Sharon Mitchell

Sharon Mitchell — Biography & Career

Sharon Mitchell (born 1957 or 1958) is an American sexologist and former adult film performer and director. Before entering adult filmmaking in the mid-1970s, she worked as an off-Broadway actress and dancer and performed with the Martha Graham Dance Company. She also appeared in small roles in the mainstream features The Deer Hunter in 1978 and Tootsie in 1982.

Over a career that lasted about two decades, Mitchell appeared in approximately 1,000 adult films and directed 38 of them. In 1986, she was the subject of Kamikaze Hearts, a verité documentary directed by Juliet Bashore that followed the production of a screen adaptation of Carmen. Her industry honors included the Free Speech Coalition Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993 and induction into the XRCO Hall of Fame in 1988. She was also later inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame.

After leaving performance work, Mitchell became a certified addiction counselor and completed both an MA and a PhD at the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality. While pursuing that academic work, she supported herself in a range of jobs, including work as a video engineer's assistant, caterer, florist, dog walker, and maid. This phase of her career marked a shift from screen work to counseling, education, and health advocacy.

In 1998, Mitchell founded the Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation, or AIM, which provided information and STD testing for people working in adult entertainment. By 2004, AIM was testing about 1,200 performers each month. Many people in the industry credited her with helping raise awareness of HIV/AIDS risks in adult production through that organization.

Source: Career reference — Wikipedia. Career summary adapted from the linked article under CC BY-SA 4.0; wording and selection have been edited.

Photo credit

Sharon Mitchell — Sharon Mitchell. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Display size and framing may be adjusted; the photograph remains available under the linked license.