Chances are if you've even had a passing interest in adult over the past three decades, you're familiar with Nina Hartley.

Perhaps the most recognizable of all porn stars, Nina is best know for her outspoken support of the industry, her attempts to educate the open-minded on all things sexual and, of course, her outstanding performances in (as of this writing) more than 650 adult titles.

Nina isn't the typical porn actress, coming from a well-educated background, which included her obtaining a nursing degree and graduating from San Francisco State University. While she was still a college student, Nina began dancing and the year before she graduated, she was offered to appear in an adult video, a title that would be named Educating Nina, and would launch the career of one of adult's biggest stars.

After her stunning debut in Educating Nina, Nina Hartley proved that she was around to stay in Ball Busters, a 1985 title in which she teams up with John Leslie and shows this equally famous legend a wild time. A few years later, Nina would be stunning viewers again in Suzie Superstar: The Search Continues, in which she educates Tom Byron in the ways of love in the film's hot opening segment.

Proving that no man is too big for Nina, she stakes claim to Peter North's massive tool in 1987's Young Girls in Tight Jeans and Deep Trouble, a title in which she plays a young but curious schoolgirl. Perhaps it was her innocent sexuality in this film that caused acclaimed director Jim Holliday to select her for the cast of 1989's Sorority Pink, in which Nina plays one of the sorority girls who are looking to further their education. Nina would continue to be cast by Holliday for several of his college-themed titles, and would return for appearances in Sorority Pink 2, Sorority Sex Kittens 2 and Sorority Sex Kittens 3.

Nina established herself as one of the top porn stars in the 1980s, but it was her work in the 1990s that made her a legend, and got her named to the XRCO Hall of Fame in 1996. During the '90s, Nina stopped being just "another one of the girls" and started being something special in each title in which she appeared. Her name and/or picture on a box cover alone would often guarantee success for an adult picture. If there was a year in which Nina made the transition from adult star to adult legend, it may very well have been in 1991, when she delivered two knockout performances in a pair of very popular features.

In Debbie Does Wall Street, Nina stars as the title character, who does Marc Wallice and Buck Adams in a wild opening sequence set in a barn. Later in the film, she takes on K.C. Williams and Randy Spears in a hot office three-way, and finishes up the picture with an orgy sequence which proves that Nina can get just as nasty as her fellow adult actresses. Also during 1991, Nina played a loving wife in Hate to See You Go, whose husband (played by Spears) was trying to kill her. Of course, Nina manages to get the upper hand on hubby, and have some fun of her own (with Eric Price) along the way!

In the mid-'90s, legends would collide when Nina teamed up with the beautiful Ashlyn Gere in Ashlyn Rising. Ms. Hartley plays Ashlyn's sex therapist, who of course has her own special prescription for the young Ms. Gere. Part of her therapy includes making Ashlyn watch Anna Malle and Hank Armstrong go at each other, and she even provides some pointers for the couple along the way. Later, of course, Nina and Ashlyn find some quiet time for themselves in a hot girl/girl coupling.

In 1997, Nina showed that she wasn't afraid to face the inevitable issue of aging in All About Eva, the story of a veteran porn star and the young talent (played by Julie Rage) who wants to take her position as the queen of porn. 1997 also marked Nina's appearance in a major mainstream release, Paul Thomas Anderson's acclaimed Boogie Nights, which is loosely based on the story of John Holmes. Nina plays (what else?) a horny wife who is not exactly faithful to her husband (William H. Macy) and not exactly shy about her infidelity either!

In 1998, Nina appeared in a number of erotic supporting roles, including a particularly hot appearance as the neighbor of Cheyenne Silver in director Bud Lee's Carnal Witness, in which Nina introduces the young star to the wonders of lesbian sex. Nina also takes on a motherly role in Michael Raven's White Rabbit, in which she plays parent to Sunset Thomas, but this doesn't stop Nina from getting involved in a wild mini-orgy in which she outdoes fellow starlets Jill Kelly and Teri Starr (also in the scene) by riding stud Ian Daniels in the reverse cowgirl position and letting him unload all over her hungry mouth.

The end of the decade didn't result in any less screen time for Nina, as she took on the lead character in two major 1999 features from director Bob Chinn. In Hard Bound, Nina played a wealthy socialite who found herself broken down on a deserted road and forced to accept the help of a country bumpkin (Dale DaBone) to find her way back to civilization. Bad Penny found Nina running away from her new husband (James Bonn), donning a black wig and shacking up with bad boy Tony Tedeschi in a secluded motel. 1999 also would prove that Nina had a sense of humor, playing the aptly named "Dr. Goodhead" in Veronica Hart's Booby Trap. Once again paired up with Dale DaBone, Nina is given the film's final scene to show off her talents, letting her hair down (quite literally) but keeping her heels and stockings on for a great conclusion to a funny film.

Nina Hartley has used her position as one of the world's most popular adult stars to advocate sex education and sexual freedom among both couples and singles. She is a strong supporter of the swinging lifestyle and endorses it in public. Nina is consistently in attendance at the annual Lifestyles Convention, a well-known gathering for swingers and like-minded people. Additionally, Nina has used adult video to teach viewers about how they can better please themselves and their partners when it comes to sexual activity. In Up and Cummers 8, Nina not only shows viewers how she likes to masturbate, but gives male viewers tips on how they can better please the women in their lives.

Nina has also released more than 30 instructional videos with Adam & Eve Pictures, including Nina Hartley's Guide to Anal Sex, Nina Hartley's Guide to Sex Toys and Nina Hartley's Guide to Swinging, a series that continues to expand with new titles and revamped versions of the most popular how-tos.

Despite having hundreds of titles to her name, Nina shows no signs of slowing down. As of late, Nina has been shooting movies in the MILF genre. When she's not shooting, Nina is active on her website, Nina.com, where she discusses her porno-rific lifestyle, sex-ed and politics though her online diary and very active message boards. She also hosts a weekly webcam show, often sharing the cam with a variety of stars.

Unlike many of her counterparts, Nina Hartley has never turned her back on the industry that made her famous, nor expressed any desire to leave the adult world. That, perhaps, is one of the reasons she has been so warmly embraced by those inside and outside of porn. Here's hoping that Nina will continue to provide her fans with both the entertainment and the educational information she has over the years, and that her work in the industry will inspire a whole new generation of adult stars to give back to the business the way Nina has in her remarkable career.

Biography written by Shannon T. Nutt and updated by Jenn Ramsey.