Jane Esther Hamilton (born October 27, 1956) is an American former

pornographic actress A pornographic film actor or actress, pornographic performer, adult entertainer, or porn star is a person who performs sex acts in video that is usually characterized as a pornographic movie. Such videos tend to be made in a number of dis ...

and current adult film director who performed under the

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

Veronica Hart during the 1980s. She is sometimes credited as Jane Hamilton, V. Hart, Veronica Heart, Victoria Holt, Randee Styles or just Veronica. Hart is a member of the

AVN Hall of Fame The ''AVN'' (''Adult Video News'') Hall of Fame has honored people for their work in the adult entertainment industry since 1995. Director

Paul Thomas Anderson Paul Thomas Anderson (born June 26, 1970), also known by his initials PTA, is an American filmmaker. He made his feature-film debut with '' Hard Eight'' (1996). He found critical and commercial success with ''Boogie Nights'' (1997) and received ...

has called her "the

Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...

of porn."

Early life

Hart was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated from high school at age 16 and the

University of Nevada, Las Vegas The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. It includes th ...

at age 19 in 1976 with a degree in theatrical arts. After school she worked in England before returning to the United States and moving to New York City.

Career

Hart appeared in

pornographic films Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, sex films, and 18+ films are films that present sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse and satisfy the viewer. Pornographic films present sexual fantasies and usually include erotica ...

from 1980 until 1982 and is best known for her performances in ''Amanda by Night'', '' Wanda Whips Wall Street'', ''Roommates'' and ''A Scent of Heather''. She would often portray "stylish native New Yorker" characters in her films. Around 1984, she began directing segments on the Playboy TV series Electric Blue, appearing in

B-Movies A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

and working as a

stripper A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at a bachelor party or other private event. ...

. During the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s she directed, edited, and produced pornographic films, while making occasional (non-sexual) cameos in both mainstream and adult productions. With the sale of VCA, her primary production company, to Hustler in 2003, and the direction of the company moving from feature, storyline-driven films to

Gonzo Gonzo may refer to: People * Gonzo (nickname), a list of people with the nickname * Radislav Jovanov Gonzo (born 1964), Croatian music video director Radislav Jovanov, also known as Gonzo * Matthias Röhr (born 1962), German musician whose sta ...

, 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 The Erotic Heritage Museum (EHM) is a space with dedicated to the history of erotica, located in Las Vegas. The grand patron of the museum is Harry Mohney, founder of Déjà Vu. An educational, performance and exhibit space, The Erotic Heritage ...

in Las Vegas. Hart has acted in off-Broadway theater productions such as ''

The House of Bernarda Alba ''The House of Bernarda Alba'' ( es, La casa de Bernarda Alba) is a play by the Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca. Commentators have often grouped it with ''Blood Wedding'' and ''Yerma'' as a "rural trilogy". Garcia Lorca did not incl ...

'', '' A Thurber Carnival'', ''The Dyke And The Porn Star'', and ''

The Deep Throat Sex Scandal ''The Deep Throat Sex Scandal'' is an American play by David Bertolino. It follows the life and career of Harry Reems as he enters the pornography industry, eventually filming '' Deep Throat'' opposite Linda Lovelace, and its resultant infamy a ...

''. Hart portrays a judge in the film ''

Boogie Nights ''Boogie Nights'' is a 1997 American period comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It is set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley and focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic fi ...

'' and also appears in another Paul Thomas Anderson movie, ''

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...

''. As of 2014 Hart had become a

sex educator Sex education, also known as sexual education, sexuality education or sex ed, is the instruction of issues relating to human sexuality, including emotional relations and responsibilities, human sexual anatomy, sexual activity, sexual reproduc ...

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 married adult industry sound technician Michael Hunt in 1982, although they have since divorced. She has two sons, Chris and Max, who attended magnet schools for highly gifted students. Hart's career had a negative impact on her sons, with her saying "It's horrible for them... I'm their loving mommy and nobody likes to think of their parents having sex and being famous for it. I'm not ashamed of what I do. I take responsibility for who I am. I chose. From the time they were kids, my stripping gear was washed and hanging in my bathtub. At the same time I apologize to my kids for how the choices in my life have affected them. They're well adjusted and can joke with me about it: I know I'm going to spend the rest of my life on the couch".

Selected TV appearances

*'' Six Feet Under'', Jean Louise Macarthur a.k.a. Viveca St. John - in season 1's episode "An Open Book" (2001) * ''

Lady Chatterly's Stories ''Lady Chatterley's Stories'' is an erotic softcore TV show that aired on Showtime which ran for two seasons. Premise The show featured Shauna O'Brien as Lady Constance Chatterley, a land broker by day and at night a sexual psychiatrist to her ...

'', Amy (as Jane Hamilton) - in the episode "The Manuscript" (2001) * ''

First Years ''First Years'' is an American legal drama that aired on NBC from March to April 2001. It is a remake of the British series '' This Life''. The series premiered on March 19, 2001, but was canceled after only three of the nine episodes produced h ...

'', Lola - in the episode "Porn in the USA" (2001)

Awards

Wins *1981 AFAA for Best Actress – ''Amanda by Night'' *1982 AFAA Award for Best Actress – ''Roommates'' AFAA Award for Best Supporting Actress – ''Foxtrot'' *1996

AVN Award The AVN Awards are film awards sponsored and presented by the American adult video industry trade magazine '' AVN'' (''Adult Video News'') to recognize achievement in various aspects of the creation and marketing of American pornographic fi ...

for Best Non-Sex Performance – ''Nylon'' *1999

XRCO Award The XRCO Awards are given by the American X-Rated Critics Organization annually to people working in adult entertainment and it is the only adult industry awards show reserved exclusively for industry members. Once every calendar year, XRCO ...

for Best Video - ''Torn'' (directed and produced by Hart) *2004 XRCO Award for Best Comedy or Parody - ''Misty Beethoven: The Musical'' (directed, edited and produced by Hart) *

AVN Hall of Fame The ''AVN'' (''Adult Video News'') Hall of Fame has honored people for their work in the adult entertainment industry since 1995. * XRCO Hall of Fame Nominations * 2001 AVN Best Director – Video for ''White Lightning'' * 2002 AVN Best Director – Film for ''Taken'' * 2003 AVN Best Director – Video for ''Crime and Passion'' * 2004 AVN Best Director – Film for ''Barbara Broadcast Too'' * 2005 AVN Best Director – Film for ''Misty Beethoven: The Musical'' * 2006 AVN Best Non-Sex Performance for ''Eternity'' * 2007 AVN Best Non-Sex Performance for ''Sex Pix'' * 2008 AVN Best Non-Sex Performance for ''Delilah'' *2009 AVN Best Non-Sex Performance for ''Roller Dollz''

Literature

* Dedicated to her, and one chapter covers Hart's early career. * Features a chapter on Hart.

References

External links

* chat transcript for ''The Secret History of the Other Hollywood'' * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hart, Veronica 1956 births American female adult models American female erotic dancers American erotic dancers American pornographic film actresses American film actresses American pornographic film directors American pornographic film producers Women pornographic film directors Women pornographic film producers American women film producers Living people Actresses from Las Vegas Pornographic film actors from Nevada University of Nevada, Las Vegas alumni 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American women