Hart was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada.[5] She graduated from high school at age 16 and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas at age 19 in 1976 with a degree in theatrical arts.[6][7] After school she worked in England before returning to the United States and moving to New York City.[5][8]
Career
Hart appeared in pornographic films from 1980 until 1982[5][9] and is best known for her performances in Amanda by Night, Wanda Whips Wall Street, Roommates and A Scent of Heather.[5] She would often portray "stylish native New Yorker" characters in her films.[10] Around 1984, she began directing segments on the Playboy TV series Electric Blue, appearing in B-Movies and working as a stripper.[6][9] 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.[6]
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, she left the company when her existing contract expired.[11] Afterwards, Hart moved on to other work, including working as a tour guide at the Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas.[12]
Hart portrays a judge in the film Boogie Nights[7] and also appears in another Paul Thomas Anderson movie, Magnolia.[6]
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.[12]
Personal life
Hart married adult industry sound technician Michael Hunt in 1982, although they have since divorced. She has two sons, Chris and Max,[17] 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".[17]
Selected TV appearances
Six Feet Under, Jean Louise Macarthur a.k.a. Viveca St. John - in season 1's episode "An Open Book" (2001)
^ abRich, Frank (May 20, 2001). "Naked Capitalists". The New York Times. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
^Kleinhans, Chuck (2006). "Chapter 8: Implications for analysis - The change from film to video pornography". In Lehman, Peter (ed.). Pornography: Film and Culture. Rutgers University Press. pp. 154–167. ISBN9780857728883.
^Anthony, Andrew (August 1, 2004). "Risky Business". The Observer. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
