From www.iesb.net- Digital Playground contract star Riley Steele™ is making the move from adult film star into the mainstream with a major role in the upcoming Alexandre Aja horror thriller Piranha 3-D, coming in 2010.

In Lake Havasu, Arizona, a tremor causes the lake’s floor to open, setting free scores of prehistoric piranhas. Every year the population of sleepy Lake Havasu explodes from 5,000 to 50,000 for a single, wild weekend to celebrate the 4th of July, a riot of sun, drunken fun and sex-crazed mayhem. But this year, there’s something more to worry about than hang-overs and complaints from local old-timers. Havasu sits in the crater formed by a pre-historic volcanic eruption, and when earth tremors tear open a crack in the lake floor, all hell breaks through and a million ravenous, razor-toothed piranhas, unchanged since the dawn of time, become unstoppable killing machines, acting blindly under one primeval impulse: to hunt down anything that moves and strip it to the raw, bleeding bone.

In this exclusive interview, Riley Steele spoke about the 3-D remake of the 1978 horror classic, her comfort level with nudity, and her goals for the future, in both the adult and mainstream industries.

IESB: How did you get into the adult industry? Were you a fan of porn, or were you more interested in the idea of being on camera?

Riley: I’ve always been a fan of porn. I love watching it. I’m very comfortable with my sexuality. I love to perform on camera. So, it was a very natural decision for me.

IESB: Was there a point that you realized it was something you could make a career out of?

Riley: Definitely. When I figured out what Digital Playground was, that was when I started thinking that that was how I wanted to take my career. I knew that something I would love to do for a job was to be with Digital.

IESB: How did they sign you? Did you go to them, or did they find out about you and approach you?

Riley: I actually went to a signing for the first Pirates, down in San Diego, where Jesse Jane was signing. I met her and she told me that I should get into the industry, and I had wanted to, for a long time. She gave me a business card and I waited for a couple years, just to make sure that this was what I wanted to do. And then, I called and sent them some pictures, and then they signed me.

IESB: Still being somewhat new to the industry, is it anything at all like you expected it would be?

Riley: It’s a lot better than I expected it to be. When they signed me, they told me that I was going to get to travel and go all these places, and I was just like, “Oh, yeah, that’s cool,” but I didn’t know how exciting it really was, to get to travel around the world, and how lucky I really am to be with such a great company, who allows me to see things that most people will never get to see.

IESB: How much are you like the porn star persona that people see in your films?

Riley: I’m pretty much the same, all the time. Whatever mood I’m in is how I perform. There isn’t really Riley Steele, and then whoever I am at home. It’s just me, all the time. It just depends on my mood.

IESB: How did you get involved with Piranha 3D? Did you just audition for it, or had they specifically asked to see you?

Riley: They wanted to see me, and so I went in and read for them. I went in for two auditions, and then I heard back, awhile after the second one, and they told me I got it.

IESB: Had you been actively looking to get into the mainstream entertainment industry, or was this role a total surprise for you?

Riley: Mainstream is something that Digital always allows their contract girls to take part in. Jesse Jane does a lot of mainstream stuff, and we’re always getting to do mainstream things. But, I never expected to get to do something mainstream that was so big, so early on in my career, so that was a big surprise for me.

IESB: Had you had any acting training at all, or is this all new to you?

Riley: It’s all so new to me. When I was about 16, I tried modeling, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. And, I took two or three acting classes, but that was it.

IESB: What is Piranha 3D about, and who do you play in it?

Riley: Piranha 3D is a remake of a movie that came out in 1978, that’s going to be out in 2010. I play a girl named Crystal. She’s your average stripper. She’s out to have a good time. We are Wild, Wild Girls, kind of like the whole Girls Gone Wild thing. We go out on a boat and have fun, and then all these piranhas start attacking people and everyone starts dying. I can’t wait to see it!

IESB: Are you more nervous or excited about doing a project like this, and working with such established actors?

Riley: I’m not nervous at all. We’re having a great time. Everybody is so down to earth. It doesn’t feel like work. We’re just having a lot of fun. It’s really cool! We get to go out there and have fun, and play on the boats. It’s good fun!

IESB: What other actors are you working with, in the scenes that you’re doing?

Riley: I’m mostly working with Jerry O’Connell, Jessica Szohr from Gossip Girl and Kelly Brook, who plays my best friend. Those are my closest co-stars.

IESB: With you being a relative newcomer to acting, how have they been to work with? Have they been curious about your work in the adult industry?

Riley: They are. They’re very nice about it. Everyone is so interested in it. It’s cool! The girls are like, “I have so many questions for you!” Everyone is so interested and has so many questions. They want to know everything about it. So, it’s cool to know that people know who we are.

IESB: Do you think that making big-budget adult films, like Pirates 2, helped prepare you for something like this?

Riley: It did, definitely. That was my first scene ever, and Pirates 2 was very different from what we actually, normally shoot. It did help me a lot. Plus, there’s acting in the Celeste movies. We do a lot of dialogue in those. That’s definitely helped me with preparing for this role. And, this role is so close to my average personality. I’m just a girl having fun, so it’s not too much of a stretch for me.

IESB: What kind of physical training are you doing?

Riley: I just did some underwater stuff to practice swimming with the fins on. They’re doing this really sexy underwater thing with one of the other girls, and I can’t wait to see that. I think it’s going to look really hot, especially in 3D.

IESB: Did the underwater training freak you out at all, or are you okay with that kind of thing?

Riley: I was a little bit nervous because fish really freak me out. They’re just so gross! But, not really. I’m getting really comfortable in the water. I’m having a lot of fun. We’re doing the bigger underwater things in this big tank that we had built.

IESB: How has it been to work with the director, Alexandre Aja? Had you been a fan of his previous work?

Riley: I had been. One of the producers, Steve Barnett, is from 300. And, we also watched Mirrors. The Hills Have Eyes was really good, too. It was scary.

IESB: Had you seen the original Piranha?

Riley: I’ve seen a trailer for the original film, on the Internet.

IESB: Are you a fan of these kinds of films, in general?

Riley: I do love these kinds of movies. They freak me out. They scare me. I prefer to watch them with other people because I don’t like being alone when I watch scary movies.

IESB: What are you enjoying most about making this movie, and what are the biggest challenges of it?

Riley: There really are no challenges on this film. It’s such a good cast and such a good crew that we’re just out there having fun. The biggest challenge is probably just the heat and staying cool. But then, you just jump in the lake and you’re fine.

IESB: Where are you filming?

Riley: We’re filming in Lake Havasu.

IESB: Is it more technical to make a film in 3D, or has that not been something that’s particularly obvious to you, on set?

Riley: It’s not really obvious when you’re working. You’re always thinking about what you look like and you worry about, “Oh, my gosh, am I making funny faces in the water?,” or something like that. But, there’s no real difference when you’re performing. It’s all in the camera and the editing, and all that. We have some gnarly death scenes, so that will be cool to see in 3D.

IESB: Because you make adult films, do you think it makes it easier for you to do nudity in something more mainstream? Does that help you feel more comfortable, in a situation like that, or are you just comfortable with your body?

Riley: I was comfortable before the industry. Being nude in mainstream is no different to me. I’m very comfortable being naked. It’s a beautiful thing. A naked girl is beautiful. When there are more people watching, it makes me more comfortable, in some strange way.

IESB: Do you ever watch any of your own adult films, or can you not watch yourself?

Riley: I do, but when I watch it, I have to watch it to be like, “Okay, what looks good? What do I need to change?” I’m still so new, as to learning all of the different positions. It’s so different, having sex regularly and then having sex for the camera. But, the performers that I work with are so good about helping me get in the angles, and I’m picking it up pretty well. It’s weird to see yourself.

IESB: How does your family feel about your chosen profession, and does the success that you’ve had help with that?

Riley: When my dad first found out, he was really upset with me, as any father would be. But, the owner of Digital Playground, Samantha Lewis, called him and talked to him for awhile, and told him that he could call her, any time. We’re all very close. It’s like a big family. And, she explained to him that I’m with such a great company, and that it’s not like I’m out there on the streets. They take really good care of me and the opportunities I get from being with them are unlike most of the other girls in adult. And now, especially since I’ve gotten this role, my dad is really happy for me, and he hopes I’ll do more mainstream things too. He’s very comfortable with it now. He’s okay.

IESB: Have you seen changes in the industry, as more and more girls receive mainstream recognition?

Riley: It’s changed so dramatically, in just the past five years alone. Digital is run by women. We have women directors. We have movies for couples, to make women feel comfortable. You have to make other women feel comfortable watching it, otherwise it’s just for men and it’s more taboo that way. Digital has really changed a lot, especially how they have become more accepted in today’s world. They were on CNN, talking about Pirates 2. It’s just everywhere. It’s definitely raised the standard of what you can do, being an adult star. It used to be that you could be a porn star, but you couldn’t be an actress. But, now we can. We’re getting more roles and we’re being more accepted, which is good.

IESB: Which do you enjoy more, making films or doing magazine layouts?

Riley: I love doing photo shoots. I love getting dressed up and looking all pretty. But, I love doing the movies too because you get to dress up and look all pretty, and then you have sex with a really hot guy, and you get to go home at the end of the day. It’s easy.

IESB: Do you prefer to play characters that are more like you, or that are very different from you?

Riley: I like playing things that are different from me. I just did a bondage movie that Celeste directed, and I’ve never really been into bondage, but I got to tap into a different side of me when I shot that film and it opened up a whole new world to me, of that kind of sexuality, being so submissive. It definitely opened up my mind to other things. I think, if more people tried it, they would love it.

IESB: Did someone talk to you and educate you about sex, growing up, or did you have to learn about it on your own?

Riley: I grew up with just my dad and my grandparents, so nobody really talked to me about sex. My friends and I would talk about it, or my friends’ moms would talk to me about it. I just figured it out, as I grew up.

IESB: Have you had any instances of people recognizing you that really surprised you?

Riley: Not too much, actually. Ever since Pirates 2 went to Blockbuster, though, there have been more people recognizing me. I’m getting a lot more double-takes.

IESB: Are you prepared for the attention you’ll receive from mainstream audiences, with a project like this, that already has a lot of interest?

Riley: I’ve been looking at it online and reading all the comments that people have to say, and I cannot wait for it to come out. It’s going to be a huge step in my career. I can’t even believe it! I can’t wrap my mind around what it’s going to be like, when it finally comes out.

IESB: Are you hoping to continue to work in both adult and mainstream projects?

Riley: Of course, I am. I’d love to do anything mainstream, to get my name out there. I love to work. I just want to do it all.

IESB: Do you have a plan for where you want to see your career go next, or are you just taking things as they come?

Riley: I’m pretty much just taking things as they come. I’m still so happy with Digital. I’m still happy making adult films. But, I do want to dip my toes into mainstream as well. And, of course, I’d like to have my own company one day. I have a bunch of things I want to do, but I can’t talk about them right now. I have to keep them secret.

Fans can see more of Riley Steele at www.DigitalPlayground.com.