We’ve reported before about porn stars crossing over into the mainstream as of late – Tera Patrick being considered for QT’s remake of Faster, Pussycat, Kill! Kill! and Jenna Jameson playing a frightening zombie stripper – but so far the projects have been specialty stuff and horror flicks. Let’s face it, Tarantino hiring a porn star (if it ever happens) seems like the natural progression of his career.

We thought the trend would be stuck in slasher flicks when Sasha Grey was tapped (yes, tapped) for little-known Lee Demarbre’s Smash Cut, but now Grey has found her way onto the cast list of Steven Soderbergh’s indie film – The Girlfriend Experience.

That’s right. The Oscar-winning director who brought us Erin Brokovich and gets made fun of perennially on The Simpsons has reached into the santorum-encrusted world of pornography for his leading lady of ill-repute.

Granted, the story is about a call girl, but if there was any doubt that porn stars are invading the mainstream – or just plain becoming the mainstream – Soderbergh’s casting decision has destroyed it.

According to our bff’s over at ComingSoon.net, Brian Koppelman and David Levien who penned Soderbergh’s Ocean’s 13, wrote the film which has already started production in New York.

Are you comfortable with porn stars crossing over? Could Sasha Grey pull off legitimate acting skill if she’s not being choked? Won’t someone probably choke her during this? Am I a total ass for choosing that makeup-less picture or only a partial ass?