Juliet Anderson is one of the most ferociously
seductive temptresses to have entranced golden age audiences. Anderson moved swiftly up the echelon of adult performers in her fortieth year after accepting
the role of a housekeeper in Alex de Renzy’s Pretty Peaches (1978). With the
subsequent unveiling of her alter ego, the insatiable, shoot-from-the-hip,
“Aunt Peg” Norton, Juliet became an instant sensation and recurring screen
character following a scene whereby Anderson instructed her virginal “niece” (Sharon
Kane) on the finer points of sexual gratification during a ménage à trois
with John C. Holmes.
The eldest of two daughters, Juliet
Anderson was born Judy Carr. Raised in Burbank, California by a Big Band
trumpeter and his wife, money was scarce for the small family, but love and
affection was bountiful. Juliet spoke with humor and awe when recounting her
parents’ uninhibited sexual compatibility
vividly recalling how they would often sneak away and make love. She credited
her mother and father for instilling in her a carefree and healthy attitude
about her own sexuality.
Contrary to her later years as an
indomitable blonde Cougar, Juliet’s childhood was often lonely and isolated
after she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. The illness produced debilitating
symptoms that sent her to hospitals and prevented her from participating in
regular girlhood activities. Vowing to not allow the condition to consume her,
Juliet eventually studied art and English in college, and taught conversational
English abroad to foreign students for several years before settling in San
Francisco. There, she proceeded to hook up with a friend for some casual sex
and the encounter became the impetus for her job search. Shortly after
answering an advertisement in a newspaper seeking to hire nude performers,
Anderson made the acquaintance of director Alex de Renzy and her fate was
sealed.
‘“[de
Renzy] said, “You’re definitely hired for the show, and by the way, I’m
shooting a film and there’s a part that hasn’t been cast yet,” which was true,
he wasn’t making it up. He told me, “I was wondering if you might like to be in
it. It’s not difficult or anything. It’ll only take a short time and it’s just
for one day, but I’ll give you two hundred dollars.” Now, see that was a lot of
money. Nowadays, ladies get eight hundred dollars for a fourteen-hour day. I’m talking about the girls who are no one―just
starting out. Then the stars, they get thousands, you know. Apart from that, I know nothing about it. I don’t keep track of anyone
and I know zero.
Anyway,
[de Renzy] said, “Well, I’ve got to make a couple of calls, but here’s the
script. Your part would be that of the maid. It’s near the beginning.” Up to that point, I’d never been with a woman. I read
that part, I screamed and Alex covered his mouthpiece of the phone and said,
“I’ll be right with you.”
My heart was pounding and I said to him,
“Oh, my god! What is this? I’ve never done—do you mean to tell me there are
movies like this?” I’d never heard of the X-rated film business in my whole
life. I’d been living abroad. He was very patient and he explained. He said, “This
is the X-rated movie business,” but he said, “Look, you don’t have to do it if
you don’t want to. You’ll still have the job here.”
I said, “Well, I believe I was given this
opportunity for a reason and it would be really foolish of me to pass it up
because I like to learn new things.”
John Leslie was my first man I worked with
and throughout my entire career; he was my favorite. We had the most incredible
chemistry. We absolutely had a ball. I went on to make dozens of films and I
was in the industry for six and a half years, but John Leslie was my very
favorite. He was intelligent and funny, a good actor, and we just had so much
fun; it was extremely obvious on screen.’
‘I told my parents how it happened and that
it completely surprised me. I didn’t even know that the adult industry existed
because I’d been out of the country for so long. They looked at each other and
looked back at me – I can see it right now – with big smiles on their faces.
They said, “We know it already.” Somebody they knew came to them and told them.
They had actually gone to a theater. In those days, you had to go to a movie
theater. It was before video. My parents told me that some friends of some
people they knew went and saw me. I said, “Oh no! I’m sorry.” They just started
laughing. They said, “Don’t worry about it. You’re a grown-up gal and if you can’t
take care of yourself at this point then it’s too late.”’
‘I was my own manager and I booked myself
all over the country. I would create characters like “Carol the Cook,” “Elaine
the Engineer,” “Helen the Housewife,” “Nurse Naughty,” and my favorite, “Elaine
the Executive”. These were parodies to dispel the myth that there was any
separation between being sexy, and intelligent, and funny, and older. That’s
what I did in the films – dispel those myths and that’s what I did with this
show. I had fun creating these characters. I created these great shows. I was
my own agent and booked myself in, and I had them find me a hotel room.’
‘If women let themselves be exploited, I
imagine they were. I can’t really speak for the other women; I just know that I
never was. I never allowed myself to be. The directors who wanted to do that didn’t
hire me because I had a reputation for being independent and not putting up
with nonsense. I did a very good job when I was in front of the camera and I
made it easy for everybody because my scenes could often be done in just one
take.’
‘I had a positive attitude, but I also saw
it as corporate America. The big boys were making lots of money and we working
folk were not. That went for the directors and the crew as well as the cast. The
rumor is that I made three producers millionaires. That’s just a rumor, but I
certainly lined the coffers of the corporate people who financed these
productions. It’s big business.’
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