History Main / IWasYoungAndNeededTheMoney

* Unsurprisingly, Karen on ''Series/WillAndGrace'' once starred in an adult film called ''Next to Godliness'' in which she plays a neat-freak dominatrix.

* Legendarily, Creator/MarilynMonroe had some nude pictures taken of her by an acquaintance of hers in May of 1949, being told that they were for a "tasteful" art calendar. This was back at the beginning of her modeling and acting career, where she was practically still unknown, low on personal funds, and and very much living hand-to-mouth (in fact, Marilyn used the money from the shoot to narrowly prevent her car from being repossessed). By her own and other's accounts, the shoot itself was, despite the content, very much a perfectly professional and controlled experience, since she knew the photographer, and his wife was present for the whole shoot. Said pictures would be later be rediscovered and cause a scandal and happened to be featured in the first issue of Playboy. Upon the rediscovery, Marilyn was called in front of a panel of executives of Fox, the holders of her contract, and asked point-blank if the woman on the calendar was her. She replied, just as frankly, that it was indeed her in the pictures, and that she was quite embarrassed that they had resurfaced... [[BaitAndSwitchComment because the photographer]] [[DeadpanSnarker hadn't managed to capture her from her best angle]].

* Legendarily, Creator/MarilynMonroe had some nude pictures taken of her by an acquaintance of hers in May of 1949, being told that they were for a "tasteful" art calendar. This was back at the beginning of her modeling and acting career, at a time where she was practically broke and very much living hand-to-mouth (in fact, Marilyn used the money from the shoot to narrowly prevent her car from being repossessed). By her own and other's accounts, the shoot itself was, despite the content, very much a perfectly professional and controlled experience, since she knew the photographer, and his wife was present for the whole shoot. Said pictures would be later be rediscovered and cause a scandal and happened to be featured in the first issue of Playboy. Upon the rediscovery, Marilyn was called in front of a panel of executives of Fox, the holders of her contract, and asked point-blank if the woman on the calendar was her. She replied, just as frankly, that it was indeed her in the pictures, and that she was quite embarrassed that they had resurfaced... [[BaitAndSwitchComment because the photographer]] [[DeadpanSnarker hadn't managed to capture her from her best angle]].

* In ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' Robin uses this to explain her past career. Of course, Barney slap bets Marshall that it's porn, resulting in Robin revealing the whole truth by saying "Porn? I wish. It would be less embarrassing." Turns out she was a teenage, pseudo-'80s, Canadian pop star.

* Another example, in ''Series/GreysAnatomy'', Izzie gets humiliated when Alex discovers pictures of her as a lingerie model. However, it turns out that those photo shoots paid for med school - so she comes out on top.

* Legendarily, Creator/MarilynMonroe had some nude pictures taken of her by an acquaintance of hers in May of 1949, being told that they were for a "tasteful" art calendar. This was back in the beginning of her modeling and acting career, at a time where she was pratically broke and very much living hand-to-mouth (in fact, Marilyn used the money from the shoot to narrowly prevent her car from being repossessed). By her own and other's accounts, the shoot itself was, despite the content, very much a perfectly professional and controlled experience, since she knew the photographer, and his wife was present for the whole shoot. Said pictures would be later be rediscovered and cause a scandal and happened to be featured in the first issue of Playboy. Upon the rediscovery, Marilyn was called in front of a panel of executives of Fox, the holders of her contract, and asked point blank if the woman on the calender was her. She replied, just as frankly, that it was indeed her in the pictures, and that she was quite embrassed that they had resurfaced... [[BaitAndSwitchComment because the photographer]] [[DeadpanSnarker hadn't managed to capture her from her best angle]].

* Actually inverted for actress Valerie Leon, who appeared in several ''Film/CarryOn'' films and other cheeky British comedies in the Seventies; she steadfastly refused to appear nude, but has said in some recent interviews that she actually regrets that she was too shy to do so, because she understands now what a great figure she had back then.

* {{Creator/Sierra}}, one of the biggest players in gaming during TheEighties. Known for being (for the most part) family friendly. But it was the early '80s, computer gaming was in its infancy, and they badly needed some cash to get started. The game that gave them enough money to actually ''make'' their signature family-friendly games? A text adventure called ''Softporn Adventure''. Later, when the company had grown into an established developer, Creator/AlLowe came along and re-tooled it, [[PlayedForLaughs added some gags, and played the whole plot as a comedy]] -- then sold it as ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry1InTheLandOfTheLoungeLizards''.

* In ''Roleplay/DCNation'', Hotshot's teammates discover that he "starred" in a film called "Bi The Shore" while in college. The females on the team rent it out and have a screening, playing it for all the SnarkBait[[invoked]] it's worth. %%InUniverse

* In ''Roleplay/DCNation'', Hotshot's teammates discover that he "starred" in a film called "Bi The Shore" while in college. The females on the team rent it out and have a screening, playing it for all the SnarkBait it's worth. %%InUniverse

* Legendarily, Creator/MarilynMonroe had some nude pictures taken of her by an acquaintance of hers in May of 1949, being told that they were for a "tasteful" art calendar. This was back in the beginning of her modeling and acting career, at a time where she was pratically broke and very much living hand-to-mouth (in fact, Marilyn used the money from the shoot to narrowly prevent her car from being repossessed). By her own and other's accounts, the shoot itself was, despite the content, very much a perfectly professional and controlled experience, since she knew the photographer, and his wife was present for the whole shoot. Said pictures would be later be rediscovered and cause a scandal and happened to be featured in the first issue of Playboy. Upon the rediscovery, Marilyn was called in front of a panel of executives of Fox, the holders of her contract, and asked point blank if the woman on the calender was her. She replied, just as frankly, that it was indeed her, and that she was quite embrassed that the pictures had resurfaced... [[BaitAndSwitch because they]] [[DeadpanSnarker hadn't managed to capture her from her best angle]].

* Legendarily, Creator/MarilynMonroe had some nude pictures taken of her by an acquaintance of hers in May of 1949, being told that they were for a "tasteful" art calendar. This was back in the beginning of her modeling and acting career, at a time where she was pratically broke and very much living hand-to-mouth (in fact, Marilyn used the money from the shoot to narrowly prevent her car from being repossessed). By her own and other's accounts, the shoot itself was, despite the content, very much a perfectly professional and controlled experience, since she knew the photographer, and his wife was present for the whole shoot. Said pictures would be later be rediscovered and cause a scandal and happened to be featured in the first issue of Playboy.

* Legendarily, Creator/MarilynMonroe (although it was just nude pictures, which happened to be featured in the first issue of Playboy).

* In ''Roleplay/DCNation'', Hotshot's teammates discover that he "starred" in a film called [[BiTheWay "Bi The Shore"]] while in college. The females on the team rent it out and have a screening, playing it for all the SnarkBait it's worth. %%InUniverse

* In ''Roleplay/DCNation'', Hotshot's teammates discover that he "starred" in a film called [[BiTheWay "Bi The Shore"]] while in college. The females on the team rent it out and have a screening, playing it for all the SnarkBait it's worth.

* The phrase is used by Jane in one of ''Film/TheNakedGun'' movies, but that's not what Frank Drebin was looking for.

This doesn't necessarily have to be sexual -- it's just as likely to be a cheesy-as-hell children's show or a terrible sci-fi movie -- just something the performer saw as a humiliating but necessary stepping-stone to their current career. In these situations, the character might outright state that they sincerely ''wish'' they had done some kind of pornography instead because they find the job to have been an even more embarrassing and degrading experience.

** Same deal with Channing Tatum (who, in one magazine interview, did it because -- true to the trope -- he was young and needed money after dropping out of college. This period of his life served as the basis for ''Film/MagicMike'').

* Subverted by Jessica Biel, who did a topless magazine shoot in late 2003. She didn't need the money at all, having just come off of the very successful remake of ''Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacre2003'' and also having signed onto ''Film/BladeTrinity'', but her '''agent''' (who she fired not long afterward) apparently negotiated a very nice chunk of the money for himself. Biel did it mostly for PlayingAgainstType (she was on the end of her long stretch on ''7th Heaven'') and to go for some indie cred.

* Thin Lizzy's forgotten Deep Purple tribute album under the name Funky Junction was explicitly done for the money. Similarly, the song I Need You (B Side to The Farmer) was recorded as part of a deal for studio time, the song being written by the studio's owner.

* It's an urban legend that Joan Crawford did a "stag film" early in her career before she became a star. She always denied them, however.

* One of Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer's early works was the cheerfully cheesy theme tune for the 1980s quiz show ''Going for Gold''. Sometimes interviewers bring this up in the expectation that he would be embarrassed by it, but he's not embarrassed by it at all, pointing out that it paid the bills for a few years and brought him some useful contacts, and everybody who saw the show remembers the theme song, so he must have done a pretty good job of it.

* In only the second episode of ''Series/Mythbusters'', Kari Byron (then only a background crew member) allowed Adam and Jaime to scan her butt to create a mold for a myth. She didn't have much trouble with it at the time, thinking "It's just some little cable show! No one will ever see this!" One massive explosion in popularity later, "Now, when you search for me online, what's the first thing that comes up? My butt!". Fortunately, she had a sense of humor about the situation, and more recently, has become more appreciative of the segment, as "Who wouldn't want a memento of how good their butt looked when they were in their twenties?"

* Peter Steele of Music/TypeONegative posed for Playgirl in the '90s. Whilst it certainly got him more female fans, he quickly regretted it because it made people think he was gay. In his case, he had been in music for about 16 years when it happened, so being young is not exactly an excuse.

* In Roleplay/DCNation, Hotshot's teammates discover that he "starred" in a film called [[BiTheWay "Bi The Shore"]] while in college. The females on the team rent it out and have a screening, playing it for all the SnarkBait it's worth.

* In multifandom parody vid [[http://go-devil-dante.deviantart.com/art/L-is-sick-of-walking-19823583 L is sick of walking]] by GoDevilDante, [[Anime/SamuraiChamploo Jin]] posed for "ukelicious" nude photos because [[MemeticMutation he needed the monies]].

This doesn't necessarily have to be sexual -- it's just as likely to be a cheesy-as-hell children's show or a terrible sci-fi movie -- just something the performer saw as a humiliating but necessary stepping-stone to their current career. In these situations, the character might outright state that they sincerely ''wish'' they had done some kind of pornography instead, because they find the job to have been an even more embarrassing and degrading experience.

Compare MoneyDearBoy, which is when the performer's ''current'' choice of work is so bad that he or she is only in on it to get money from it. Compare BleachedUnderpants, where a non-acting creator achieves success with more respectable works after starting out with erotica/porn/hentai, or a work that started out as erotic in nature achieves wider success in bowdlerised form.

* ''Series/{{Monk}}'': PlayedForDrama on an episode. Sharona posed for nude pictures when she was in her late teens, because she needed money to support herself and her son Benjy. When the photos are unearthed by a suspected murderer in an attempt to blackmail her and Monk into not pursuing his case, she is forced to explain to Benjy about the photos and [[IDidWhatIHadToDo why she did what she did]]. She then says that she and Monk are planning to pursue the investigation anyway, which will result in the photos being sent to newspapers and Benjy probably [[KidsAreCruel getting made fun of at school for it]]. Benjy's response? Not to let a bad guy get away just because he might have a bad day at school.

* In ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' Robin uses this to explain her past career. Of course, Barney slap bets Marshall that it's porn, resulting in Robin revealing the whole truth by saying "Porn? I wish, it would be less embarrassing." Turns out she was a teenage, pseudo-'80s, Canadian pop star.

* Apparently Wilson, from ''Series/{{House}}'', was in a porno back in college. He swears that [[HurricaneOfExcuses it wasn't a porno when they were shooting it, and he was doing it as a favor to a friend that he had]] ''no idea'' would become an ''actual director'', [[HurricaneOfExcuses and said friend added some scenes in afterwards so he could release it as a porno...]] The fact that Wilson is entirely absent from all the sex scenes does lend credence to his story. House just wanted to see him squirm.

* One episode of ''Series/{{Borgen}}'' has a hyped-up political scandal when lingerie modelling shots of a (fairly young and attractive) female minister are rediscovered by the press. She brazens it out with almost literally this response.

** This in turn was a nod to a line from ''VideoGame/Fallout2'', in regards to the player's choice of becoming a porn star.

* Subverted by Jessica Biel, who did a topless magazine shoot in late 2003. She didn't need the money at all, having just come off of the very successful remake of ''Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacre2003'' and also having signed onto ''Film/BladeTrinity'', but her '''agent''' (who she fired not long afterwards) apparently negotiated a very nice chunk of the money for himself. Biel did it mostly for PlayingAgainstType (she was on the end of her long stretch on ''7th Heaven'') and to go for some indie cred.

* It's an urban legend that Joan Crawford did a "stag film" early in her career before she became a star. She always denied them however.

* Creator/HollyMarieCombs went topless for an obscure film called ''A Reason To Believe'' and was shocked when photos of it appeared on the internet after she got famous for ''Series/PicketFences'' and ''{{Series/Charmed}}''.

* Simon Rex acted in a few porn films.

* Creator/LeonardNimoy once gave this answer word for word when asked about ''Zombies of the Statosphere''.

-->-- '''WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic''', ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIwECikupYg reacting]]'' to Creator/DanielCraig appearing in ''Film/AKidInKingArthursCourt''.

* {{Played for Drama}} on an episode of ''Series/{{Monk}}'' - Sharona posed for nude pictures when she was in her late teens, because she needed money to support herself and her son Benjy. When the photos are unearthed by a suspected murderer in an attempt to blackmail her and Monk into not pursuing his case, she is forced to explain to Benji about the photos and [[IDidWhatIHadToDo why she did what she did]]. She then says that she and Monk are planning to pursue the investigation anyway, which will result in the photos being sent to newspapers and Benjy probably [[KidsAreCruel getting made fun of at school for it]]. Benjy's response? [[HeartwarmingMoments Not to let a bad guy get away just because he might have a bad day at school]].
* ''Series/{{Friends}}''

* {{Creator/Sierra}}, one of the biggest players in gaming during TheEighties. Known for being (for the most part) family friendly. But it was the early '80s, computer gaming was in its infancy, and they badly needed some cash to get started. The game that gave them enough money to actually ''make'' their signature family-friendly games? A text adventure called ''Softporn Adventure''. Later, when the company had grown into an established developer, Creator/AlLowe came along and re-tooled it, [[PlayedForLaughs added some gags, and played the whole plot as a comedy]] –- then sold it as ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry1InTheLandOfTheLoungeLizards''.

* {{Creator/Sierra}}, one of the biggest players in gaming during TheEighties. Known for being (for the most part) family friendly. But it was the early '80s, computer gaming was in its infancy, and they badly needed some cash to get started. The game that gave them enough money to actually ''make'' their signature family-friendly games? A text adventure called ''Softporn Adventure''. They re-tooled it, [[PlayedForLaughs added some gags, and played the whole plot as a comedy]] – then sold it as ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry1InTheLandOfTheLoungeLizards''.