Former adult film actress-turned-stay-at-home-wife Mary Carey has lived an unbelievable life, which included running for governor against Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003! From starting as a stripper to being a Playboy model to meeting Hugh Hefner and even appearing on a reality TV series on VH1, the ex-adult star had initially dreamt of a career in dancing.
In her younger years, she envisioned joining the Royal Ballet, as she had an affinity for putting on shows as a dancer and performing for a crowd. However, life had other plans for Carey. Doctors discovered an extra bone in her ankle that required surgical intervention. It needed to be removed. The injury made it strenuous for the former adult star to stand on pointe properly.
Soon, amidst the prospects of losing out on a dance career, Carey would find herself venturing into the world of stripping. And the rest followed after.
How A Near Career-Ending Injury Prevented Mary Carey From Venturing Into The World Of Ballet Dancing
In an exclusive retelling of her wild life, which involved brushing shoulders with some of the most eminent faces of Hollywood and the entertainment industry, Mary Carey, a former “party girl,” talked about her successful foray into the world of stripping and how she subsequently found herself dipping her toes into the waters of adult films.
The now-43-year-old dished out details about her initial ambitions, revealing her rise as a former adult superstar, which can be traced back to her humble beginnings of wishing to pursue a career in dancing.
She said of her younger self (via Daily Star):
“I always wanted to perform for a crowd. From the youngest age, I was putting on shows and dreamed of being a dancer and joining the Royal Ballet. But life didn’t turn out that way.”
A tragic development would soon obstruct Carey’s aspirations of pursuing her ambitions in ballet dancing. She delved into a health complication that followed suit:
“Doctors discovered I had grown an extra bone in my ankle that needed to be removed. The injury meant that I could not stand on pointe properly, and it was extremely painful. I decided not to have the surgery and had to give up my dancing career.”
Or so Mary Carey thought. When the to-be Playboy model was on the cusp of withdrawing from the world of dancing altogether, she stumbled upon a competition in a strip club, where she ended up winning first place. Carey was apparently pre-acquainted with drinking, dancing, and partying with her friends, so she decided: why not get paid to be a ‘sexy, party girl’?
Following was her statement:
“…I saw a competition for a strip club. I was already out drinking and dancing with my friends every night and thought it would be fun to get paid to be a sexy party girl. I won first place, and I absolutely loved it. The nudity didn’t phase me.”
Carey moved to Los Angeles when she was 21 years old, and she began working as a stripper on a regular basis to sustain her lifestyle and pay her expenses. Her next move in her burgeoning profession as a stripper was to delve into becoming a ‘feature girl.’ Appearances in clubs and on flyers and billboards meant lucrative deals and more money.
Soon after, Carey received advice from friends to branch out into the adult entertainment industry to gain more fans and enhance her celebrity status. And so she did. She could increase her price as a touring dancer by participating in these movies. Not only did it boost her status, it also paid tons. She made $100,000 a year doing six movies.
Later in life, she would meet uber-famed renowned faces and run against Hollywood action star Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election.
Mary Carey Ran For Governor Against Hollywood Star Arnold Schwarzenegger
As Mary Carey became an up-and-comer in the adult industry, the feature dancer eventually appeared on Playboy TV. She was also a regular at the Playboy Mansion, having reportedly visited seven times. The ex-stripper even briefly encountered Hugh Hefner, the founder and editor-in-chief of Playboy magazine, at a 2003 staff party.
The same year, in a shocking move, her foray into the political world began when she decided to run for governor during the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election. Among the most prominent candidates also running was Terminator alum Arnold Schwarzenegger. As most of us may know, he succeeded incumbent Democratic Governor Gray Davis after the recall election, becoming the 38th Governor of California.
Running against Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mary Carey was an independent candidate, placing tenth out of 135 contenders. On the bizarre experience, the former adult film star explained:
“My p*rn company owner had the idea when he heard about the recall election. I registered to run in August 2003. It was so much fun and … shot me to mainstream fame and pretty much changed my life. It was so fun to learn more about our government and to see what support there was for me. I was fun, dumb, and full of fun back then, but my heart was in the right place.”
In 2008, Mary Carey retired from performing in adult films. In 2017, her encounter with an ER doctor, her to-be husband, led to her leaving behind her days as a ‘party girl’ and withdrawing from the extravagant social scene. Currently, a former adult actress-turned-stay-at-home wife, Carey enjoys the domestic life but remains connected with her followers as a webcam model.
She concluded her tell-all retelling by affirming she “wouldn’t change a thing,” given the experiences she has had, from traveling the world to being on billboards, and of course, it’s not often people get to run against Arnold Schwarzenegger in a political campaign!
