Marina Ann Hantzis (born March 14, 1988), known professionally as Sasha Grey, is an American actress, model, writer, musician, and former

pornographic Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,

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

's '' The Girlfriend Experience'', she starred in independent films including '' Open Windows'', the Canadian black comedy horror film '' Smash Cut'' and the horror film '' Would You Rather''. In 2011, she played a fictionalized version of herself in the HBO 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 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 North Highlands is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade– Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 42,694 at the 2010 census, down f ...

, into a working-class family. Her father was a

Greek-American Greek Americans ( el, Ελληνοαμερικανοί ''Ellinoamerikanoí'' ''Ellinoamerikánoi'' ) are Americans of full or partial Greeks, Greek ancestry. The lowest estimate is that 1.2 million Americans are of Greek descent while the hi ...

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 The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. 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 Sacramento City College (SCC) is a public community college in Sacramento, California. SCC is part of the Los Rios Community College District and had an enrollment of 25,307 in 2009. It is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community ...

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 ...

. 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 icono ...

actress of the same name, before choosing Sasha Grey. The name 'Sasha' was taken from

Sascha Konietzko Sascha Kegel Konietzko (born 21 June 1961), also known as Sascha K and Käpt'n K, is a German musician and record producer. He is the founder, frontman and "anchor" of the industrial band KMFDM. Konietzko jokingly purports himself to be the fa ...

of the band

KMFDM KMFDM (originally Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid, loosely translated by the band as "no pity for the majority") is a multinational industrial band from Hamburg led by Sascha Konietzko, who founded the band in 1984 as a performance art project. ...

. 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 ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical fiction, philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical ''Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''Th ...

'' or, alternatively, was inspired by how the Kinsey scale, grades homosexual and heterosexual attraction as a continuum, a "scale of grey". Grey's first scene was with

Rocco Siffredi Rocco Siffredi (born Rocco Antonio Tano; 4 May 1964) is an Italian pornographic actor, director and producer. He took his stage name from the character Roch Siffredi played by Alain Delon in the French gangster film ''Borsalino'' (1970). Known ...

for '' Fashionistas Safado: The Challenge'' by John Stagliano 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 Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

'' where she was flagged as a potential major star, perhaps the next

Jenna Jameson Jenna Marie Massoli (born April 9, 1974), known professionally as Jenna Jameson (), is an American model, former pornographic film actress, businesswoman, and television personality. She has been named the world's most famous adult entertainme ...

. 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 ''The Tyra Banks Show'', also known as and shortened to ''Tyra'' or ''The Tyra Show'', was an American talk show hosted by Tyra Banks that aired from 2005 to 2010. While Banks's show covered a variety of topics, there was a sensationalized focus ...

'' 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 ...

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 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 Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin ...

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 ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' 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 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 CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk sh ...

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 ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'' counted her as starring in 270 adult films. Grey directed the films ''Birthday Party'' and ''The Seduction'' (2009).

Modeling

Grey was named '' Penthouse''s Pet of the Month 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 fash ...

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 mag ...

. She was also profiled in the December 2008 ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' magazine and appeared twice in ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

'', 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 American Apparel Inc. is an online-only retailer and former brick-and-mortar stores operator based in Los Angeles, California. Founded by Canadian businessman Dov Charney in 1989, it was a vertically integrated company that ranked as one of the ...

, 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 A vice is a practice, behaviour, or Habit (psychology), habit generally considered immorality, immoral, sinful, crime, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refe ...

'' magazine's anti-fashion layout and appeared in his book and in the three-part VBS.tv program ''Shot by Kern''. Grey appeared in

Taschen Taschen is a luxury art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. As of January 2017, Taschen is co-managed by Benedikt and his eldest daughter, Marlene Taschen. History The company began as Taschen Comic ...

's 25th anniversary reprint of Terry Richardson's book ''Terryworld'' and in his ''Wives, Wheels, Weapons'', a companion book to

James Frey James Frey (born September 12, 1969) is an American writer and businessman. His first two books, '' A Million Little Pieces'' (2003) and ''My Friend Leonard'' (2005), were bestsellers marketed as memoirs. Large parts of the stories were later f ...

'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 ...

, Dave 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 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 Gagosian is a contemporary art gallery owned and directed by Larry Gagosian. The gallery exhibits some of the most influential artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. There are 16 gallery spaces: five in New York City; three in London; two in Pa ...

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

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 direct ...

's film '' The Girlfriend Experience'', 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 typica ...

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 Anna Karina (born Hanne Karin Blarke Bayer; September 22, 1940 – December 14, 2019)

. 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 ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...

'' 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 Rotten Tomatoes is an American 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, and Stephen Wan ...

, 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.

who played the

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'' with

James Gunn James Francis Gunn Jr. (born August 5, 1966) is an American filmmaker and executive. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with '' Tromeo and Juliet'' (1997). He then began working as a direct ...

, 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 '' Smash Cut'' with David Hess from Odessa/Zed Filmworks. Grey played a fictionalized version of herself in the seventh season of the HBO 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'', 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 46,6 ...

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 '' Would You Rather'', 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 Gu ...

, 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 Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...

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 p ...

. In 2014 she starred with

Elijah Wood Elijah Jordan Wood (born January 28, 1981) is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his portrayal of Frodo Baggins in the ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy (2001–2003) and '' The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'' (2012). Woo ...

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 Danny Trejo ( ; born May 16, 1944) is an American actor. He has appeared in films including ''Desperado'', ''Heat'', and the ''From Dusk Till Dawn'' film series. With frequent collaborator and his second cousin Robert Rodriguez, he portrayed ...

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 o ...

'', also starring Danny Trejo.; September 22, 2010. Grey appeared in music videos for

The Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chambe ...

' 2007 song "

Superchrist ''Zeitgeist'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, released on July 10, 2007 on Martha's Music and Reprise Records. Recorded solely by returning band members Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin, the album was the ...

", 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 Jimm ...

' 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 Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, ...

, playing a girlfriend whom Eminem strangles before realizing that she is only a figment of his imagination.

Music

In 2008, Grey began an industrial music 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 Current 93 are an English experimental music group, working since the early 1980s in folk-based musical forms. The band was founded in 1982 by David Tibet, who has been Current 93's only constant member. Background Tibet has been the only cons ...

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 in John Steinbeck'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 Naftiran Intertrade Company limited (NICO) is a Swiss-based subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). NICO is a general contractor for the oil and gas industry. NIOC buys the vast majority of Iran's gasoline imports. NICO is a key pla ...

for the X-TG album '' Desertshore.'' In 2014, Grey and

Jayceeoh Jacob Charles Osher, (born June 6, 1982), more popularly known as Jayceeoh, is an American DJ, record producer and Turntablist . He is the founder of label imprint, "Super 7 Records". Biography (2013 - present) His debut original release ...

produced "Heat of the Night", featuring Bella. In 2015, psytrance band Infected Mushroom featured Grey's vocals in their album '' Converting Vegetarians II'' 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. They are widely regarded as pioneers of industrial music. Evolv ...

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. ''

'' 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 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 ...

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 Pornhub is a Canadian-owned internet pornography website. It is one of several pornographic video-streaming websites owned by MindGeek. , Pornhub is the 10th-most-trafficked website in the world and the second-most-trafficked adult website afte ...

. Since 2010, Grey has regularly performed as a DJ and has published some of her mixes on

SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming s ...

. Grey said she uses CDJs, USB-sticks, and

SD card Secure Digital, officially abbreviated as SD, is a proprietary non-volatile flash memory card format developed by the SD Association (SDA) for use in portable devices. The standard was introduced in August 1999 by joint efforts between San ...

s 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 of ...

''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 ''Portland Mercury'' is an alternative bi-weekly newspaper and media company founded in 2000 in Portland, Oregon. It has a sibling publication in Seattle, Washington, called '' The Stranger''. Contributors and staff Editor-in-chief: Wm. Steven ...

compared Grey's "distinct style" with the photography of

Cindy Sherman Cynthia Morris Sherman (born January 19, 1954) is an American artist whose work consists primarily of photographic self-portraits, depicting herself in many different contexts and as various imagined characters. Her breakthrough work is often co ...

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, Th ...

''. 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 The ''Satyricon'', ''Satyricon'' ''liber'' (''The Book of Satyrlike Adventures''), or ''Satyrica'', is a Latin work of fiction believed to have been written by Gaius Petronius, though the manuscript tradition identifies the author as Titus Petr ...

'' than ''

Fifty Shades of Grey ''Fifty Shades of Grey'' is a 2011 erotic romance novel by British author E. L. James. It became the first instalment in the ''Fifty Shades'' novel series that follows the deepening relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, ...

'', 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 Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...

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, wh ...

. 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, 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'' (1 ...

filmmaker

, Danish

Dogme 95 Dogme 95 is a 1995 avant-garde filmmaking movement founded by the Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, who created the "Dogme 95 Manifesto" and the "Vows of Chastity" ( da, kyskhedsløfter). These were rules to create films ...

director

Lars von Trier Lars von Trier (''né'' Trier; 30 April 1956) is a Danish filmmaker, actor, and lyricist. Having garnered a reputation as a highly ambitious, polarizing filmmaker, he has been the subject of several controversies: Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, ...

New German Cinema New German Cinema (german: Neuer Deutscher Film) is a period in German cinema which lasted from 1962 to 1982, in which a new generation of directors emerged who, working with low budgets, and influenced by the French New Wave and Italian Neo ...

filmmaker

Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with u ...

, feminist filmmaker

Catherine Breillat Catherine Breillat (; born 13 July 1948) is a French filmmaker, novelist and professor of auteur cinema at the European Graduate School. In the film business for over 40 years, Catherine Breillat chooses to normalize previously taboo subjects i ...

, 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 David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

fan and contributed to a French homage after he died in 2016. Other musical influences of Grey's include

, 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 ban ...

. Grey also collects

vinyl records A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts near ...

and her motto is Lotta continua. In 2010, in an interview with ''

Maxim Maxim or Maksim may refer to: Entertainment *Maxim (magazine), ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine ** Maxim (Australia), ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition ** Maxim (India), ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition *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 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 incorporate ...

. 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 Equal Pay Day is the symbolic day dedicated to raising awareness of the gender pay gap. In the United States, this date symbolizes how far into the year the average median woman must work (in addition to their earnings last year) in order to ha ...

. In July 2013, shortly after the

National Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collectio ...

's PRISM surveillance program was first publicized, Grey starred in a ''

Funny or Die Funny or Die is a comedy video website and film/television 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 re ...

'' "Sexy NSA Commercial" parody.

Funny Or Die Funny or Die is a comedy video website and film/television 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 re ...

(July 1, 2013). . She supported Bernie Sanders 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 presidentia ...

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 Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police brut ...

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

: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, t ...

) ;with X-TG :2012: '' Desertshore'' (covering

Industrial Records Industrial Records is a record label established in 1976 by industrial music and visual arts group Throbbing Gristle. The group created the label primarily for self-releases but also signed several other groups and artists. The label gave a n ...

) ;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) :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' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin is a song by Phil Spector, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, first recorded in 1964 by the American vocal duo the Righteous Brothers, whose version was also produced by Spector and is cited by some music critics as the ...

'' (cover duet, LP ''Candy'', Armalyte Industries)

Bibliography

* ''

Neü Sex 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 fo ...

'' (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