Constance Money

Constance Money Bio

Constance Money (born Susan Jensen; November 30, 1956) is an American former adult film actress best known for her lead role in the 1976 classic The Opening of Misty Beethoven. Born in Kenmore, Washington, she studied psychology and sociology at Mills College in Oakland, California, and began performing in adult films under the alias Jennifer Baker before adopting the Money screen name. Money appeared in a number of features during the late 1970s, often alongside John Leslie, and she briefly drew attention with Playboy photo features and spreads.

Money was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 1998 and the XRCO Hall of Fame as a film pioneer in 2016. After encouraging from Hugh Hefner to cross over into mainstream film, she secured a small part in the 1979 comedy 10 before retiring from acting in the Pacific Northwest. She also used the screen name Christina Hoover at different points in her career.

Early Life and Background

Susan Jensen was born on November 30, 1956, in Kenmore, Washington. She grew up in the Pacific Northwest and attended Inglemoor High School, where she was a cheerleader and took part in school acting productions. Those early experiences in front of classmates helped spark her interest in performance, long before she moved into professional film work.

After finishing high school, Jensen enrolled at Mills College in Oakland, California, where she studied psychology and sociology. Her college years placed her in the San Francisco Bay Area at a moment when the region had a vibrant alternative film culture. That mix of academic study and a creative local scene shaped the next phase of her life.

Path to Celebrity

While still attending Mills College, Jensen made her first appearances in pornographic films under the name Jennifer Baker. The work drew her into a small but closely connected industry community, and she soon adopted the screen name Constance Money, with the new alias reportedly tied to her business dealings with director Radley Metzger. Her early performances established her as a distinctive on-screen presence.

The defining step in her path came in 1976, when she was cast as the lead in The Opening of Misty Beethoven, directed by Henry Paris, the pseudonym of Radley Metzger. The film, a parody of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, follows a Parisian prostitute reshaped by a sexologist into a top professional. Money later said in interviews that she had expected the project to be an R-rated movie and that the experience reflected her own sexual education during production, calling it real and good.

Constance Money Career

Early Career (1976–1977)

Constance Money’s professional screen career began with her lead performance in The Opening of Misty Beethoven in 1976. The film became one of the most discussed adult features of its era and earned her recognition beyond the small circle of regular adult film viewers. The performance remains the work she is most identified with.

Following the success of Misty Beethoven, Money took on several additional projects, including Mary! Mary! and Obsessed, both released in 1977. She was also featured in the July 1977 issue of Playboy magazine in a photo feature on the new faces of the adult film world, and returned to the magazine in 1978 for a personal spread titled Call of the Wild, which portrayed her as leading a double life starring in adult films and running a hostelry in a remote part of Alaska. During this period she made visits to the Playboy Mansion and built a working relationship with frequent co-star John Leslie.

Breakthrough (1976–1983)

Money’s breakthrough came with The Opening of Misty Beethoven, a 1976 adult parody of Shaw’s Pygmalion directed by Radley Metzger under the name Henry Paris. In the film, she plays a lowly Parisian prostitute who is trained by a sexologist to reach the top tier of her profession. Money later reflected that the movie worked because it felt real, capturing genuine emotions during production.

The success of that film led to a cluster of follow-up projects, including Mary! Mary! and Obsessed in 1977, and Taste of Money in 1983, which became her last pornographic film and followed her return to the industry after a hiatus. Her co-star in several of these productions was John Leslie, a friend with whom she lived for a while.

Encouraged by Hugh Hefner to try to cross over into mainstream film, Money secured a small part in director Blake Edwards’ 1979 comedy 10, starring Dudley Moore and Bo Derek. She also auditioned for the lead role in Frances (1982), the biographical drama about actress Frances Farmer, but the producers were unwilling to consider a star with a background in pornography, and the part went elsewhere. The lawsuits and business disputes that followed Misty Beethoven, including a settled suit with Metzger over reused footage from that film, also marked this period.

Notable Works and Milestones

Constance Money’s signature work is The Opening of Misty Beethoven, a 1976 adult classic whose reputation has endured for decades. Her subsequent films, including Mary! Mary!, Obsessed, Taste of Money, and a small part in the mainstream comedy 10, round out a short but recognizable filmography. The defining milestone of her career is her 1998 induction into the AVN Hall of Fame, followed by her 2016 induction into the XRCO Hall of Fame as a film pioneer.

Constance Money Award Nominations

Constance Money’s verified honors during her adult film career took the form of career inductions rather than competitive nominations. The sources provided for this profile do not list specific nominations for performance awards, so a nomination count is not confirmed.

Constance Money Awards Won

Constance Money has been recognized with two major career honors in the adult film industry. She was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 1998, honoring her body of work and her lasting impact on the field. In 2016, she was inducted into the XRCO Hall of Fame as a film pioneer, further cementing her status as one of the notable performers of her era.

Constance Money Family

Constance Money, whose birth name is Susan Jensen, grew up in Kenmore, Washington, and was a cheerleader and student actress at Inglemoor High School. Public biographical sources consulted for this profile do not provide verified details about her parents or siblings, so further family background is not confirmed.

Personal Life

Money’s adult film career frequently paired her on screen with John Leslie, a friend with whom she lived for a while. The biographical sources reviewed for this profile do not list verified long-term partners, marriages, or children, so further personal-life details are not confirmed. She eventually retired from acting and settled in the Pacific Northwest.