Rachel Oberlin (born October 7, 1986), known professionally as Bree Olson, is an American actress, model, and former
pornographic actress
A pornographic film actor or actress, pornographic performer, adult entertainer, or porn star is a person who performs sex acts on video that is usually characterized as a pornographic film. Such videos tend to be made in a number of distinc ...
. She performed in over 170 adult films from 2006 to 2011. Since retiring from pornography, she has been critical of the discrimination and
social stigma
Stigma, originally referring to the visible marking of people considered inferior, has evolved to mean a negative perception or sense of disapproval that a society places on a group or individual based on certain characteristics such as their ...
directed at adult film performers.
Early life
Olson was born in
Houston, Texas
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
. She says she moved with her mother to
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 census ...
, when she was two years old. Her mother and stepfather later bought a house in nearby
Woodburn, Indiana
Woodburn is a city in Maumee Township, Allen County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,551 at the 2020 census.
History
In 1865 Joseph Edgerton and Joseph Smith platted the town of Woodburn, or Phelps Station as it was called at tha ...
. Her first summer job was
detasseling
Detasseling corn is removing the pollen-producing flowers, the tassel, from the tops of corn (maize) plants and placing them on the ground. It is a form of pollination control, and worked for a variety of companies such as
Digital Playground
Digital Playground Inc. is an American independent pornographic film studio, headquartered in Burbank, California. It has been called one of the five biggest porn studios and, in 2006, was described by Reuters as one of the handful of studios th ...
, Elegant Angel, and Red Light District Video. She was a contract performer with Adam & Eve from 2007 to 2010. She says she chose the stage name Bree Olson because it sounded "wholesome" and also because she liked the actresses the
Olsen twins
Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986), also known as the Olsen twins, are American fashion designers and former actresses. Mary-Kate Olsen, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Ashley made their acting debut as infants playing Mi ...
.
Olson was named '' Penthouse'' Pet of the Month for March 2008. In 2010, she was named by ''Maxim'' as one of the 12 top female porn stars. She appeared on the covers of both ''Penthouse'' and ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'' in 2011. She retired from shooting pornography in 2011, having appeared in more than 170 adult films. ''
The Daily Beast
''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc.
It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
'' has called her "one of the most sought-after actresses in the adult film industry".
In a 2016 interview for the
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
video series ''Real Women, Real Stories'', she highlighted the
social stigma
Stigma, originally referring to the visible marking of people considered inferior, has evolved to mean a negative perception or sense of disapproval that a society places on a group or individual based on certain characteristics such as their ...
she felt she was subjected to as a former pornographic film actress, saying that people treated her as they would a "
pedophile
Pedophilia ( alternatively spelled paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puber ...
". Saying there was nothing wrong with women wanting to embrace their sexuality, she nonetheless advised young women to stay away from the pornography business, citing discrimination she has faced from employers using
morality clause
A morality clause (also known as a morals clause, bad boy clause or bad girl clause) is a provision within instruments of a contract which curtail, or restrain, or proscribe certain behavior of individuals or party(s) to the contract.
A moral clau ...
s to avoid hiring adult film performers. In an essay for ''
The Daily Dot
''The Daily Dot'' is a digital media company covering the culture of the Internet and the World Wide Web. It was founded by Nicholas White in 2011, and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
The site, conceived as the Internet's "hometown newsp ...
'', she wrote, "Porn didn't hurt me. The way society treats me for having done it does". She also criticized the lack of financial security performers face, saying that porn was "the only entertainment industry that doesn't offer talent
royalties
A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset or ...
after they are gone". According to
CNN
Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
, Olson has worked "reluctantly" as a
webcam model
A webcam model (colloquially, camgirl, camboy, or cammodel) is a video performer who streams on the Internet with a live webcam broadcast. A webcam model often performs erotic acts online, such as stripping, masturbation, or sex acts in exchan ...
since leaving the porn industry, mainly due to a lack of other career options.
Mainstream TV and cinema
In 2007, Olson appeared on the E! Network reality show ''
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
''Keeping Up with the Kardashians'' (often abbreviated ''KUWTK'') is an American reality television series which focused on the personal and professional lives of the Kardashian family, Kardashian–Jenner Stepfamily, blended family. It aired ...
'', in which she played a nanny to daughters Kendall and
Kylie Jenner
Kylie Kristen Jenner (born August 10, 1997) is an American media personality, socialite and businesswoman. She starred in the E! reality television series ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians'' from 2007 to 2021 and then the Hulu reality televisi ...
who was fired for wearing
bikini
A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features one piece on top that covers the breasts, and a second piece on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but usually exposing the navel, and the back generally covering ...
s at her job. Olson later told ''
Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Internationalism
* World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship
* Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community
* Cosmopolitan ...
'' that although the show portrayed matriarch
Kris Jenner
Kristen Mary Jenner ( Houghton , formerly Kardashian; born November 5, 1955) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She rose to fame starring in the reality television series ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians'' (2007â ...
as having hired her from a "reputable agency", she had actually been booked by her agent, relating that during casting, the producers "wanted a super-sexy vixen. Instead they got a cute little girl with blonde hair, like the girl next door. I just looked too wholesome, even in a bikini. I showed up with a baby blue and pink
gingham
Gingham, also called Vichy check, is a medium-weight balanced plain weave, plain-woven textile, fabric typically with Tartan, tartan (plaid), striped, or Check (pattern), check duotone patterns, in bright colour and in white made from dyed cotton o ...
two-piece. I mean...And so they had to spin it, I think, because they wanted me to be super trashy. I think that they thought because of my background that that's just something that comes naturally, but it doesn't to me." Olson stated that she was cast in order engage in antics such as rummaging through Kris' belongings and sunbathing by the pool while topless, in order to provoke a reaction from family members such as
Caitlyn Jenner
Caitlyn Marie Jenner (born William Bruce Jenner, October 28, 1949), formerly known as Bruce Jenner, is an American media personality and retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete.
Jenner played college football for the Graceland Yell ...
, who was initially uncomfortable with her presence, but became more amenable when the two of them got to know one another. After the producers left the house, Olson was left to babysit the children in earnest, spending time with them and getting to know them.
Olson subsequently appeared in the independent comedy film '' Purgatory Comics'' (2009), co-starred in the horror film '' The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence)'' (2015), and appeared in Penn Jillette and Adam Rifkin's '' Director's Cut'' (2016). In 2015, she played Divatox in the short web film '' Power/Rangers''. She has also done a series of videos for
Will Ferrell
John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is known for his leading man roles in comedy films and for his work as a television producer. Ferrell received various accolades, including ...
Funny or Die
Funny or Die, Inc. is a comedy video website and production company owned by Henry R. Muñoz III that was founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy in 2007. The website contained exclusive material from a regular staf ...
for six months as his live-in girlfriend alongside model for the marijuana magazine ''Cali Chronic X'', Natalie Kenly. Sheen nicknamed the two women his "goddesses". Their relationship ended in April 2011.
Olson is
vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...
and has described herself as a
lesbian
A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...
.
Awards
* 2007
NightMoves Award
The NightMoves Awards are given annually in the US pornographic film industry by ''NightMoves'', an Oldsmar, Florida-based magazine which was first published in 1987 and initially titled ''Sports South''. The awards began in 1993 and were initiall ...
– Best New Starlet (Editor's Choice)
* 2007 Adultcon Top 20 Adult Actresses
* 2008
AVN Award
The AVN Awards are List of movie awards, film awards sponsored and presented by the American trade magazine ''AVN (magazine), AVN'' (''Adult Video News'') annually to honor achievements in the global Sex industry, adult entertainment industry. ...
– Best New Starlet
* 2008 AVN Award – Best Anal Sex Scene (Video) – ''Big Wet Asses 10''
* 2008
XBIZ Award
XBIZ Awards, renamed as XMAs Awards from 2025 onwards, are given annually to honor "individuals, companies, performers and products that play an essential part in the growth and success of adult films". They have been described by XBIZ publisher ...
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 m ...
– New Starlet
* 2008 XRCO Award – Cream Dream
* 2008
F.A.M.E. Award
The Fans of Adult Media and Entertainment Awards (or F.A.M.E. Awards) were created in 2006 by ''Genesis (magazine), Genesis'', Adam & Eve (company), Adam & Eve, WantedList, Playboy Radio and ''AVN (magazine), AVN'' as a means for the general ...
– Favorite Female Rookie
* 2008 NightMoves Award – Best Female Performer (Fan's Choice)
* 2008 NightMoves Award – Best Girl/Girl Release – ''Bree & Kayden'' (Fan's Choice)
* 2009 AVN Award – Best New Web Starlet – BreeOlson.com
* 2009
Twistys
Twistys is a major Pornographic film, adult film Production company, studio, producing its eponymous pornography website, Twistys.com, a variety site that caters to many different preferences.
The site Twistys.com launched in 2001. While occasi ...
Treat of the Year
* 2009 NightMoves Award – Best Female Performer (Fan's Choice)
* 2010 AEBN VOD Award – Performer of the Year
* 2010 AVN Award – Best All-Girl Three-Way Sex Scene – ''The 8th Day''
* 2010 Miss FreeOnes
* 2010 NightMoves Award – Best All Girl Release (Fan's Choice) – ''Bree & Teagan''
* 2011 NightMoves Award – Best Social Media Star (Editor's Choice)
* 2012 Fame Registry Award – Social Network Sensation
* 2012 XRCO Award – Mainstream Adult Media Favorite