Jesse Jane (née Cynthia Ann Howell July 16, 1980 – January 24, 2024) was an American pornographic film actress. She became one of the few adult film performers of the 2000s to make the transition into mainstream film and television roles.
Jane was an exclusive contract performer for Digital Playground between 2002 and 2014, starring in the Pirates series of pornographic films. She retired from the adult film industry in 2017 after a career spanning nearly two decades. She was a member of the NightMoves Hall of Fame, XRCO Hall of Fame, and the AVN Hall of Fame.
Early life Jane was born Cynthia Ann Howell on July 16, 1980, in Fort Worth, Texas. According to a 2006 interview she gave to The Oklahoma Gazette, her family relocated to the Oklahoma City area where her parents worked at Tinker Air Force Base. In 1998, she graduated with honors from Moore High School.
Career Before securing a position in a commercial for the restaurant chain Hooters, Jane had previously modeled for retailers such as 5-7-9 and David's Bridal. She subsequently ascended the ranks within the Hooters organization, ultimately attaining the role of regional training coordinator. She later made the decision to transition into a full-time career as a Hawaiian Tropic bikini model.
Pornographic film Jane avoided the "shock value" trend prevalent in mid-2000s pornography, according to The New York Times. She signed an exclusive contract with the adult film production company Digital Playground, appearing in Pirates (2005) and its sequel, Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge (2008), as a ship's first officer on a mission against a group of evil pirates. The films, which respectively cost $1 million and $8 million to produce, were among the highest-budget pornographic films ever made.
In 2006, Jane and Kirsten Price became the hosts of Playboy TV's most popular live show, Night Calls; Jane also hosted the AVN Awards that year. She was named December's Booble Cover Girl of the Month.
Jane was the sex columnist for Chéri and Ralph magazines beginning in 2007. Later that year, she hosted Playboy TV's Naughty Amateur Home Videos, and The New York Times reported that Jane intended to have her breast enhancement surgery re-done for high-definition movies. She hosted the F.A.M.E. Awards in 2008, and the XBIZ Awards in 2008 and 2011.
Jane launched a line of signature sex toys circa 2010. She was the Australian Penthouse Pet of the Month in November 2010. Jane hosted the AVN Awards again in 2013. In 2011, 2012, and 2014, she was named by CNBC as one of the twelve most popular stars in porn.
In 2017, Jane announced that she would retire from the adult industry, although she briefly returned in 2019 to shoot her first interracial scene for Blacked.com.
Mainstream film, television, and other media Jane became one of the few adult film performers of the 2000s to make the transition into mainstream Hollywood roles. In 2003, she had an uncredited appearance in Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding and appeared in the reality TV series Family Business. In 2004, Jane made a cameo appearance in the film Starsky & Hutch, appeared on the cover of Drowning Pool's second studio album Desensitized, and in the music video for Drowning Pool's single "Step Up". She was a guest star on the HBO dramedy series Entourage. She also appeared in the reality TV series Bad Girls Club and Gene Simmons Family Jewels.
In a 2009 CNBC documentary titled Porn: Business of Pleasure, Jane is the focus of the final six-minute segment, which details her career and her life outside the porn industry. Later that year she appeared in the film Middle Men. In 2011, she appeared in the film Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star.
Personal life and death In 2000, Jane gave birth to her son. In 2005, she married Rich Taylor. On March 1, 2012, she announced on Twitter that she was getting divorced. In 2019, she married Richard H. Wilcox.
In 2011, Jane had her name legally changed from Cynthia Taylor to Jesse Jane.
On January 24, 2024, Jane and her boyfriend, Brett Hasenmueller, were found dead from an apparent drug overdose at their home in Moore, Oklahoma. An autopsy report later confirmed that she died from an accidental overdose of cocaine and fentanyl.
Awards + List of accolades received by Jesse Jane Awards Award WonAVN AwardsEroticline AwardsF.A.M.E. AwardsF.O.X.E. AwardsHot d'Or AwardsNightMoves AwardsVenus AwardsXBIZ AwardsXRCO AwardsOthersTotal number of wins
YearEventAwardFilm2003NightMoves AwardBest New Starlet (Editor's Choice)rowspan=3 2004Delta di Venere AwardBest American ActressVenus AwardBest Actress, USA2006AVN AwardBest All-Girl Sex Scene – Video PiratesF.O.X.E. AwardFemale Fan Favoriterowspan=3 NightMoves AwardBest Actress (Editor's Choice)Scandinavian Adult AwardBest Selling International Star2007AVN AwardBest All-Girl Sex Scene – Video Island Fever 4F.A.M.E. AwardHottest Bodyrowspan=6 Eroticline AwardBest U.S. ActressAdultcon AwardTop 20 Adult Actresses 2008F.A.M.E. AwardHottest BodyEroticline AwardBest U.S. ActressNightMoves AwardHall of Fame 2009AVN AwardBest All-Girl Group Sex Scene CheerleadersBest All-Girl Couples Sex Scene Pirates II: Stagnetti's RevengeHot d'Or AwardBest American ActressF.A.M.E. AwardHottest Bodyrowspan=5 2010Fame Registry AwardContract Star of the YearNightMoves AwardBest Feature Dancer (Fan's Choice)2011Fame Registry AwardFan Favorite Hottest BlondeContract Star of the YearAVN AwardBest All-Girl Group Sex Scene Body HeatWildest Sex Scene (Fan Award) 2012Best Supporting ActressFightersHottest Sex Scene (Fan Award) Babysitters 2XRCO AwardHall of Famerowspan=6 NightMoves AwardBest Female Performer (Fan's Choice)Fame Registry AwardFan Favorite Hottest BlondeContract Star of the Year2013AVN AwardHall of FameFame Registry AwardContract Star of the YearXBIZ AwardBest Scene – All-Girl Mothers & Daughters2014Best Scene – Feature Movie Code of HonorVenus AwardLifetime Achievement Award 2016XBIZ AwardBest Sex Scene – Gonzo Release Jesse: Alpha FemalePerformer Showcase of the Year
Selected filmography
+Film Year Title Role Notes 2003 Beat the Devil 2003 Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding Bikini girl Uncredited role 2004 Starsky & Hutch Cameo 2005 Pirates Jules 2008 Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge Jules 2009 Middle Men Herself 2010 Let the Game Begin Temptation 2011 Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star AFA presenter 2009 Frat Party Herself
+Television Year Title Role Notes 2003 Family Business Herself 2005 Entourage Herself Season 2 2006 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Jaywalking interviewee 2006–2007 Night Calls Co-host 2007 Gene Simmons Family Jewels Herself 2009 Bad Girls Club Herself 2009 Porn: Business of Pleasure Herself CNBC TV documentary
References
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