Nina Hartley Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Nina Hartley’s Net Worth?

With a net worth of $4 million, Nina Hartley is a renowned American adult film star, director, feminist, and author. Having featured in 938 adult films and directed over a dozen, her career took off with her first film, “Educating Nina,” which was a major success. Additionally, she has made appearances in mainstream cinema, including titles like “Boogie Nights” and “Bubbles Galore.”

Early Life

Nina Hartley, born Marie Louise Hartman on March 11, 1959, in Berkeley, California, is the youngest of four siblings from parents Louis and Blanche Hartman. Her parents, who were active in the Communist Party USA, embraced Buddhism during her childhood. Following her father’s blacklisting due to his communist ties in 1957, Nina completed her education at Berkeley High School in 1977. She then graduated magna cum laude from San Francisco State University’s nursing program in 1985, working as a registered nurse until her license lapsed in 1986.

Adult Industry Career

During her sophomore year at college, Nina started stripping at the Sutter Cinema and later at the Mitchell Brothers O’Farrell Theatre, inspired by the film “The Autobiography of a Flea,” which was the first adult film directed by a woman, Sharon McNight.

By her junior year, she transitioned to acting in adult films, initially appearing in magazine photo spreads for “High Society” and “Hustler.” Nina made her adult film debut in “Educating Nina,” becoming a protege to actress Juliet Anderson. She adopted the stage name Nina Hartley, as it was easy for Japanese tourists to pronounce while she danced in San Francisco; ‘Hartley’ was selected for its closeness to her real surname and because she sought a name that resembled that of a real person.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Hartley featured in various spin-offs of the “Debbie Does Dallas” series, including “Debbie Duz Dishes” in 1986 and “Debbie Does Wall Street” in 1991. She made her directorial debut with “Nina Hartley’s Book of Love” in 1992. Subsequently, Nina spent years touring Canada and the U.S. as a stripper, making personal appearances at adult shops nationwide.

Mainstream Films

In the blockbuster film “Boogie Nights” released in 1997, Hartley portrayed the unfaithful wife of William H. Macy’s character. She also had a role in the 1996 Canadian movie “Bubbles Galore.” Moreover, she appeared in Tupac Shakur’s music video for “How Do U Want It?” that same year.

Sex-Positive Work and Activism

In 1994, she launched a successful series of instructional sex videos under the Nina Hartley brand and frequently speaks on talk shows and at conferences about the adult industry, often sharing the stage with prominent industry figures like Jenna Jameson. In 2006, she released “Nina Hartley’s Guide to Total Sex,” followed by co-authoring the “How to be Kinkier” book series in 2012. That year, she also participated in the documentary “After Porn Ends,” discussing life after her adult film career.

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Nina made her appearance in the acclaimed documentary “Sticky: A (Self) Love Story” in 2016. At the documentary’s Las Vegas premiere held at the Erotic Heritage Museum, she participated on a Q&A panel alongside fellow adult film actress Ginger Lynn and the film’s writer/producer/director, Nicholas Tana. Within the documentary, Hartley expresses her sex-positive beliefs surrounding self-love in relation to sexual education.

As a board member of the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, she has consistently advocated for the rights of the adult film industry to exist. Over the years, Nina has lectured at numerous universities, including Harvard, Dartmouth, and her alma mater, Berkeley. Eric Schlosser interviewed her for his book “Reefer Madness: Sex, Drugs, and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market,” where she expressed strong criticism regarding the hypocrisy of anti-porn legislation and actions.

Awards and Accolades

Throughout her extensive career in the adult entertainment sector, Hartley has garnered numerous awards. Among them are nine Adult Video News Awards, which include accolades such as Best Actress for Debbie Duz Dishes, Best Couples Sex Scene Film for Amanda By Night II in 1987, Best Supporting Actress for The Last X-Rated Movie, and Best Specialty tape for “Nina Hartley’s Guide to Spanking.” Furthermore, she has won seven XRCO Awards. In 1988, Hartley received the Free Speech Coalition Lifetime Achievement Award, and she was a three-time winner of the FOXE Female Fan Favorite in 1990, 1991, and 1992. Additionally, she won the Fanny Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and the XBIZ Award for Best Non-Sex Acting Performance for her role in “Future Darkly: Artifamily” in 2019.

Personal Life

Regarding her personal life, Hartley identifies as bisexual. Between 1981 and 2000, she was in a relationship with both a man and a woman. In 1986, she wed her male partner, with whom she later divorced in 2003. The year following her divorce, she married porn director Ira Levine, and they continue to maintain an openly polyamorous relationship.