Vanessa del Rio

Vanessa del Rio (born March 31, 1952) is an American retired pornographic actress.

Early years
Vanessa del Rio was born Ana María Sánchez and raised in Harlem, New York, the only child of immigrants from Cuba and Puerto Rico. Her mother would take her to see the Spanish language movies of Isabel Sarli, a passionate, voluptuous Argentinian actress with a charismatic power over men whom Vanessa credits as a big influence in her life. She describes her mother as "an innocent, deeply religious woman who didn't really relate to Sarli's sexuality," while her young daughter focused on Sarli's power over men, and wanted that power for herself. After an early childhood as religious as her mother's, Sanchez dropped out of school in the 8th grade, tired of the sheltered life imposed on her at home. She studied coding, and became a computer programmer at age 18, then abandoned the straight life altogether to live in a series of stolen Volkswagen Beetles with a criminal boyfriend. When that adventure ended two years later she  became "a waitress, then a topless barmaid, and finally a go-go dancer" before accepting her first hardcore porn role in the film China Doll because "it paid $150, which was exactly my half of the rent,"  so she could join a boyfriend in Europe. In her illustrated biography from TASCHEN Publications (Vanessa del Rio: Fifty Years of Slightly Slutty Behavior, 2007) she revealed to editor Dian Hanson that she also worked as a streetwalker and call girl prior to entering adult films.

Career
For her stage name, she took the name "Vanessa" from a childhood friend and "del Rio" from actress Dolores del Río at the suggestion of another friend who was a movie buff.

Del Rio made her first adult film in 1974. In a span of 12 years, she appeared in 81 pornographic films and countless "loops" – 10 minute film clips produced for use in sex shop peep shows.

She has been mentioned in lyrics by several rap artists, including Chubb Rock's "Just the Two of Us", Gangsta Boo's "Fuck You", The Game's "House of Pain", Ice Cube's "Roll All Day", and Junior Mafia's "I Need You Tonight" and "Get Money". She had a cameo in the "Get Money" music video.

Del Rio retired from adult films in 1986, in part due to the AIDS scare prevalent at the time. She then worked as a feature dancer and magazine model. After that she used her coding skills to create her own website, produce original content, continued to appear in magazines, and made special appearances at award shows and conventions.

TV / Film appearances
During and after her porn career she appeared on many TV shows as herself, including a 1996 episode of NYPD Blue titled "Head Case" (Season 3, episode #15). In 2008, she made a cameo opposite Bernie Mac as the amorous "full-figured neighbor" in the film Soul Men, which also co-starred Samuel L. Jackson.

Popular culture
Del Rio is mentioned in Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s 1995 single "I Need You Tonight" and Ice Cube's "Giving Up The Nappy Dug Out" on Death Certificate (album) as well as Digital Underground's "Freaks of the Industry" on their debut studio album Sex Packets and Chubb Rock's 1991 Single Just The Two Of Us on his sophomore album The One.

In 2007, the German art book publisher TASCHEN released a deluxe, heavily illustrated biography, Vanessa del Rio: Fifty Years of Slightly Slutty Behavior edited by del Rio's long time friend Dian Hanson.

A feature film, The Latin from Manhattan, based on del Rio's life, written and directed by Thomas Mignone, and starring Vivian Lamolli as del Rio began production in 2019.

The Czech EBM band Vanessa was originally named Vanessa Del Rio in an allusion to the adult film star. They have since mentioned her in several interviews, as well as songs.

Filmography

 * China Doll (1975) uncredited
 * Too Young to Care (1975) uncredited
 * Midnight Desires (1976), Lola
 * The Night of Submission (1976), Venessa del Rio
 * Dominatrix Without Mercy (1976), Venessa del Rio
 * Virgin Snow (1976), Nurse Ratched
 * Jacquette (1976), Madame X
 * Domination Blue (1976), Trixie
 * The Fury in Alice (1976), Marilyn
 * Temptations (1976), Marla
 * Reunion (1976), Elizabeth
 * That Lady From Rio (1976), Number 1
 * Come with Me My Love (1976), Lola
 * Sin of Lust (1976), Carlotta
 * Gulp (1976), Anna
 * Forbidden Ways (1976), uncredited
 * Come Softly (1976), June
 * Bizzare Moods (1976), Norma
 * Appointment With Agony (1976), Waitress
 * Odyssey: The Ultimate Trip (1977), first girl in dream
 * Joy of Humiliation (1977), Elena
 * House of De Sade (1977), Lucille McLain
 * Cherry Hustlers (1977), Sally
 * Teenage Bikers (1977), Wolf
 * Breaker Beauties (1977), photo lady
 * Joint Venture (1977), uncredited
 * The Fire in Francesca (1977), Nadine Rothman
 * Tell, Teach and Show (1977), Mrs. LaGrange
 * Exploring Young Girls (1977), Vanessa
 * Let Me Die a Woman (1977), Sandy (uncredited)
 * Chorus Call (1978), uncredited
 * Take Off (1978), uncredited
 * Woman in Love (1978), Simone Foster
 * The Final Test (1978), Claudia
 * Dirty Deeds (1978), uncredited
 * Babylon Pink (1979), Housewife
 * N.Y. Babes (1979), Jackie Robbins
 * Jack & Jill (1979), Rosetta
 * Tigresses and Other Man-eaters (1979), Tigress
 * Her Name Was Lisa (1979), Carmen
 * The Pink Ladies (1979), Seductress
 * Fulfilling Young Cups (1979), Rita
 * Angie, Police Woman (1979), girl on parachute
 * Justine: A Matter of Innocence (1980), Claudia Kendall
 * Co-Ed Fever (1980), Vannessa
 * Afternoon Delights (1980), Mrs. Smith
 * Dracula Exotica (1980), Vita Valdez
 * The Filthy Rich (1980), Chili Caliente
 * Girls U.S.A. (1980), Sherry Spencer
 * A Scent of Heather (1980), the cook
 * Platinum Paradise (1981), hooker
 * Spittoon (1981), uncredited
 * The Tale of Tiffany Lust (1981), Florence Nightingale
 * Bizarre Styles (1981), Vanessa
 * The Love-In Arrangement (1981), Chiquita
 * The Dancers (1981), Frances
 * Lips (1981), Maria
 * Between the Sheets (1981), Shirley
 * Beauty (1981), Judy Lopez
 * Foxtrot (1982), Celeste
 * Top Secret (1982), Juanita
 * Real Estate (1982)
 * Luscious (1982), Lush
 * When She Was Bad (1983), Judy
 * Silk Satin & Sex (1983), Denise
 * Foxholes (1983), Vanessa del Rio
 * Corruption (1983), Erda
 * Aphrodisia's Diary (1983), therapist
 * Sister Midnight (1984)
 * Viva Vanessa (1984), herself
 * Maid In Manhattan (1984), Juanita
 * Blue Voodoo (1984), uncredited
 * The Devil in Miss Jones 3: A New Beginning (1986), herself
 * Play Me Again Vanessa (1986), herself
 * Deep Inside Vanessa del Rio (1987), herself
 * Beyond Desire (1986), Crystal
 * Dynamic Vices (1987), Roxanne
 * Doctor Lust (1987), Dr. Lana Lust
 * Soul Men (2008), full-figured neighbor

Selected television appearances

 * NYPD Blue as herself, in the episode "Head Case" (1996)
 * When Rated X Ruled the World as herself, in a VH1 documentary (2004)
 * SexTV as herself, in the episode "UFO Sex: The Raelians/Jackinworld.com/Vanessa del Rio" (2005)
 * Dave's Old Porn Season 2 Episode 4 Artie Lange, Vanessa Del Rio as herself (2012)

Awards

 * CAFA Award for Best Supporting Actress of 1980 – Dracula exotica
 * CAFA Award for Best Supporting Actress of 1981 – Dancers
 * Adult Video News – Hall of Fame
 * X-Rated Critics Organization – Hall of Fame
 * Urban X Hall of Fame