Adult film star Jenna Haze is now making a name for herself in the mainstream film industry, with her involvement in such high-profile projects as Crank 2: High Voltage, Superbad, James Gunns PG Porn and the upcoming Judd Apatow film, Funny People.

{sidebar id=1}Adult film star Jenna Haze born in Fullerton, California, Jenna Haze entered the porn industry in 2001, at the age of 19. Currently the 2009 AVN Female Performer of the Year, Haze, who has starred in hundreds of adult films and recently launched her own production company, Jennaration X Studios (http://twitter.com/jenxstudios), is one of the most successful and popular porn stars working in the business today.

The 27-year-old spoke to IESB in an exclusive phone interview, about her love of working in adult film, why shes so confident being naked, what it was like to work on a Hollywood film like Crank 2, and where she sees her career going in the future.

IESB: How did you initially end up in the adult industry?

JH: Im from Orange County, from kind of a poor family, so I went to high school, but then I had to drop out really early to help support the family, and I worked a bunch of really crazy, crappy jobs. I worked at Taco Bell, did oil changes at Easy Lube, worked at Toys R Us, was a waitress at Marie Callenders and, once I turned 18, I worked for one day as a stripper, which was horrible. And then, I moved out of my moms house and was living with this girl that I was dating. We started going to nightclubs around the Orange County area, and went to one in particular, called The Boogie. We just started partying and hanging out with guys there, and we ended up meeting a couple of people who knew some people in the adult industry. I was pretty wild and flirtatious, and not a shy person, so they said, Youd be perfect for our industry. Would you ever be interested in doing movies? I was like, Sure, lets go ahead and do it! So, I went down to AIM and I got my test, and the next day I did a scene that was supposed to be a double blow job, but I was really into it and I ended up doing full sex with both of the guys. Then, the day after that, I did my first real scene with a make-up artist and real cameras, for Joey Silvera in Service Animals 4. From there, it just went.

IESB: Had you been a fan of porn, or were you more interested in the idea of being on camera?

JH: I was totally into it! I started watching porn with boyfriends when I was 14 or 15 years old. When I was younger, I would see it once in awhile with guys that I would hang around with, and I would be into it. But then, when I got a steady boyfriend at 15 or 16, I was with him for about four years and we started getting into it and collecting them. Our favorite were the Shanes World films. We liked the way that it was just free-form. They just went and partied, had a good time, did crazy stuff like snowboarding, and just had sex. It wasnt scripted, or anything like that.

IESB: When did you realize that you could make a career out of porn?

JH: Not until about three years ago. I didnt take my career seriously until I put out Darkside. Thats when I thought, Okay, wow, I can really do something with this. Ive made a big name out of myself and this comeback is huge. I really should buckle down and kick ass! When I got into the industry, I didnt really take it seriously as a job. It was just a fun way for me to make money. I was already at that club, taking home guys and having sex with them, so I was like, Why dont I do this on camera? I love being on camera. I was always a camera hog. Me and my friends always messed around with cameras and took dirty pictures, so that wasnt an awkward thing for me. So, I figured, Why dont I do this and be safe? We get tested, so its much safer than just taking home a guy, and I got paid for it, too. So, I did it as just a fun thing, for a long time, and then, once I put out Darkside, I was like, Okay, Im going to really work at this and take it seriously, and not just see it as fun and money.

IESB: You work in the adult industry and have sex with different people for a living, but you have managed to maintain a relationship longer than most people who arent in the industry. Why do you think that is?

JH: Ive been in three long-term relationships, since I was 15 or 16 years old, and theyve all been for three and a half or four years. Its crazy!

IESB: Do you just see it as work then, and keep it totally separate from your personal relationships? Are there ever moments of jealousy?

JH: In every relationship, I think theres jealousy, but maybe because I do what I do, I get my kicks at work and I feel secure at home. Im able to express myself and my crazy sexual fantasies through work, so I dont really have to go anywhere else. I have my boyfriend (Jules Jordan), who I love and who I make love with, and hes my partner and best friend. And then, I go to work and I can have the crazy, insane sex that I would have from just picking up a guy at a club. Its always a different adventure at work, but at home I have my steady, monogamous thing. Its almost like two sides to a person.

IESB: Do you ever watch any of your performances, or can you just not watch yourself?

JH: I go through periods where Im okay with watching myself, and I go through periods where Im not okay. Were all insecure, in our own ways, and were all our harshest critic. Sometimes, I see stuff and Im like, Oh, my God, I cant believe I made that face again!, or Oh, wow, I really have to get to the gym! I get critical of myself, so sometimes I cant watch it. But, in order to learn how porn is shot, become a better director and camera person, and put out movies that are of good quality, I need to watch it. So, for the last year or so, Ive been checking them out, and it gets easier to watch myself each time. You have to separate yourself from it, a little bit. Otherwise, you start to question everything you do, and I always want to be real on camera. I dont want to be fake.

IESB: How much are you like your porn star persona in your personal life, and how much of who you are on film is just a persona that you leave on set?

JH: Im about 75% the same. Theres more confidence in Jenna Haze. But, the things that I say in bed, my dirtiness and flirtatiousness, and my sexual persona, is very much the same. When Im at events and things like that, the confidence that I apparently exude to people is Jenna Haze. Thats not really me. A lot of the sexy clothes are more Jenna Haze than me. When Im at home, I dont wear anything like that. I wear flip-flops and sneakers, and jeans and tank tops. But, the sexual energy and the sexual persona is completely the same.

IESB: Having been in the adult industry for a number of years now, and having started when you were still a teenager, what have you learned about yourself from being in this business?

JH: Ive learned that I am more of a business woman than I thought I was. Ive learned that people think Im prettier than I think I am. And, people seem to like me more than I thought they would. Girls in this business need to realize that theyre the ones in control. You need to be in control of your destiny. Ive learned to be strong and stand my ground and hold my value of myself. People will try to take advantage of you and theyll walk all over you, but if youre smart, you can take this business in a very good direction, in a very positive way for yourself, and be very successful.

IESB: Why do you think youve managed to stay successful in the adult industry for so long, when so many other girls come and go so quickly?

JH: Because I like my job. I like sex and I like being on camera. A lot of these girls dont like it. They come into the business for the wrong reasons -- for the money, to prove something to themselves, for drugs, for a boyfriend, or to rebel. I came into this business for fun, for the pleasure of doing it and the experience. Now, of course, the money is a factor, and I enjoy the money, but when Im not enjoying myself anymore, Ill move on to something else. But, right now, Im still having a hell of a time being in front of the camera. A lot of these girls are just not right for it, and its sad because its something that they should think about before they do it. It is a life-altering thing. I cant go and be that English teacher that I wanted to be when I was in high school. Thats not going to No one is going to let their kids around me. There are certain things you have to let go of and accept, when you come into the business, and its cool. Its worked for me. I take everything one day at a time, and just try to enjoy myself and do my best at work, every day.

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

JH: Sometimes it happens at very awkward moments, but Im never surprised by who it is. You get every walk of life. Im never surprised by it being a young girl, an old man, or a middle-aged woman. Im more surprised in the way that they approach me. The things that they say are quite interesting. Ive heard everything from, Oh, my God, youre that anal girl!, to the people who know who I am, but they try to say things like, You look really familiar. Do I know you from someplace? I could swear that Ive seen you before. Did you go to this school? Do you know this person? And, Im like, You know where youve seen me before. Lets not beat around the bush. But, Im never surprised. Everybody watches porn. Its very mainstream, and the industry is getting more and more accepted. Personally, I think its a step I the right direction because I believe that society, in general, views sex as something that is wrong, when it should be something that is celebrated and talked about, viewed in a safe manner, and educated about. It shouldnt be shunned. Certain porn, of course, should be banned, but the good, healthy porn should be enjoyed by adults who want to view it.

IESB: Did someone talk to you and educate you about sex, or did you have to figure things out on your own?

JH: I was educated by my mother, at a young age. She talked to me and said, When youre starting to feel those feelings for a guy or a girl, you tell me and Ill make sure that we take you to Planned Parenthood and talk to you about all that stuff. So, when I was in my early teens, I was like, Hey, mom, me and my guy are getting kind of serious. Lets talk about it. And, she totally took it at a good pace and we talked about it. While my mom doesnt completely agree with what I do, shes been very supportive. She says, Whatever makes you happy, as long as youre using your head. Just think about what you do, and be smart about it. I think its important that you talk to your kids, at a young age, about those kinds of things. I got put on birth control, and I learned about STDs and safe sex. They dont teach enough of that, here in this country. Theres so much sex on TV, and yet its still shunned and not talked about.

IESB: Why have you decided to remain a freelance porn star, instead of signing a contract with a specific company?

JH: I did the contract thing when I was with JKP (Jill Kelly Productions) and, while contracts work for some girls, I think I like to work too much and I like to be in control of my own destiny. I like to be in control of my job and my projects. I dont like being told, This is the movie youre gonna do. This is what its called. I like people who call me and say, Hey, do you wanna be in this movie? I like picking and choosing the days that I work. I want to do my own thing. If I want to decide that I dont want to work for four months, Im not going to work for four months. If I want to work every single day for a year, than Im going to. I like being in control of it. And, after I did the contract thing, I decided that I didnt want anybody to make that much money off of me. Its bad enough that when I freelance and do these jobs, where I do one scene for a gonzo movie and they put me on the box cover, theyre making tons of money off my name and Im only getting a small scene fee. Thats why I decided to launch my own company. If Im going to do this, I should be making the most money off myself. Nobody else should be making that much money off my name cause I built my name, so I launched my company. Im going to work for people for the next year, and then Ill probably just be exclusive to myself, and just do special projects, here and there, like big features.

IESB: When did you decide to start crossing over into the mainstream? How did that come about?

JH: I didnt decide! When I was with JKP, I got asked to do an audition for some rock bands video, but I didnt get it. And then, somebody called and said, We want you to be in this music video. Theres no audition. We just want you to be in it, and I was like, Okay! So, I went and did a Saliva music video, where I had a small part, but then I didnt do anything else mainstream for awhile. And then, I got a call one day from someone at Sony Pictures who said, We want you to do this behind-the-scenes thing for this movie, and I was like, Really? Okay, sure. This has gotta be a joke, right? I still dont know how they got my number. They said, Its for Superbad, and I was like, Whats Superbad? I hadnt seen 40-Year-Old Virgin, or any of those movies, so I didnt take it too seriously. They said I would be doing it with (porn star) Aurora Snow, and I was like, I know her, so even if its stupid, well both be there together. So, I went and did it, and it was completely silly. I didnt know that it was going to be a big deal. I got paid $700 for it, and it was the easiest money Ive ever made. I didnt hear anything about it for awhile, and then I got invited to the premiere, so I went and that was awesome. There were so many famous people there. It was so cool!

IESB: So, are you actively pursuing the mainstream now?

JH: Im still not really pursuing it. They called me to do Crank 2. I didnt ask to do it, they just called me for it. And, I did a little thing for Judd Apatows new movie, Funny People. Aziz Ansari is in the movie, and I did a little thing with him that theyre probably going to put on the bonus disc, or on Comedy Central as a promotion for it. But, Im not really actively pursuing it. Im just seeing what comes to me. Im taking the mainstream thing as a hobby, more than something serious. My heart is in porn, and I will always be into porn. Thats my love. If I happen to get a mainstream job, here and there, then cool, but its not what Im going after. Using porn to cross over to mainstream just sounds like a silly thing to do. If you want to do mainstream, you should just try to make it in mainstream. Im always going to be known as that porn girl. Im always going to be known as a porn star, and Im fine with that. Thats cool with me.

IESB: Did they have you audition for Crank 2?

JH: No. They called me and said, We need some porn stars to be on strike in this scene, and they said to bring some sexy outfits. My call-time was at 6 am, in this horrible ghetto area in L.A. It was really cool! I had my own little star wagon. (Former Vivid contract star) Monique Alexander was also there. She had a little part in it to, along with Ron Jeremy and Lexington Steele. Im surprised at how much notice Im getting for it because I didnt think anything about it. I even made it into the little trailer online. I was so excited! It was really funny.

IESB: Had you seen the first Crank film?

JH: Yeah, I saw it. I thought it was a very high-energy, high-action movie. I dont really remember too much about it, except for that it was totally crazy and totally unbelievable. I knew Jason Statham from The Transporter.

IESB: What did you get to do in Crank 2?

JH: Jason Statham was driving a cop car with Amy Smart in the background, and I jump on the cop car and start screaming stuff, and I flash my boobs while hes looking at me. I dont know how much of me they left in it, but they left some dialogue that I said. They had me scream into the camera, saying all this stuff. We were porn stars on strike, so we had to protest. It was hard for me to protest because I was like, But, I like my job! I make good money. I wouldnt really be protesting. The camera would come to me and they would say, Jenna, scream something!, and Id be like, You guys wanna see me suck that dick? You know you do! I know you wanna see it! Youve gotta pay my rate! It was really funny. It was a really good experience. It was an interesting role. I dont know how much they left in and how much theyll put on the DVD. Im just glad I made it into the trailer and onto some of the press releases. Its pretty cool to have my name alongside Amy Smart and Dwight Yoakam.

IESB: Does it feel more vulnerable to do nudity for a mainstream film, as opposed to being on an adult set?

JH: Honestly, it feels empowering to me. I have no problem with nudity, whatsoever. People are just like, Wow! Shes so confident that she can just take off her clothes. I know everybody is checking me out, but Im cool with it. To me, its just boobs. Its just another part of your skin and your body. I dont know who decided that certain parts of your body are naughty and arent supposed to be exposed. As much as I love clothes and fashion, I have a problem with the view of nudity being bad. I resent the fact that men can walk around with their shirts off in the summer, and I cant. Thats not fair, whatsoever!

IESB: What was the experience of working with Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor?

JH: Theyre out of their minds. When I was on set that day, Lex and I were having a party at some club in Hollywood, and we invited them. So, Brian, Mark and Jason Statham came to our porn party. It was crazy! Theyre off their rocker. They were just like, Yes, say more of that! Pull your boobs out again! Theyre really flirtatious, too. They were insane, but I think that most people who are good at their job are a little crazy.

IESB: How did you get involved with PG Porn? What was that experience like?

JH: That was a really cool thing. At AVN last year, me and Jules ran into (porn star) Belladonna and her husband, and they invited (writer/director) James Gunn to dinner with us. We sat down and he just started talking about how he had this idea for PG Porn, and he asked if I would be interested in it. I didnt even actually know who he was, until somebody said, Hes the screenwriter for the Dawn of the Dead remake, and Im a huge horror movie fan. Im into scary zombies, vampires, anything like that. I was like, Really? Thats my favorite zombie movie ever! That was the first zombie movie that ever freaked me out. I was really creeped out by that movie, and I was like, Wow, this guys awesome! So, we started talking and he said, I saw on your MySpace page that youre a big fan of Dawn of the Dead, and we talked about our love of horror movies. And then, he brought up the fact that he wanted to do something with porn stars, called PG Porn. He tried explaining it, but I didnt get it at first. He was like, Its for people who love porn for the acting, but are ashamed of or offended by the sex. I was like, Who watches porn for the acting? I dont understand what youre talking about. Then, he did one with Belladonna and one with (nude model) Aria Giovanni, so when he called me to do one, I was excited because Id seen the humor in it. I was excited to do it. I did two episodes with him.

IESB: How can someone see the episodes?

JH: One has gone up already, and it got dropped from Spike because they deemed it too vulgar. So, James Gunn put it on his website and its getting some response. I think hes going to do a DVD of them, once theyre all out. Theyre hilarious! Weve actually done a second one, but its not out yet. It probably will get dropped because this one is way worse than the first one. But, its really funny and people on my MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/jennahaze) love it. Hes a really cool guy.

IESB: So, youd want to work with him again?

 JH: Yeah. He had also called me up to do this project he had, called Humanzee! That was supposed to be for Xbox Live, but they dropped it because they said it was too violent. It was about him sending away his sperm to some foreign country and mating it with a chimpanzee, and getting a humanzee son that was half-human, half-chimp, that he integrated into his life. I was just there, digging a grave for somebody that he had previously killed in the pilot episode they did, and I got my throat ripped out by him and blood squirted everywhere. I loved it because Id always wanted to be that chick in scary movies that gets killed. Hopefully, James Gunn will do something else with it.

 IESB: What do you get out of feature dancing that you dont get from working on a set?

 JH: I love dancing. When I was in school, I always put together little routines with my girlfriends, and I entered talent shows. Ive always been really into dance, and sexy dancing is even better. Its really fun to be able to go and dance the way I want to dance, get the attention on stage and get to be personal with my fans. I can give them a more personal and sexy experience with me, than just watching me on their TV screen. And, the money is great and the traveling is interesting. Its always an adventure. Meeting the fans and giving them the chance to see me on stage, or have a lap dance with me, or meet me in person and talk to me is really cool. Its definitely more intimate than you get to be at a convention. Its even hotter, once my fans get to know me and see that Im a real person. Usually, they like me more, once they meet me. Theyre like, Oh, my God, youre not just a sex goddess. Youre a really nice girl, who likes to have a good time.

IESB: Whats it like to make big-budget adult films, like Pirates? How is that different from a typical porn production?

 JH: Pirates was awesome! While I prefer to be a gonzo girl, and gonzo is where my heart will always lie, I did take drama in high school, so I do like to act and perform. I just dont like being on set for hours. For Pirates, I was on set for two days, for about 12 hours each day. One day was just entirely dialogue, and the other day was dialogue and sex. It was incredible! It was the biggest production Id ever seen, in my entire career. Its really cool to see somebody do something so high-quality with porn, and I wish that people would do more projects like that. It was really good. The lighting and the sets were brilliant, and Evan Stone was funny as shit. Its not something Id want to do every single day because I like to show up to work, get gorgeous, take hot pictures, fuck the hell out of my co-star, and then go home with a nice paycheck.

 IESB: You also do a lot of the porn parodies, like Not Bewitched XXX, The Office: A XXX Parody, This Aint the Munsters XXX and now This Aint Star Trek XXX. What do you think the appeal of those is?

 JH: The parodies are taking over porn. Sometimes, I feel like theyre overdoing it, by doing so many. You dont want to drain the genre, right away. But, theyre so popular right now and theres such an appeal for them because, for people to see impersonations of their favorite TV show characters gettin it on, its humorous, its entertaining, it can be sexy and it can be a really good fantasy for the person. I cant tell you how many people were like, Oh, my God, Samantha Stevens from Bewitched is so hot! That was one of my favorite shows, growing up. I was horrified about playing Samantha Stevens because she was a sex symbol, back in that time. When that show was around, a lot of people fantasized about Samantha Stevens, so I was like, I cant do this! But, I watched all the DVDs, and it was really, really fun. Mike Horner was awesome as Darren, and Nina Hartley as Endora was brilliant. It was definitely hilarious. There were a couple times, when I was on set surrounded by everyone, that I just burst out laughing because it was so ridiculous. It was so surreal because it looked pretty good. It was crazy! Now, theyre just doing so many of them. There are ones for Threes Company and Married with Children, and I just did the Star Trek one. I want them to do a Nancy Drew one, and I want to be Nancy Drew. I read those series of books when I was a kid and I always thought that would be hot.

IESB: Having been in the industry for as long as you have been now, where would you like to see your career go next?

 JH: Im really focusing on my company right now, and doing my movies, directing and producing. Id really like to see my movies get some recognition from AVN, and things like that. Id really like to do well in that area, and expand my horizons in the industry. Id like to start as a company owner, become a good director and learn a bit about editing. And, Im not going to give up performing, anytime soon. Ive got at least another five or six years of that left.

 IESB: Have you given any thought at all about using your experience directing adult films to try directing something mainstream, at some point?

 JH: No, not at this point. Directing is so new to me, and Im just trying to be a good porn director. The mainstream seems intimidating. I never realized how hard it was to put together a porn movie, and how much work is involved. With my first film, I wrote everything on the box, I picked out every picture, and I went over all the editing and the music. Its a lot of work. I do everything myself, including the styling of the girls. Of course, I hire a make-up artist, but I pick out and buy the outfits, I pick the girls, I pick the locations, I pick the scenarios, everything. When youve spent almost eight years being told what the set-up is and having everything taken care of for you, including the pictures and the boxes, and you just have to show up to work, look good, fuck and go home, and all of your promotion is taken care of, you dont realize how much work there is. Now, Im doing all of that and its a bit daunting, but Im taking it a step at a time and its cool. Id really like to be successful in this area as well. Im focusing on putting out DVDs, as well as doing cable deals and video-on-demand deals, and all the scenes I shoot are going to be up on websites. My company is called Jennaration X Studios, and its the next generation of adult media.

CRANK 2 opens in theaters April 17.

Photo Credit: Christina Radish

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