We have the example of Arnold Schwarzenegger going from action movie star to state governor, but so far few former porn stars have managed to make a name for themselves in the political field. And when I say 'few' I can only think of one name - Ilona Staller. Most of you are probably not familiar with that name, but some might remember her as a big star in the porn industry - Cicciolina.

Ilona Staller is of Italian-Hungarian origins. She was born in Budapest, to a midwife mother and a stepfather who worked in the field of politics - who knows, maybe that was part of the reason that made her turn to politics in the end. At 14 she was already working as a model, but also providing informations for the Hungarian officials on the activity of American diplomats staying at a hotel in Budapest.

But she wasn't about to settle for the model/occasional spy career. After moving to Italy, at the beginning of the 70s, she met Riccardo Schicchi, a famous pornographer of that time and got her own radio show (with an obvious erotic note to it) called 'Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?' (Would you like to sleep with me?). It was at that time that she started calling herself Cicciolina (English translation 'cuddles') and started to appear in porn movies.

Her debut film was entitled 'The Teasers' (Italian title 'La Liceale') and it came out in 1975. Three years later she was the first woman to expose her bare breasts on Italian TV, on the show called 'C'era Due Volte'. The following years Cicciolina made a number of hardcore movies, involving anal sex, double penetration and other fetishistic sexual activities. At one point it was believed she engaged in zoophilia with a horse, but it was proved that it was her counterpart Denise Dior 'pleasuring' the animal.

One of her movies remains controversial to this day, as she engages in unprotected sex with John Holmes, known to be diagnosed with HIV at that time. Staller tested negative and in 1992 she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, the result of a one-year marriage to American sculptor Jeff Koons. She ended her porn career in 1992 but she continued to pose for foreign editions of the 'Playboy' magazine.

Staller's involvement in politics began in 1979, when she got involved with Italy's first Green Party and was their lead candidate. In 1985 she changed views and moved to the Radical Party. She was against nuclear energy and the involvement of Italy with NATO. In 1987 she won a seat in the Parliament - keep in mind she was still doing hardcore movies at the time - and in 1991 she was one of the founding members of the Party of Love, sustaining a number of political issues, ranging from the right to have sex in prison to defending animal rights and introducing a tax on cars.

Cicciolina made herself famous not only by exposing one of her breasts during her speeches (yes, she used to do that) but also through the way she thought might stop some of the world's most dangerous criminal threats. She offered to make love to Saddam Hussein on two occasions and in 2006 she made a similar offer to Osama bin Laden - guess she's really applying the concept of 'make love not war'.

All in all, Ilona Staller proved to the world there's more to her than a great body and a willingness to do all kinds of dirty sex stuff. She managed to make a name for herself in politics, and even if she had a somewhat different approach, she still made an impression. So what do you say about this porn star turned politician, is she IN or is she OUT?

Filmography:

• 'A Song for Eurotrash' (1998)

• 'Backfield in Motion' (1990)

• 'Rise of the Roman Empress 2' (1990)

• 'La bottega del piacere' (1988)

• 'The Devil in Mr. Holmes' (1987)

• 'Cicciolina Number One' (1986)

• 'Racconti sensuali di Cicciolina' (1985)

• 'John Travolto... da un insolito destino' (1979)

• 'Bedtime Stories' (1979)

• 'Cicciolina amore mio' (1979)

• 'Vizi privati, pubbliche virtù' (1976)

• 'Inibizione' (1976)

• 'La liceale' (1975)

• 'Incontro d'amore' (1970)

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