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Adam Wilcox posts on www.xxxwasteland.wordpress.com – A decade-plus of remarkable credentials, hundreds of thousands of loyal fans and one of the highest profiles – both domestic and international – in adult entertainment place jessica drake among the elite few who qualify as true living legends of erotic cinema.
jessica first set foot on XXX soil in 1999 and signed an exclusive performing contract with major adult studio Wicked Pictures a few years later. The partnership has proven immensely successful and jessica remains under the Wicked umbrella today in a variety of capacities, including acting, directing and scriptwriting.
jessica has starred in a wide array of Wicked’s most popular feature films and last year the studio introduced jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex, a line of educational sex titles helmed by the starlet herself.
In addition to balancing her numerous duties at Wicked, jessica maintains a strong presence over the airwaves with two popular radio programs, In Bed With jessica drake (heard every Tuesday from 2-3 p.m. PST on Playboy Radio’s Sirius/XM 102) and the STFU podcast available here and on iTunes.
jessica kindly granted XXX Wasteland a recent interview to discuss these topics and a variety of other subjects, including her being named 2011’s Best International Porn Star by the Australia-based Eros Shine Awards.
You can visit jessica online at jessicadrake.com and via her official blog, InsideJD.blogspot.ca. Follow jessica on Twitter under the handle @thejessicadrake and purchase the starlet’s official Wicked RealDoll here. jessica’s FreeOnes page is available at this link.
(Special thanks to Daniel M of Roads to Moscow)
Q: Let’s start at the beginning: Can you tell us how you initially became interested – and later involved – in the adult industry?
Well, I was always very curious about sex. I remember wondering if other people enjoyed the same types of things sexually that I did, and around the same time I discovered porn. My boyfriend at the time was being raised by his father, and we found his stash of movies. Not only did we watch them together, I watched them alone as well, and took great comfort in the fact that I was not alone in the kind of sex that I liked. As soon as I turned 18, I would creep into the adult stores and watch porn in the booths – I was too embarrassed (and didn’t have enough money) to buy movies.
In my early twenties, I was in college and supporting myself while I was stripping. Two things happened that led me to where I am today – I saw Blondage perform onstage at the club where I was working (Blondage was Janine and Julia Ann, two of my all time favorite stars). I watched them with my jaw hanging onto the stage, and all I wanted was to do that, to be up there, to be like them.
Shortly thereafter, the club had one of their “Miss Nude” pageants and I met up with some people who worked in porn, though I didn’t fully understand at the time. They were Michael Raven, who later went on to become an award-winning director for Wicked, and some of his friends and crew.
I became friends with them, and one day I decided to come out to L.A. to visit … and they took me onto the set of a movie. I was the condom and lube girl for about half a day, and found myself standing just feet away from where Jill Kelly was having sex with Marc Davis.
Jill was my other favorite, and I was just in awe. I loved how everyone was so comfortable and shared such a camaraderie. I came out a few more times, and about a year later I surprised everyone by agreeing to do a movie. I am very fortunate to have come into the business with my eyes wide open and meet so many great people right off the bat. Now I’m a contract performer, writer, and director for Wicked (and I do so much more) and I’m just so happy with it all.
Q: You have been exclusively contracted to Wicked Pictures since 2003. What do you enjoy most about being a Wicked contract star?
I enjoy everything about being with Wicked, but most of all, I am grateful for the way they have supported me at every stage in my career. I have been given some tremendous opportunities, and I have tried to work as hard as I can for them. It’s the least I can do. I think that Wicked cares so much about their performers and directors and employees, and these days, that is rare.
Q: You have successfully transitioned into both directing and scriptwriting during your time at Wicked. How would you describe the experience of participating in those areas of the industry?
You know, it’s something that was so gradual and so natural. I began writing about 4 or 5 years ago, and directing about 3 years ago, but before that, I played the role of Brad Armstrong’s assistant, and then his AD (assistant director) and that was kind of like trial by fire. He is the absolute best at what he does, and though I did learn a lot from him, I have also carved out my own style as well.
Q: Wicked introduced your self-created line of educational adult DVDs last year, jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex. Can you tell us about the series and explain how the concept was conceived?
It came about as I traveled the world doing appearances and international conventions. Our demographic began to change from lots of guys and the occasional woman to an even mix of men and women … and often single women will come out to meet me as well. I am asked questions about love and sex, relationships, porn, you name it.
I began giving sex seminars where I would hold really insightful Q & A sessions afterward, and it made me realize just how hungry people were for this information. I decided to create a line of instructional, inspirational, yet arousing DVDs that couples could watch independently … or together. I have my Threesomes Edition coming out soon, and I’m about to start working on the next title sometime in the next week or so.
Q: You are one of the starlets featured in Wicked’s upcoming Men In Black: A Hardcore Parody blockbuster title slated for release on June 6. Can you discuss the filming of the movie and do you feel MIB will be well-received by fans?
The movie is phenomenal! I just watched the first screener of it last night, and I was blown away. Misty Stone is an amazing actress, and she just shines in it! We also had Randy Spears come out of retirement just to do the part of Agent K, we had Ethan Hunt play Agent J (the male version) and we just had a ton of other amazing performers – Kaylani Lei, Alektra Blue, India Summer, and more. I play the role of Estrella, which was created just for our parody. I’m an alien, and the special effects makeup is so great. It took hours, but the result is awesome.
I have to be honest: At first, I was not excited for Wicked to jump onto the parody bandwagon because I really enjoy putting my spin on original characters and not having to copy anything, but after the success of Rocki Whore Picture Show: A Hardcore Parody, I realized that Brad Armstrong is truly the perfect person to do them – his amazing attention to detail and his art directing expertise, plus his creative screenplays really make our parodies stand out. I think the fans will absolutely love it!
Q: You host In Bed With jessica drake every Tuesday afternoon on Playboy Radio. For those who may be unfamiliar with the program, can you describe the content of the show and what it is about?
It’s a live show on satellite radio – Sirius/XM 102 – every Tuesday from 2-3 p.m. PST where I talk about different sexual topics, have guests and take calls. It’s sexy, sometimes very funny, it’s insightful, and it’s real! I love giving fans another chance to connect with me, and my radio show is the perfect way to do it.
Q: Australia’s Eros Shine Awards named you Best International Porn Star in late 2011. Your reputation in North America obviously speaks for itself, but how did it feel to be honored by such a major international outfit?
I’m very grateful. I think the first foreign award I received was Best Actress for Fallen, and then later, a “Body of Work” award from Venus Faire in Berlin, which was a real honor. I do love international travel, and with Wicked’s foreign distribution, it’s just crazy to think about how many people have actually seen my movies! I get fan mail from all over the world, and I also host a podcast called the STFU Show, which can be found on iTunes or its own website, stfushow.com, and we’ve taken a look at where our listeners come from – it’s all over the world!
Q: I’d like to ask your opinion on the recently passed regulation mandating the use of condoms on all California porn shoots. Speaking as not only a veteran and superstar of the adult world, but also a contract performer for a condom-only studio, do you feel XXX productions should be legally required to employ the use of condoms on sets?
Well, it is a bit of a different thing for me personally. Wicked is condom only, and has been since before I first signed with them. Using condoms is the right choice for me, and I have always felt that safe sex is of the utmost importance. But that being said, I think that it is not appropriate for the government to force performers to wear condoms if they choose not to. I feel that is a very personal decision.
Q: Is there one misconception about the adult industry that you wish you could dispel?
Every day of my life, I work to defend the stereotype that we are all damaged, that we were abused as children, that we were raped or that we are all on drugs or that we are alcoholics. As the years have passed, I think that some people have come to understand that we are all not exploited or coerced into doing things that we don’t want to do, but all it takes are some ramblings from Shelley Lubben or some slanted news segments, a newspaper article written without a fact-checker to sort out skewed statistics, and we’re back to square one.
Q: Having enjoyed a legendary career in adult, what are your future aspirations professionally? Are there any goals left you still wish to accomplish?
I do have a few more goals to accomplish, but I can’t put them out there just yet. I have so many projects going on right now, I’m sure I’ll be busy in this business for quite a few more years to come. I am truly my greatest competition, and I will always try to outdo myself.
Q: Your mainstream credits are impressive and include an appearance on The Tyra Banks Show and a role in the music video for Lady Gaga and Beyoncé’s popular single “Telephone.” Are you always interested in pursuing more mainstream work?
Of course! It’s fun, and the attention is great, but it’s not something that I am aspiring to do long-term. I am quite happy here in the adult world, and my success here has been why I have gotten the mainstream offers I have so far.
Q: Let’s learn a little bit about jessica drake, the person. Can you tell us where you were raised and how you would describe yourself growing up?
I was raised in Texas, and I’m still a Texas girl at heart. I attended private school for most of my childhood, raised by supportive parents. I was in gifted classes in school, always had my nose in a book, very socially awkward. I was very tall and skinny, and I got picked on most of the time. Ah, payback …
Q: What are some of your interests and hobbies outside of work?
I have two other passions, philanthropy and travel, and when I can, I do both at once.
Q: Is there one thing about yourself that you feel would surprise most people?
Last year I climbed Mt Kilimanjaro. Seriously. And here’s one more: I ride a motorcycle.
Q: Are there any upcoming or current projects you would like to mention?
Countdown and Men In Black: A Hardcore Parody will be out soon, and the very best way to keep up with me and my newest releases and appearances is through Twitter – twitter.com/thejessicadrake.
Q: In closing, is there anything you wish to say to readers?
Sure! I love you guys. You’re the reason I’m here.