Nina Hartley

Nina Hartley, born Marie Louise Hartman on March 11, 1959, in Berkeley, California, grew up in a progressive, intellectual family with a Jewish father and a mother who later became a Zen Buddhist nun. The youngest of four siblings, she was raised in a politically active household, with her parents involved in leftist causes. She graduated from Berkeley High School in 1977 and attended San Francisco State University, earning a nursing degree in 1985 with magna cum laude honors. During college, she worked as a stripper in San Francisco’s Sutter Street theaters, which sparked her interest in the adult entertainment industry. She worked as a nurse for a few years but was married to a porn producer so her entering the adult world felt natural. She entered the adult film industry in 1984 at age 25, debuting in Educating Nina, a film produced by her then-husband Dave and his partner Jim. Known for her blonde hair, blue eyes, and athletic 5’4”, 120-pound figure with 35C-24-38 measurements, she appeared in over 1,000 videos. She worked with major studios like Vivid Entertainment, VCA, Wicked Pictures, and Evil Angel. Notable films include Debbie Does Dishes (1986), Every Woman Has a Fantasy (1984), Anal Annie (1985), and Boogie Nights (1997, mainstream). Her performances were known for their enthusiasm, intelligence, and versatility, spanning heterosexual, lesbian, and fetish scenes, …