Marilyn Chambers

About Marilyn Chambers

Marilyn Ann Taylor, known professionally as Marilyn Chambers, was an American pornographic actress, exotic dancer, model, actress and vice-presidential candidate. She was known for her 1972 hardcore film debut, Behind the Green Door, and her 1980 pornographic film Insatiable. She is often regraded as one of the first pornstars.

Chambers started her career as a model and actress. When Procter & Gamble was casting about for an image of a fresh-faced young lady to use on boxes of Ivory Snow laundry detergent in the early 1970s, they selected the now-iconic photograph of an 18 year old Marilyn Chambers posing as a loving young mother holding a bright-eyed, adorable baby. That photo became synonymous with the much-touted purity of the product (99 44/100% pure, according to the company), a circumstance that proved ironically embarrassing for Procter & Gamble when they learned that the model whose picture now represented their product had since moved to San Francisco and turned her hand (and other assorted body parts) to the making of porn films.

Chambers never intended to do hardcore films. She had a few bit roles in mainstream movies but became frustrated her acting and modeling career wasn't taking off like she wanted. She moved to San Francisco in 1970 not long after she had shot the Ivory Snow photo in hopes to break into the burgeoning film industry there. Not finding much acting or modeling work, she became desperate and worked as a topless and bottomless dancer in various clubs. In 1972 at the age of 20, she responded to an ad for a movie but soon realized that it was a porn shoot. The movie was Behind the Green Door and it was being directed by Jim and Artie Mitchell. Chamber first balked at being in such a movie, fearing it would hurt her chances of mainstream work, but was soon convinced by Jim and Artie. She asked for 10% of the gross which Jim flat out rejected. But Artie felt her beauty, and strong resemblance to actress Cybill Shepherd, would sell the movie and they both agreed to her demands.

After finishing the movie, Chambers told the brothers about being in the Ivory Snow ad. The Mitchells saw this as a great way to promote the movie and began promoting it as staring the "Ivory Snow Girl". Procter & Gamble were horrified and pulled all the ads featuring Chambers. The scandal would catapult Chambers into stardom and cement her image as the "wholesome girl next door who also did porn". Chambers also had the distinction of being in the first interracial scene in porn which was in Behind the Green Door.

Chambers died of heart disease at the age of 56 in 2009. It was believed that her long addiction to alcohol and drugs caused her heart to give out.