Brianna Banks

Cindi Loftus from Xcitement Magazine writes: She's blonde and buxom, beautiful and bubbly. She's a boxcover star and this baby's got back. Best New Comer of the year if you ask me. But then what do I know… I talked to her, and she gave me everything, except her shoe size, because I forgot to ask. She was a Mirage, but now she is Briana Banks. Let's just say… a star is born.

X: Where were you born and raised?
B: I was born in Munich Germany and I lived there until I was 4, then I moved to England and then to the United States when I was about 7.

X: You moved around a lot, were your parents in the military?
B: No, my Dad is German, and my Mom moved there to work as a live-in nanny. They met, got married and had me and my sister. So I have lived in California from when I was little.

X: Were you really wild in high school?
B: No. I was very very mellow. I didn't really date. I was really a prude. I didn't hit puberty until I was 17. So I had a total of maybe three boyfriends the whole time I was in high school. I got dumped by one of them, named Max, because I was so prude. I was very shy and self conscious in high school. Then I hooked up with this other guy, named John and ended up dating him for 4 years, but he was a total asshole. He cheated and all that, and lived with me for free, didn't give me any money, and I paid all the bills.

X: How did you make the change from a prude in high school to an adult film star?
B: I was really tired of what I was doing. I worked all the time and had no money. My first job was making pizzas, then I worked at an arts and crafts store, then I was a file clerk at an insurance company. Then I got a job as a secretary at a cosmetic company. I worked there for about 6 months. My boyfriend, John and I were breaking up. I was depressed and called in sick at work all the time, so they fired me. After John and I broke up, I had hardened a little bit, I wasn't so naïve any more. I decided to do something different. In August of 1999 I decided I wanted to try nude modeling. I looked up a nude photographer in the paper and went and saw him. The next thing ya know, he put me in a porno movie.

X: So that changed your whole life.
B: Yes it did, for the better. I'm still the same person I was. But I am a lot more open, a lot more fun to be around, not so up tight. And I really don't care what other people think of me. Some people I have known may think I am a slut, and I'm not…

X: No you are an adult film star actress that makes a lot more money then they do!
B: Yeah your right. But because I was so different in high school, I am not the one they expected to end up in porn. So when ever I see anyone I went to school with, they are always like, there's the one that got into porn.

X: Yeah, they are all jealous.
B: I don't care, I like what I do. I get to have sex with really hot guys and cute girls and they don't. And then I get paid for it. I enjoy what I do, I really do. I am glad things worked out the way they did. I'm happy to be doing what I am doing.

X: How did you go from wanting to do nude modeling to doing a porno?
B: Well, I went to see the agent and he told me he could get me a lot of work and I would be paid well to do these movies. I had never even had sex in front of anyone before. It had always been just me and my partner. So the agent says well just try it once and see what you think. So I did, and I remember afterwards I was shaking, but when I calmed down, I was like, that really wasn't so bad. And then work started coming in, I was getting recognition and attention.

X: So what was the first movie you ever did?
B: It was for Dane Entertainment, it was called University Co-Eds, and I worked under the name Mirage. My co-star was Brandon Iron. I remember, he had the biggest penis I had ever seen. When I first saw it, I freaked out, I didn't think I could handle it.

X: Brandon is such a nice guy though, I am sure he took good care of you.
B: Yes he did. I am so lucky that he was my first guy because he says if I hurt you at all just pinch my leg. He was very, very good to work with for my first job. He was really sweet. I was so nervous with all the people watching.

X: What came next?
B: After that I did a lot of gonzo stuff, then I worked with Elegant Angel. I've also worked with VCA and Adam and Eve and Metro and Wicked. I just recently shot with Earl Miller for Pet of the month, I'm not sure when it will be out. I'm not doing gonzo anymore. I like working with a script, you get to become another person. I like the acting and the challenge. It's fun.

X: I saw a JM Productions video, called The Violation of Mirage. It was a lesbian gang bang and you were the bang-"ee".
B: Yes, I was Mirage, but it was supposed to be under the name Briana Banks. About a year ago, I got a boob job, changed my name and my image. That was one of the first movies to come out with the new me, and it was a difficult movie.

X: They gave it to you with a bowling pin. I imagine it wasn't easy. But there were no balls of any kind in the whole movie! (laughs). So what was the first movie you did that got credited to Briana Banks?
B: It was with Legend's David Christopher's Decadent Divas 9. I love working with Legend. They are nice people they always treat me with respect when I go in there. I have no complaints. I am very happy with everyone at Legend.

X: I hear we have a mutual friend over there, Nelson, your P.R. guy.
B: Nelson is a blast. I always bring him polaroids of me and stuff. The last few movies I have done with Legend should all be out when this interview comes out. Nymph Fever 4, American Nymphette, Pimped by an Angel and Gallery of Sins 3. It was really fun acting in Nymph Fever 4 because I got to play a doctor and I had to recite a bunch of medical stuff. It was a challenge because they were all words that I wasn't familiar with. (laughing) Actually, I had no idea what they meant. So I had to figure out what all the words meant so the script made more sense to me. It helps when you know what you are talking about, you can get more into the character. Nelson made a comment to me when I was in his office the other day, on how well I did on that dialog.

X: He wrote that movie. Nelson writes a lot of movies for Legend.
B: He did? He didn't tell me that. I didn't know he was the writer, no wonder he commented on the dialog, he wrote it! I have done a lot of movies for them lately.

X: I noticed that. I think I have gotten 8 movies in the last few months with you on the cover. Let's talk about your family. So your Dad is still in Germany, does he know what you do?
B: No.

X: Does your Mom know?
B: She lives close by in Oxnard, and she knows I do nude modeling. I have showed her some magazine layouts, but she doesn't know about the videos. I don't know how to tell her. I think she would take it the wrong way, like she did something wrong. If she finds out that's okay, but I am not going to be the one to tell her. I am such a wuss when it comes to confrontation.

X: Do your old friends know what you do?
B: I didn't have a lot of friends in high school because I was so quiet. Most of my close friends have moved away. My best friend is my sister, and we live together. I got custody of her when she was 16 and I was 18. I've been taking care of her since she was little. She is the total opposite of me.

X: So she is not going to follow you into the industry?
B: No she isn't. She says she doesn't even like "doing it" with the lights on. I take her to sets with me once in awhile, and she just hangs out. But the minute I am going to do a scene, she takes off. She doesn't want to watch me. She doesn't watch porno at all. She'll look at my photo layouts, but not my movies.

X: When you were growing up what were you going to be?
B: When I was younger I actually wanted to model. I was in one issue of Teen magazine. Now I am not doing so called "straight" modeling, but I am still modeling. Being naked gives me more creativity. I love posing for the cameras.

X: Are you under contract or do you have an agent?
B: No. I work for all the larger companies. I like deciding who I want to work with. I do all my own booking. I just did the coolest thing, it's called Virtual Sex with Briana Banks with Digital Playground, they are doing my website for me. It was pretty different and I can't wait to see what it turns out like. Because I did one with Jenna Jameson, I was the girl with the strap-no. It was really hard, now I know what the guys go through. You have to keep your head out of the way. I was the "hand" in the scene. I got like 5 or 10 minutes at the end of the scene with my face showing. That's all I wanted. I was like I am getting to work with Jenna Jameson, please just show my face for 5 minutes and I'm happy. So at least people will know it was me.

X: Who are your favorite adult performers that you have worked with so far?
B: Evan Stone, Jenna Jameson, Bobby Vitale, Mark Davis, Leta Chase, she's like my best friend in Florida, although she doesn't really come out (to California) to do movies anymore. I did my first girl/girl scene with her. I remember thinking when I did it, she is so beautiful. I was intimidated.

Xcitement: Well what have you been up to today?
Briana: I just went to the Legend office today to pick up a copy of "Charlie's Devils, a movie that I did recently. It's a play on Charlie's Angels.

X: Are you too young to remember the old show? So it has three main characters like the TV. show?
B: I am 21, almost 22. I sort of remember it, not the details. I know it had Farrah and Jackie something or other.

X: When is your birthday?
B: May 21st.
X: I'm going to ask you about sex now, because all our readers want to know about crazy things you have done. I will give you a place and you tell me if you have done it and how. Sex on a plane.
B: No. I would be too afraid of getting caught. You could get in a lot of trouble.

X: I think they would let you off, tell them you are practicing for a movie.
X: Sex in a parking lot.
B: No.
X: Sex in a park.
B: I used to have a studio apartment with my little sister. So if my ex-boyfriend and I wanted to have sex we had to go in the bathroom, and that would be too loud, so we would go to the park right around the corner from my house. We would go have sex on the bench in the park. We never got caught, there was never anybody there. But the thought that you could get caught, made it even hotter.

X: Sex in the water?
B: I have done that a zillion times, pools, Jacuzzis. I really don't like it because it makes it hard to have good sex. The water has an effect on things. It makes it more difficult.

X: Sex in the kitchen?
B: Yes, I have done it in movies and in my private life. It is pretty cool on the kitchen counter, but you always end up knocking your head on the cabinets. I have fallen in the sink. I have hit my tailbone on the faucet. It's a little tough, and possibly painful, but fun.

X: Sex in a public restroom?
B: Nope
X: Sex in a hotel room?
B: I had a lot of fun in Vegas at a convention recently, there was an orgy one night at the Venetian. There was 2 guys and 3 girls, they were all my friends. When I have a few drinks I tend to love girls about twice as much as guys because they are soft and delicate and fragile. So I had a lot of fun with the girls. I love doing girl/girl scenes with my friends. I'd much rather that then girls I don't know. Some girls in the business aren't really into girls and you can sense that.

X: Back to the orgy.
B: Well there was two beds and we just went flirting around and then ended up going down on someone while someone was going down on me. And we wound up with everybody.

X: Wildest sexual thing you have ever done?
B: I went camping two years ago to a Grateful Dead show. I'm sure you know what kind of things go on at those shows. I got really messed up. I had sex with my boyfriend in the middle of this dirt road. I was so into him that I have no idea if everyone there was watching or not. The next day I had rocks embedded in my legs and in my back. It was very very fun.

X: I though Jerry Garcia was dead.
B: Oh, he was. But they still call it a dead show. It's like the Grateful Dead minus Jerry Garcia. They had all the hippie bands, and the Dead played but they had no singer.

X: So the Dead played but their singer is dead.
B: Yeah. The concert is still filled with Deadheads.

X: If you could go on a dream date with anyone, anywhere, what would you do and with whom?
B: I used to think it would be Brad Pitt, but now he is with Jennifer Aniston, so he's out. I'd like to admire him naked for a few minutes. I don't know his personality, but he is very, very hot. I would take him to Hawaii, we'd have drinks on the beach, go hiking. I've never been there yet. I think my next trip will be with my sister on a cruise to Hawaii.

X: What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you on the set?
B: My only ever accident, ya know what I mean? A very small accident.
X: Could this be an anal accident?
B: Yes, it was. And I just about died. I couldn't believe it. I was like oh my god. Everybody was cool about it, but is was so embarrassing. I was like if this ends up on porno blunders, all of you die. This better never end up anywhere!

X: Would this have been an anal noise, anal liquid or anal solid?
B: Anal solid. An anal noise is nothing anymore. But an anal solid, I was new in the business I though I was going to die I was so embarrassed and all of these people are standing around. I came home and told my sister and she was hysterically rolling on the floor. It's funny now, but it wasn't at the time. I was so afraid they were going to leave it in the film. It was for Diabolic, so you never know.

X: Well when they do your compilation tape of all of your best scenes…
B: It better not be in there! With the reaction the crew had when it happened , I know they kept the scene.

X: When you win the AVN award for the best Newcomer of the Year (she's my pick), they are going to have that scene playing behind you.
B: Oh no! (laughs) Every once in awhile someone will tease me about it, and I will say, shut up, I don't want to hear about it.

X: Moving on. Do you have any unfulfilled fantasies?
B: Since I have been in the adult business I have tried to fulfill all my fantasies, which is a really cool part of the job. I have to depend on the writers to create some new fantasies for me.

X: Are there any stars you would like to work with that you haven't yet?
B: Janine. I don't know if she even does stuff anymore. I'd love to work with Jenna again. She is so gorgeous. I didn't really watch porn before I got in the business and the only people I had ever heard of in the business were Janine and Jenna. Now that I have had the chance to work with Jenna, when that movie comes out, I am sending copies to all of my ex's. I'm going to send them all my Jenna movie and my Penthouse layout, unsigned, because if they were signed they could be worth something.

X: Too bad you couldn't be there to see there faces when they open it and watch it.
B: That's okay, they don't deserve to have me around. They are assholes.

X:What do you do when you have time off?
B: I like kicking back and watching movies. I don't get that much time to sit around, so when I have the time, I like to sit around. I'm not a big partier. I just saw Traffic and it was really good. My mom works for a big video store, so I have the ultimate video collection.

X: Do you have a message for your fans?
B: Yes, for sure. Thank you to all my fans. I appreciate you guys and girls watching my videos and I hope you notice how much work I put into it. I am trying harder and harder to keep getting better. I'm having a lot of fun making the movies and I hope you guys are having a lot of fun watching them. Check out my website. It's new and just getting started, so there's not a ton on there yet, but it's building slowly and you can e-mail me from there. Can't wait to hear from you! www.totallybriana.com

According to the 1/19/01 Legend Video press release: Drop dead gorgeous Brianna Banks makes her debut for Legend Video in American Nymphette #2 and Nymph Fever #4, "Brianna is so wonderful. She's such a nasty girl," crows director Jerome Tanner.

From Legend 11/10/00: Jerome Tanner has signed one of the greatest whores of our time to a nine picture deal, the sexy and very leggy Brianna Banks (formerly known as Mirage). Brianna Banks is thrilled to be working with the AVN award winning director. "I think Jerry and I are going to do some amazing work. People have been asking me to work with midgets, vampires, and wrestlers. It's good to finally work with someone who knows what they're doing. And, I can't wait to be on his box cover. They're so hot!" Brianna's first films with Tanner will be Nymph Fever #4 and American Nymphette #2.

January 2006

By Cindi Loftus Courtesy of Xcitement.com:

I’ve had the privilege of knowing Briana Banks even before she WAS Briana Banks. And I fell in love with her during the very first interview we ever did in 2000. She was so green and innocent back then, and we ended up talking for over an hour about everything. I think I finally had to sneak some porn questions in there. Then she become Briana Banks and did some movies for Legend and JM Productions. She was quickly picked up as a Vivid contract girl in 2001. With her runway model beauty and those long, perfect legs, and of course huge bust she was the perfect choice as the newest Vivid girl.

She’s funny, she can act, she’s gorgeous, and she is still after six years in the porn world genuinely nice to everyone; fans, performers and reporters alike.

X: So do you want to talk about your boyfriend officially?
B: Yes. My boyfriend’s name is Jeffery. He lives in Pittsburg.
X: That’s why you are there right now.
B: Yeah. I came here early for Valentines Day so we could spend it together. And then I am booked out here at a club. It is nice to actually go do my dancing and then come home and go to bed and not go to a hotel.
X: How long have you been going out?
B: For eight months now.
X: Is he in the industry?
B: No he is not in the industry. I finally got someone that is not in the industry. I’ve learned from my mistakes. No more industry guys.
X: That’s good, but sometimes it is really hard to find a civilian that is willing to put up with it.
B: I am lucky. He is very behind me. He’s not one of those guys who tells me I can’t do certain things. He is very supportive.
X: What does he do?
B: He does finance and real estate stuff. He’s actually my own age. I decided that the older men were not working out for me. You know me; I always go for the older guy, and then for some reason end up taking care of them.
X: And then end up bossing you around too much.
B: Yeah, they end up bossing me and doing other stuff and are complete losers, all the ones that I pick.
X: So now, you’ve got a nice guy, who is your own age and you can be equals and he makes his own money, and you can have discussions.
B: We are working on the discussion thing. Because it is all new to me. My past relationships were pretty crazy and off the wall.
X: You had some yucky guys.
B: (Laughs) Yeah, I did have some yucky guys. I’m learning how to do the whole communicating thing and it is weird dating someone that is not in the business. We just don’t discuss my work. I just do my job and he knows that it is just a job. I come home, run my ass through the car wash and everything. Then I get hugs.
X: What do you think of all these tranny movies that regular A list girls are doing? Like Cindy Crawford, Belladonna I don’t have anything against that, but without condoms it just seems so dangerous.
B: I think it is extremely dangerous. I know that amateur porn people do it. But I am surprised a Jill Kelly girl will do tranny movies. The fact that they are doing them non-condom is like a huge risk for their health.
X: And a huge risk for everybody else. If you test and you are fine, then you do a tranny movie, then the next day you do a regular movie, your test is still good, even though the tranny movie was yesterday. Maybe I am missing something. But it seems like this is endangering all porn performers.
B: I believe in condoms 100%. I have been wearing condoms ever since I signed with Vivid. But you might work with people that don’t wear condoms, so it puts everybody at risk.
X: I agree with you. Then you can do just about what ever you want and have a low risk. How do you feel about Vivid policy changing to Condoms optional?
B: I’m not going to change MY policy. I don’t care if they offer me more money. I am not going to do non-condom. One, because I believe in condoms, I don’t want to die of AIDS. And second I have a boyfriend who I am very much in love with, and I don’t want to have to use condoms with my boyfriend because I am not using them at work. Vivid said it was optional so I am taking my option to use the condoms. My health is important to me.
X: So what are you doing for fun with Jeffery in the real world? No porn parties?
B: He went to AEE with me for moral support. We got a little place out here together. I still have my place in LA. I do the back and forth thing. We have fun no matter what we are doing. Just going out to dinner. We bought a flat screen to go over the fireplace. We like to lay on the couch and watch TV. My sister is out here with me right now. She is my new roadie.
X: I know I just talked to her, she sounds exactly like you.
B: I think I sound raspier. But she’s here and we are going to go inter-tubing in the next couple days because of the snow. We might go snow boarding. Do some fun stuff. She doesn’t come out here much so we’ll go look for some fun stuff to do around here. It’s cold though.
X: So I have to ask you about that. Are you being a good girl?
B: Yes, I am. I am still clean. It felt good to do that interview with you because there were so many rumors going around about me. Most of them are true. So now if people talk about me, I admitted everything. So now it’s not like you are telling anyone anything that everyone doesn’t already know. It is going on two years now. I’m very very proud of myself. I have a couple of beers now and then, but besides that nothing. If I knew how good I was going to feel this good two years ago, I would have quit along time ago.
X: And your life has gotten better. You have good Karma!
B: It’s crazy how drugs just take over your life and you don’t even see it. I see all these little girls getting into the business and they are dating the wrong people, doing the drug scene and ya just want to pull them aside and say this is the road you are going down. I’ve been down it. Most of them get chewed up and spit out.
X: But you pulled yourself out of it, and most people don’t.
B: Well I was lucky. I had a great company behind me that didn’t give up on me. Plenty of times I thought I was getting the boot. But they stood behind me and that’s why I quit it. I had support from Jenna, Marci, Steven, Jay, they always had my back.
X: And your wonderful sister.
B: Of course my sister has never ever left no matter how bad it got.
X: She said she loves being your roadie because she can watch you and she doesn’t have to worry about you.
B: Exactly. She’s great. And she doesn’t put up with anyone’s BS either. X: I like that about her. She’s very protective of you.
X: You know I have seen [Chi Chi LaRue] direct and he is in the other room with the monitor and it sounds like he is jerking off. He is yelling, oh yeah, oh yeah, lift that leg baby, show me that beautiful pussy, let me see that big dick and on and on. He gets all out of breath.
B: The first time I worked for him it was hard because he yells but you are not supposed to look at him. You have to just listen to what he is saying and do it without acknowledging him. And he has to leave the room for all the softcore stuff so they can get some actual noise so that it is not all music playing in the movie.
X: To cover up his yelling.
B: When you watch Stunner, a lot of it is music. For a few seconds you can actually hear the action.
X: What is you favorite scene that you have done lately?
B: That would be in “Time for Briana” with Erik Everhard. I haven’t worked with him in a really long time, and it’s a hot scene. We do it in the studio but it is done all up like the army. I am wearing an army outfit with a wife beater. Erik is just picking me up and throwing me around. We were going on forever. That is probably going to be one of my best scenes of all time. I have a big ten day movie starting next week with PT (Director Paul Thomas). I asked if I could get a big budget movie. Maybe I would win an award. And the movie they gave me is mocking the AVN awards.
X: Oh no!
B: It’s a comedy making fun of how AVN cares about the acting and all that. I was a little bit upset, because I wanted a shot at an award.
X: Oh, but you might, you might because they have a sense of humor and if it is done right there might be a lot of noms for that movie. I can’t wait to see that. I bet that will be really good. Are you on myspace.com?
B: No. There are actually a million people on there that say they are me. My sister went on there and easily found 10 people using my name.
X: And your picture! I looked you up and noticed that there were several of “you”. (Laughs) If you want to start a real account, let me know if you need help. Tera and Jenna have one and a ton of industry people have one. It’s a good way to talk to your fans.
B: I love my fans so much. I always tell them if it wasn’t for my fans there would be no me. They have seen me when I was super skinny, They’ve seen me when I got a little pudgy for a while. They have seen me in all my cycles and they still stick by me.
X: You are lucky to have loyal fans. Do you have a lot of friends in the industry?
B: It’s hard because some people do things I don’t want to be around. The friends I had from high school don’t treat me the same. It gets lonely.
X: It’s good to have your sister around. And it’s good that you have a boyfriend out of the industry because you can make friends with his friends. And there are some really good porn couples out there, who are “normal”. I like Felicia Fox and Tim, Gauge and Jason and Wankus and Tyler (Faith).
X: What’s quirky about you? Something that people wouldn’t expect about you.
B: Uhm. There are a lot of things. I’m just weird. I have the habit of smelling my boyfriend’s armpits. I love the smell of musky armpits.
X: Do you look that much different without makeup?
B: No. I get recognized all the time. I think makeup makes me look older. I am a complete tomboy. I always wear baggy clothes, I’m not into the whole Prada thing. I dress like a bum. I put my hair in a ponytail. I’m lazy. I watch TV.
X: I love Australian accents, and Jamaican accents. Luke has a hot accent.
B: Ya know I don’t even look on the gossip columns anymore because I don’t care what people write about me.
X: Well I read all of them everyday and nobody has said anything bad about you in a long time. There is nothing for them to say. You turned your live around.
B: I’m learning from my mistakes. I still make them. But I keep on going.
X: I read somewhere on the web, and I wish I knew who said it about you, but they said Briana fucks like a Goddess. Now that’s a compliment.
B: Yes it is. Because I use my eyes. When I do my scenes I just don’t go through the motions I have to have eye contact I think that is very important and I think that is what sets me apart from a lot of the other girls, they are just going through the motions. The uhhhs and the ahhhs. They don’t look into the eyes of the person that they are working with.