Nina Hartley is an American-born adult model and porn actress, director, writer, renowned for her work in the adult modeling world, particularly for posing for Twistys. Born as Marie Louise Hartman on March 11, 1959 in Berkeley, California, United States, she embodies the qualities of her Pisces zodiac sign — compassionate, highly creative, and intuitive. In the industry, she is also known by the names Nina Hartly, Nina Hartman, and Nina Hartwell.
Nina made waves as the featured model in Twistys's November 2016 edition, captivating audiences with her beauty and alluring presence. Her measurements are 36-24-36, complemented by her sparkling blue eyes and luminous blond hair.
Nina Hartley, a renowned figure in the adult entertainment industry, has appeared in over a thousand adult films as of 2017. Described by Las Vegas Weekly as an "outspoken feminist" and an "advocate for sexual freedom," Hartley is recognized by CNBC as "a legend in the adult world."
Nina Hartley grew up in a politically active family. Her father, Louis Hartman, was Lutheran, and her mother, Blanche Hartman, was Jewish. Both parents were members of the Communist Party USA and converted to Buddhism when Hartley was young. Her father faced blacklisting in 1957 due to his communist beliefs.
Hartley grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she identified as a feminist influenced by the slogan "my body, my rules." After graduating from Berkeley High School in 1977, she attended San Francisco State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing magna cum laude in 1985. She was a registered nurse until her license expired in 1986.
Hartley pursued a career in pornography to make a living through sex, partly driven by her exhibitionistic and voyeuristic tendencies. She chose this path after watching the 1976 erotic film The Autobiography of a Flea in San Francisco. In 1982, she began working as a stripper at the Sutter Cinema and the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre, adopting the stage name "Nina Hartley."
Her pornographic film debut came with Educating Nina (1984), directed by Juliet Anderson. Hartley toured extensively across the United States and Canada as a stripper, making personal appearances at sex shops. In 1992, she directed her first movie, Nina Hartley's Book of Love, and produced a series of sex education videos for Adam & Eve. She later launched the Nina Hartley's Guide series of instructional videos.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, Hartley starred in several Debbie Does Dallas spin-offs, such as Debbie Duz Dishes (1986) and Debbie Does Wall Street (1991). She portrayed Hillary Clinton in the 2008 satirical pornographic film Who's Nailin' Paylin?. As of 2015, Hartley was still performing actively.
Hartley has made several mainstream media appearances, including a role in the 1996 Canadian film Bubbles Galore and the 1997 film Boogie Nights, where she played the unfaithful wife of William H. Macy's character. She has also appeared in documentaries like The Naked Feminist (2003), After Porn Ends (2012), and Sticky: A (Self) Love Story (2016).
An outspoken feminist, Hartley has been described as a "guiding force for a generation of feminist porn stars." She identifies as a "classical liberal feminist" and has been involved in feminist and socialist activism since the 1980s. Hartley is affiliated with the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee and has served on the board of the Free Speech Coalition. She is also a long-time board member of the Woodhull Freedom Foundation.
Hartley frequently lectures at academic institutions, including Dartmouth College, Harvard University, and the University of California, promoting sex positivity and sexual freedom.
In 2006, Hartley co-authored Nina Hartley's Guide to Total Sex with her husband, Ira Levine. The book covers various topics, including sex toys, swinging, threesomes, dominance and submission, and erotic spanking. Library Journal praised the book for its frank, accurate, and sensitive handling of the material.
Hartley is a self-described bisexual, swinger, and exhibitionist. She was involved in a long-term three-way relationship with her first husband and a woman. She married her first husband in 1986, a marriage she later regretted, and their divorce was finalized in 2003. In the same year, she married Ira Levine, also known as Ernest Greene, a director of porn films. The couple is openly polyamorous.
