This article originally ran in the August 2015 issue of AVN magazine. Click here to read the online edition.
Hometown: Houston, Texas ("We drink our air over there.") | Age: 20 | Measurements: 5-foot-5, 115 lbs., 34B-25-34 | Hair: Black | Eyes: Green
When Aria Alexander decided she wanted to get into porn, she called Mark Spiegler and asked him to represent her. Just like that. The Houston native—who with her dark hair, bright eyes and breathless manner resembles mainstream sitcom actress Gail Edwards—had appeared in some 40 scenes in less than three months when she came to the AVN offices for this interview.
How did you start with this?
I was going to college in Charleston, South Carolina—where I actually got my business degree—and there was a fetish company and I was doing fetish stuff for them. All of it was custom. The people who wanted to order a video cherry-picked the model, and got them to rub shaving cream all over themselves or whatever, and you'd get paid outrageous amounts for, like, 15 minutes of work. It was crazy. I'm like, "This rocks." I moved to Norfolk, Virginia, and I tried to find another fetish gig and I couldn’t. I couldn't find a good-paying entry-level job—I'm an instant-gratification kind of person, unfortunately—and I decided "I love sex. Why shouldn't I just dive into the porn industry?" I had an Amateur Allure shoot and I was looking at agents: "I won't be able to do this on my own and I don't want to." I started doing my research and all the people that I really, really liked, like Veruca James and Asa Akira, had a listing "Contact Mark at Spiegler Girls."
I contacted him and I said, “I'm not sure how this works and or what the etiquette is here, but I would really like to be represented by you.” I met him and he said, "Maybe I will represent you" and he kept me in suspense for two weeks—I was pacing around like a dog—and he said if I would relocate here he would represent me. Now that I'm in the industry and I've talked to more people, I realize that's a bigger accomplishment than I thought it was originally.
What's the biggest culture shock about being in L.A.?
The weather. I hate the sun because I'm so pale. If I go out in the sun I'll get stupid tank top tan lines. And the dryness. Ugh. It's horrible. The food is inexpensive if you go to the right places, but rents are high, which I think is an interesting combination.
What did you do before this?
I was getting a business degree at a community college, and doing photography, senior portraits and maternity pictures, and glamour modeling for fun. The photography I got paid for.
How has being a photographer impacted your performing?
Ever since I started to do photography myself, when I watch a movie I can see "They put a light there. Dammit, this is ruining my mindset." In porn, it kind of helps. I'm already familiar with the angles, so I can enjoy the sex more rather than trying to aim myself at the camera. It's been helpful.
How many scenes have you done now?
Maybe 40 in the last two months and three weeks. I've been booked a lot.
What's the best scene you've done so far?
That's so hard. I would have to go with my first New Sensations shoot. Schoolgirl POV 11. That was the first shoot I did in professional porn. They gave me this schoolgirl thing, which I've always been a fan of; I think the whole professor/student or secretary/boss thing is really, really hot. Something I can see myself in and be really into. I was seducing my professor. All the impromptu dialogue just felt natural and I feel I really killed that scene, in a good way. I had my first lesbian experience on film. I feel that, in and of itself, is interesting. With Daisy Ducati for Sweetheart Video. Dana Vespoli. I love her.
What was it like being with a girl for the first time and doing it on camera?
It actually wasn't as intimidating as I thought it would be. I've always loved girls; I just never had that opportunity. I got there and Daisy was so sweet and funny and jubilant and awesome. I had kind of a crush on her and I was like, "This is going to be awesome. I'm going to touch her boobs and stuff." And it was! I never put my mouth on a pussy. I feel like I'm like a horny teenage boy: "Oh yeah! Porn!" but it was so awesome. It was really a cool experience. And having a vagina, it was kind of interesting to experience it from a different point of view. See one close-up. I was scared, and giggly and nervous. She went all over me at first. She went down on me and played with me, and I was getting comfortable with it, and I was thinking, "It's a pussy. I can lick it, or I can finger it, so let's just fool around with these things."
Who do you want to work with that you haven't worked with yet?
I feel so creepy and obsessive when I say this—and I always say this—but Veruca James. I am madly in love with her. She's just so perfect and she's so feminine. ... I won't get all creepy. I'll stop.
I'd like to work with Dana Vespoli as a performer too. She's really hot. Chanel Preston directed one of my movies and she's so beautiful, and really, really sweet, too.
How is making videos different from what you thought?
The thing with videos is it literally is a performance. It isn't "Hey, let's fuck." Most of the time. Sometimes it is. But most of the time it's "Let's crank out 10 minutes of doggy, 10 minutes of mish, and follow up with whatever you feel like." In my personal life it isn't organized like that. And you don't have to turn your face to the camera. I like that in porn, because it keeps me performing. Otherwise I just act like myself. You have to keep your eyes open and vocalize, which is something I had to get used to.
Do you like working in the adult industry?
I love working in the adult industry. I came in thinking al the girls were going to be bimbos, for lack of a better word. I was pleasantly surprised that they're really, really sweet. And hot. And not bimbos. A lot of them are very intelligent. Every time I go on a set I've noticed that the crew is the foundation of how to set the mood. If they're in a bad mood, everyone's kinda scared. If they're in a good mood, everyone's in a good mood. You meet your male talent, or your female talent, and you kind of learn them and start having a crush on them. When I do a scene, I try to fall a little in love with every single performer that I work with: then it turns out a better scene, and I'm happier. I'm fucking someone that I have a crush on, that I like. It's so interesting to walk into somewhere with the mindset "I'm gonna get fucked today, and I'm gonna love it." And then you meet the person, and you fall kind of in love with him, and you do the scene. It's beautiful. It's kind of romantic, in a way.
What's the biggest misconception outsiders have of the adult industry?
The exact same misconceptions I had: All the performers are bimbos; all the men are probably assholes. There's lots of diseases, probably—which I haven’t encountered a single one of, thank God.
What are your biggest turn-ons? This is weird, but I love getting my hair cut. It's almost a fetish. I love the soft touches on the back of my neck, and sometimes the barber will bump you with her boob and I'm like "Wow, this is awesome." Also the right music. Dub step turns me on. I like intellect. Talking to someone who I know is intelligent, where we can flirt without being obvious to each other about it. ... It's a link that I get with a lot of people that's really, really attractive to me.
During sex, when the guy is just pushing his dick against your clit, and he's just teasing you ... I love being teased.
Describe your dream sexual scenario.
I would be back in college, and I would have a professor. He'd be really reserved, almost shy. Real smart. Dedicated, somebody kind of old, early 40s, and reserved. I'd meet him at a coffee shop and we'd go back to his house and we fuck. And he comes out of his shell and he's not shy any more. That would be cool.
What three personal items would you take if you were stranded on a desert island?
That's tricky. Can I cheat and bring an RV to stay out of the sun? No? I'd bring one of those little survival straws and lots of filters so I could drink the water and not have to go searching for water without parasites. A partner—does that count?—so I wouldn't be lonely and I'd have sexual satisfaction. Someone to watch my back, and me watch theirs. And I think I would bring a cooler to put all my fruit and meat and stuff that I that I find in. It doesn't have to be cold, but keep out all the air and bugs and stuff.
What's the most valuable life lesson you've learned?
That's really hard. ... There is never a point of no return. Ever. I think that's the most important thing I've learned. If you stick to something and you feel "Oh, I've already invested this much time into it, I can't go back”—don't think that. That's bullshit. You can always go back. You can always start over.
How would you spend your last day on earth?
In a perfect world I'd say I'd go scuba diving or something like that, but I'd probably be freaking out and crying "Oh no! I don't want to die!" Get my pray on.
How would your best friends describe you?
I think they would describe me as silly and I have a really horrible sense of humor. I use a lot of puns and they groan, "You're not funny." Also, "She eats everything and doesn't get fat." I do. Everything in my sight.
How do you spend your free time?
I play a lot of video games. I go hiking a lot. I go to concerts when I can, when my favorite bands are in town.
If you weren't doing this, what would you like to be doing?
I’m going to open up a coffee house back in Texas, where they don't have state taxes. If I weren't dong porn, I'd go for that. Not really like a Starbucks, with minimal snacks and food. Open floorplan with a little clutter so it has a homey feel. Comfy couches, comfy everything. Cold drinks, hot drinks, an espresso side, very specific sandwiches and stuff here and there. Some soups. Pastries. I'm very good at making pastries.
Do you have a long-range plan?
The coffee house. Maybe franchise out locally. Maybe statewide.
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Quick Hits
Food you would be able to eat every day: Burgers
Best concert you've been to: Flogging Molly, all the way. I've been to every one of their concerts that's been near me, and they always put on such an awesome show. I saw them on St. Patrick's Day. It was a good concert.
Pet peeves: I don't like having my hair pulled during sex. Pulling it by, like, a whole ponytail is cool, but when you just bunch your hand into my hair and squeeze—I hate that.
One thing you would like to change about yourself: I feel like my face is extremely un-symmetrical, and that's something that has always really bothered me.
What gets you in the mood: Like I said before: certain music, getting haircuts.... Intense flirting. Flirting is classic, and it gets me [snaps fingers] like, instantly. I like when guys drive really aggressively. Not like "Uh, yeah, motherfucker, I'm gonna cut you off," but when they're driving safely but very aggressively—cutting people off, but in an appropriate kind of way, and not giving a fuck because "This is how I drive normally”—I love being in the car with dangerous drivers. I used to have a motorcycle and because I don't any more I'm lusting for bad driving.
Aria Alexander pictured above in Restraint 2 (New Sensations Tales From the Edge)
