LOS ANGELES—Chanel Preston tells AVN she has never considered herself a wild girl, but then admits “maybe I am a little bit.” (photo gallery)
“We’ll say I’m medium. I’m medium wild,” she jokes.
Preston’s sense of adventure has led her to Porn Valley, where she began her adult film career in January. The 24-year-old native of Fairbanks, Alaska who now lives in Honolulu had only performed in three scenes so far at press time. Her first was with Nick Manning for Vivid Entertainment’s Brand New Faces series. Then she did a volume of Jack’s POV for Digital Playground before landing her first acting role—in Wicked Pictures’ upcoming release Hooked, which was directed by and stars Jessica Drake.
“I played Claire. It was fun,” says Preston, who did a threeway scene with Drake and Brad Armstrong in the movie about call girls. “My character kind of pimped [Jessica] out. I’m very lucky I got that role.”
Playing a part was anything but foreign to Preston, who realized she had a flair for drama at a young age.
“I grew up acting. I was like the little girl that controlled everything. I was in elementary school writing plays for all my friends. ‘OK, now let’s get together and act this out during recess,’” Preston recalls with a laugh. “I did a lot of Shakespeare theatre and made my mother put me in any drama-related programs whatsoever. ... So I was like I’m pretty sure I can still act so I’m sure I can do this.”
Now that the licensed aesthetician and former high school wrestler has gotten a taste of the adult industry, Preston is committed to going as far as she can.
“I have a lot of confidence in myself that I can do well,” she says.
In her first interview, Preston talks about growing up in Alaska, working at Nordstrom’s, the men in South Dakota and her love of ass play, among other things.
DM: What was it like working for Vivid in your first scene?
CP: I did their Brand New Faces thing. It was fun and interesting. I got to work with Nick Manning though. That was fun.
Did you want to work with Nick?
Not in particularly. Actually when I had heard about him I was like, ‘Oh no, Oh my gosh...But then it ended up being a lot of fun. I would definitely work with him again. I liked him. He was high-energy, which I like so...
So you’ve only done three shoots?
Yes. ... I’m excited to do more. I had fun on all them. So I’m excited for the future.
How did you hook up with your manager Nakita Kash?
I am a dancer so she has a traveling entertainers’ thing where she sends girls to different clubs. And I contacted her because I wanted to travel a little bit, and that’s where I met her. And then I actually asked her how she got into it and she told me she did porn and I was kind of curious about it and we got to talking and it just kind of evolved from there. I think she trusted that I was in it for the right reasons so.
So she helped you get started?
Yeah definitely. I told her I was interested. I had to think about it and I was like I want to do that because I love dancing but I’m kind of over the hustling part. So I told her I think I’d enjoy porn a lot more than dancing. So she kind of helped me along and she’s managing me now.
Why did you move to Honolulu?
It was kind of impulsive. My best friend had moved there a year before I did. And I was dating someone and ….something happened and I ended up breaking up with him and I thought you know I want to get out of here. I figured it’d be an easy move because she already lived there and I’ve been stuck there ever since.
How long have you been dancing at Femme Nu [in Honolulu]?
I actually haven’t been dancing that long. I’ve been dancing maybe a year and a half. I’ve probably been at Femme Nu for a year. It’s definitely a pussy show as I like to say because you’re not very active. I actually don’t like that, I like to dance but I make a lot more money over there... But I’ve noticed people either love it or they hate it. I’ve met guys that are like, ‘Oh my God I love Femme Nu,’ and it’s probably because they come from a place where you can’t drink and look at pussy at the same time.
Where do you live in Honolulu?
Kahala. It’s near Diamond Head. Diamond Head is at the very end of Waikiki and then it’s a little bit farther. It’s kind of the edge of town I guess you could say.
What is your plan, to commute back and forth to LA to do movies or to relocate to LA?
I would actually really like to move here because I’ve kind of been looking for an excuse to get out of there anyway. If I did, summer would be the soonest. I’m going to come out every few weeks or so probably until the lease is up and then we’ll see what happens but I would love to live out here. I always thought that I wouldn’t like it. I like that it’s a little bit colder. I miss cold weather. I miss bundling up. I’m sick of wearing tank-tops and skirts.
I need a change. I like Hawaii I just don’t love it so far. It’s a nice place to visit…There’s more opportunity here anyway. It’s definitely not a place where you can necessarily excel unless there is an industry that is specific to Hawaii there. Especially now, it’s very hard to get a job and everything. ... I think I moved there the end of 2005.
What was your familiarity with adult before this?
I'll be honest, not very much. I watched it. I really didn’t know very many people. I knew the obvious ones—Tera Patrick, Jenna Jameson— but I didn’t know a lot about it, and then, I don’t know what drew me to it so much. I guess I like to perform. I’m kind of an exhibitionist and I really like that and so when I sat down and thought about it, I thought that I’d really enjoy it.
When did you make up your mind that you were going to do it for sure?
Like a week later, after the idea was brought up…Yeah it was maybe August. I thought about it because I wanted to make sure I was doing it for the right reasons. I said yes, I want to do it and then I ended up going to the gentlemen’s club convention with Nakita so I got a little more acquainted with the industry there, met some people. I met her in July. I saw a blog about her company and so I thought I should look into it. I thought it’d be something different to do. And so I called her... I was going to Vegas anyway to dance and so I ended up flying to Florida to meet her and talk to her.
I was traveling for a month dancing after I had decided to do it and then I went to Vegas for the convention and then I ended up going home and then I came back to Vegas and then I did some photo shoots. And then it was just kind of slow when the holidays rolled around and I was traveling again dancing and we just decided to wait until after the holidays. She thought that going out [to AEE] would probably be the best bet.
Were you traveling as a feature dancer?
Just a house dancer. Some clubs will hire girls to come in if they need a fresh look or sometimes it’s a really small town and they don’t have access to very pretty women, so they’ll hire girls to come in and show themselves off to all the local men. It’s actually really fun. It’s interesting. I meet a lot of different people.
Like I’d never been to the Midwest and that was very interesting to dance there. I have no idea why I would ever have gone there, except for that reason. I actually really enjoyed it. I went to the club there twice because I liked it there so much, not to live, just to dance. In South Dakota. I think the men there are just…bored, but friendly. And they had money…Yeah I liked it. They’re so friendly like Midwestern boys and they’re so nice… and they’re very easy.
Easy to... seduce?
Yeah [laughs]. Not like these LA guys, they know all our tricks. I would love to feature eventually. I would love that because I love performing. I love dancing.
What was going through your mind at that first shoot?
I had actually never seen the Brand New Faces website and when I went to go look at it I had a bad connection...It was at Nick’s house in Simi Valley. I was really excited. I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be I was kind of excited…and we did the interview. Actually I told Nakita I really don’t want to do one of those scenes where they interview you and you have to pretend like you’re kind of naïve and goofy and then they have sex with you, and that was totally what it was. [Laughs] And so when I started doing the photo shoot he said you need to act a little more... shy. So I said, ‘Oh ok,’ I wasn’t real sure how to do that.
So then I did the interview and Nick came in and we went at it and it was actually a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it. It’s not very often you get to just scream and yell and have sex on film and just do whatever you want. It’s very liberating. ... And like I said, Nick had a lot of energy and I like that. I kind of like aggressive men, pull my hair spank my ass. Especially if you’re performing…I don’t like slow, and he’s goofy of course. I’m ready to do another one.
What volume was it?
It’s on the internet. They just posted it like a week ago and I was so embarrassed. I thought oh it’s going to be terrible. And I watched it and I was like oh, that wasn’t bad.
What about your next shoot?
Then I did Jack’s POV for Robby D. with Scott Nails. I liked him. He was a gentleman. It was kind of, not a very serious scene. They were supposed to shoot a feature that day, some scenes for a feature, but it didn’t work out so they decided just to shoot some POV scenes. So it was fun.
How did the Wicked shoot come about?
We were talking with them when we were at the AVN’s and Jessica was like, ‘Oh she needs to play Claire,’ and [Brad Armstrong] was like, ‘But that’s kind of an older lady.’ I’m supposed to pimp her out. We’re both call girls and I’m trying to make money off of her. She’s like ‘No she has to play Claire she’d be perfect for it.’ So he gave me the chance to play her and it was kind of a big deal because it was my first type of role. ... I wanted to play Claire. I said this is my part, this is me! I can do this! So I’m very thankful to Brad for giving me the opportunity to do that.
Had you ever done a threeway before?
In my personal life.
So your threeway was with a girl and a guy?
No. It was actually with two guys. Which was very fun. So I was excited to do a scene with a girl and a guy.
Had you ever been with a girl before that?
No. …If it was anyone else I’d be a little scared. I don’t know because girls can be kind of gross but Jessica is not. …So I was very excited that my first time with a girl was her. But I guess men can be gross too. I wasn’t worried about it. I was excited.
How do you see this now, as a career?
I told myself when you decide to do this you better go all the way. There’s no a little later saying I don’t want to do this. If you’re going to do it, just do it. And I want to, because I’m the type, I have to be good at everything I do. So I have to be good at this. I want to be. I love it so. I have a lot of confidence in myself that I can do well. I kind of have a business mind so I know once I get more experience with it, then I can really see myself going somewhere with it even if in the future it’s behind the scenes or anything else….so I definitely want to make this my thing, my career. It’s not temporary. I see a good future in it.
Did you have the name Chanel Preston before?
I had the name Chanel before. When I started dancing I wanted something kind of classy. I always wear black or white. And it’s not too fake of a name…I didn’t want like Passion Fruit or something as my dance name.
What was it like growing up in Alaska?
It was interesting. I guess I feel like…Kids are very bored there. I actually noticed as I got older people that a lot of people were like ‘I’ve never even seen drugs before until I moved to Alaska.’ And they’re like ‘I’m from California!’ and it’s probably true. It’s very dark there a lot, very cold, you’re stuck indoors a lot. But I had a lot of fun too.
I was into snowboarding when I younger and snow machining. We had like seven snow machines. We were always doing winter stuff and the snow is always fun. I love the snow. I was definitely like a woodsy girl.
What were you like in high school?
I’ll be honest. I was kind of stoner. I liked to party a lot. But I got into some trouble. So by the time I got into my junior year I had straightened up and I was just normal going to school, working. But before that I was a stoner, party girl. But yeah I just wanted to have a good time pretty much.
What extra-curricular things did you do?
I was a wrestler in junior high and high school and I was a swimmer. I was also really into art. I was painting, drawing. I was always doing different stuff, so I had something on my mind that I wanted to try then I would do it then it would last for a little while and then I would do the next thing so I’ve probably done a little bit of everything.
Wrestling, with the boys?
Yes.... They didn’t have a girls’ team at the time. There was some national girl teams that I wasn’t trying for but I kind of ….I don’t think they even now have girl teams. So in high school it’s still guys. So I wrestled with the guys. Junior High there was two of us on the team, in high school there might’ve been three maybe even four girls on the team. But the coach didn’t like that very much so I had to prove myself. ... I had to show him that I wasn’t just trying to be cute.
But I won sometimes! I won a takedown tournament. That was junior high. The guys got a little bit bigger in high school.
Besides dancing, what were a couple of previous jobs that you had?
I actually worked for my Dad. He owns a coffee shop. And I ran that right before I left to Hawaii. I was actually managing it. Then when I moved to Hawaii I started bartending and cocktailing and then for a little while I tried to get out of the restaurant industry and I worked as a manager for a skin care line at Nordstrom’s. So I have my aesthetician’s license. And I hated it. It was boring. It was so boring so I left there and I couldn’t find a job. Actually that’s when I started dancing. I couldn’t find a job. I was in Hawaii. I was having a hard time. And I really didn’t want to start doing any kind of serving work again. That’s when I started dancing. Because I’d always been kind of curious about it.
That just kind of pushed me. I worked in clubs and I worked in a wine bar for a couple years. That was actually nice because I got a lot of training in wine.
... I used to read about wine all the time when I was eating because I have to do something when I’m eating so I’d always be reading about wine. But I think I lost a lot of it unfortunately. At least can pretend like I know what I’m talking about it.
When did you lose your virginity?
15. I was stoned….I can’t remember much about it, honestly. I had the typical after a party, drunk and stoned. It was very movie-like. It was actually with a good friend and I’m still good friends with him to this day. So lucky me it wasn’t with someone disgusting or gross. So I can’t say it was a good experience but it wasn’t bad.
What turns you on now?
I don’t know if I want this out there [smiling]… I’m not doing any anal scenes but I absolutely love ass play. I like to fuck with butt plugs in all the time. I have a new one waiting for me at home. It’s bigger and better. [laughs] Yeah I figured that out two years ago. I love ass play. Um, it’s really weird but I totally love gay porn. It’s very weird. I don’t know what it is about it. I think it’s something about…He can’t seem gay though. Yeah he can’t be kind of fruity. It has to be like a normal guy that comes off straight and I think it’s the fact…It’s very intriguing to me like when I find out guys like that are gay or bisexual. Any time somebody has something kind of different. I kind of like that. I like bisexual men. There. That’s a turn-on to me. It’s a little weird I know, I can’t help it though.
I like very confident men. Of course, I think most girls will say that…yeah, those are my turn-ons.
Does your family know you’re in porn yet?
They actually don’t know I’m in porn. My mother knows I dance. …it wouldn’t be the end of the world if they found out. They wouldn’t be surprised. My sister was like a phone sex operator, and when she lived with us she would go in the other room and work…so it wouldn’t be this terrible, devastating thing if they found out. I actually wanted to wait until I was a little more established so that they knew that I actually had thought about it…it wasn’t something that someone just asked me to do and then I was like, ‘Yeah I’ll do it’ and then they ruined my life. I didn’t want them to think it was like that. So I wanted to wait until I was a little more successful so I could say see, this is my business now, I’m going about this the smart way. That’s when I’m going to tell them, so they know I wasn’t just naïve and got tricked into doing a porn.
We’ll see when that will be. And I haven’t told my sisters because they have big mouths. And they would joke about it when they probably shouldn’t. ... So I haven’t told them. I have two older sisters. I’m the baby, no brothers.
What made you want to get your aesthetician’s license?
Because I kind of have a passion for skin care. Well I originally was trying to get into makeup artistry. I wanted to do that and then I started to care more about what’s underneath the makeup.
So I got my license and I really wanted to go into the medical field with it. I wanted to get into medical aesthetics. But it’s so hard in Hawaii…it’s hard enough to get any job and then especially aesthetician work and I was very picky because in Hawaii anyone can say they’re an aesthetician if they want to just work at some salon that’s crappy. And I wanted to work for a doctor and it’s really difficult to get into it. …I did aesthetician work at Nordstrom’s. There was an actual salon there so I did the facials and everything. And if it wasn’t so focused on retail I would probably have stayed there. But it’s Nordstrom’s so it’s sell, sell sell!
It still interests me though. I still enjoy reading about cosmetics. Even cosmetic dermatology is very intriguing to me.
What is your ethnic background?
I’m German, English and Spanish mainly, I’m sure there’s some other stuff in there, very European.
Have you ever done any sort of modeling work before?
I had worked with a few photographers before, but more artsy stuff, like artsy nudes. People always commented to me like you should get into modeling but it always irritated me because it’s not like you can just go down the street and get into modeling. It takes a lot of effort especially mainstream work. It takes a lot of effort, even if you are beautiful. There are so many beautiful women that are willing to model. Like every woman wants to model, so I didn’t really feel like pursuing it that much. I said that if it ever came along it would be something that I wanted to do but I definitely wasn’t going to push for it very hard. But yeah I liked working with the artsy guys. That was fun.
But when I was a kid I wanted to be a model and we had a modeling crew come in and pick girls out. But of course they’re going to pick out any decent girls because it’s like a money scam and I remember being devastated because my mother wouldn’t let me go to Seattle. ‘But they want me to go to Seattle!” and she’s like ‘it’s just a money scam you gotta pay for everything.’ And I remember I was so mad at her, ‘this is my future!’ Mother knows best.
What are some of your hobbies?
I work out a lot. I’m very active. So in Hawaii I’m always hiking or running or swimming or always doing something like that. I can’t really say that I have a hobby…
I like to be very active, and Hawaii’s definitely a place to do that. So if I have a chance to go kayaking or something or someone asks me to go do something fun…I’ll try anything.
... I actually don’t go to the beach that often I just like swimming laps because I just get so bored sitting there. I can play volleyball or go camping or picnicking but I can’t go lay out on the beach by myself. I actually have to force myself to be there for 45 minutes. Because I feel like that’s the minimum time you should be there for some reason…
(Ed.—Preston on Thursday was scheduled to shoot with AVN Hall of Fame photographer Earl Miller.)
Management: [email protected]; Booking: AlistTalentManagement.com.
