Nothing Sweeter than Honey!

This future star of porn was born Shirley Thompson on November 26, 1950 in Midland, Texas. She grew up with a normal childhood, typical dreams of a young girl, but was always sexually advanced for her age. When she got a chance to sneak a view at some porn, she felt she could do what they were doing only do it better.

Growing up and being from Texas, young Shirley also had dreams becoming a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. When that dream failed to materialize and become reality, she headed to California. Once she got there she had made up her mind regarding getting into the adult industry. It was the early 80’s and this sexy lady wondered if her age might be a drawback, but she persevered.

She was just past thirty, but she was tall, busty, with long black hair and that Texas accent. With all that going for her, she got in the door of porn very quickly, changed her name and immediately the name Honey Wilder became very well known. The porn industry had pretty much moved from New York, where it all began, out to California where the industry was really beginning to grow, so her timing was right to become a part of this new California birth of porn.

Honey had a sparkling personality, an outgoing disposition and it wasn’t long before she was in front of the cameras showing off not only her great sexual talents, but her natural ability to act as well. She appeared in her first film in 1981, in one of the Swedish Erotica series “Swedish Erotica 39” which quickly got her a lot of notice. She took on her first starring role in the classic “Wild Dallas Honey” in 1982. Being a bit older than most of the girls coming into the business she convincingly took on the “older woman” roles in many films like the classic “Taboo” with Kay Parker as well as the follow up sequels and other films like “Forbidden Fruit”, “It’s My Body”, “Sex Spa USA”, “Frisky Business” and “Jewels In The Night” just to name a few.

Through all these films there was no doubt regarding her love for sex, but it also became very obvious that Ms. Wilder had some serious acting chops as well. She was accomplished and a natural who could deliver lines as good, or better, as any female in mainstream. While she had only done about 70 adult films in her career, she was now nearing forty and felt the time had come to go in new and different direction. So in 1988 Honey Wilder left the adult business.

She went to work as a production designer and set decorator for mainstream films and TV productions making a smooth transition to behind the scenes. As for her current status, no one seems to know where she may be, what she may be doing and how she is health wise. Like some others, once Honey Wilder left the adult business, she left it all behind and never looked back. She was inducted in 2001 into the AVN Hall of Fame.

Today, Ms. Wilder would be 67 years young and still maintains a solid fan base as evidenced by her fan website www.honeywilderonline.com  Thanks to modern technology many of her classic films are now on DVD and still popular among fans of the golden age and new fans. Be sure to check out Honey Wilder, a very talented lady in many ways who was an important figure in the growing California porn scene of the 1980’s.

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN