Barbara Dare, born Barbara Schwarz on February 27, 1963, in Wichita Falls, Texas, and raised in Wayne, New Jersey, is a former American pornographic actress renowned as one of the 1980s video era's top stars. Standing at 5'2", she entered the industry in the mid-1980s after posing in magazines like Hustler, Swank, and High Society. Dare pioneered contract stardom, signing an exclusive deal with Essex Video for 10 films a year at $150,000, later joining Vivid as an early 'Vivid Girl.'
Her commanding screen presence shone in hits like 'Slippery When Wet' (1986), 'Barbara Dare's Bad' (1988), 'Naked Stranger' (1989—for which she won AVN Best Actress), and 'Where the Boys Aren't 2' (1990). Awards include AVN Best New Starlet (1987), XRCO Starlet of the Year (1987), and inductions into AVN and XRCO Halls of Fame. Openly lesbian early on, she favored all-girl scenes with stars like Ginger Lynn and Tracey Adams.
Retiring after 'Bratgirl' (1992) in 1994, she battled and overcame heroin addiction, becoming a Certified Addiction Counselor. Mainstream roles include '52 Pick-Up' (1986) and 'Evil Toons' (1992).