ''Honey'' (EP; Drone Records) ;with PIG :2018: '' That's The Way (I Like It)'' (EP; Pig Industries, Armalyte Industries) :2019: '' You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin''' (cover duet, LP ''Candy'', Armalyte Industries)

Bibliography

* '' Neü Sex'' (VICE Books, 2011, ) * '' The Juliette Society'' (Grand Central Publishing, 2013, ) * ''The Juliette Society, Book II: The Janus Chamber'' (Cleis Press, 2016, ) * ''The Juliette Society, Book III: The Mismade Girl'' (Cleis Press, 2018, )

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grey, Sasha 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American musicians 21st-century American women writers 21st-century American women musicians Actresses from California American DJs American experimental musicians American women singers American women drummers American women guitarists American film actresses American television actresses American video game actresses American voice actresses American industrial musicians American people of English descent American people of Greek descent American people of Irish descent American people of Polish descent American pornographic film actresses Existentialists Women DJs Female models from California Living people Penthouse Pets People from Sacramento County, California Pornographic film actors from California Postmodern feminists Sex-positive feminists Writers from California Twitch (service) streamers Feminist musicians 1988 births American LGBT musicians American LGBT actors