SexHerald: Let’s talk a little about your history in the industry. When did you get your start in porn and what are your overall feelings on that?

Jessie Lee: I’m actually pretty new to porn. My first scene was shot for a Playboy Spice movie that hasn’t been released yet. It was filmed like two Septembers ago. So, like a year and a half ago I’ve been doing porno. And I’ve done like 15 scenes and I think only 10 of them have been released, maybe 11, I’m not sure. I kind of like the way the porn industry is turning out. It’s actually becoming more female oriented instead of being just male. It’s not marketed to just males; the majority of the numbers on Burning Angel dot com are actually female. They’re a lot of females on Burning Angel who watch the videos and watch the porno. The girls have been really good to me.

SH: A lot of people that are dead set against the industry would claim that pornography is degrading towards women. As a female in the industry, what are your thoughts on this?

Lee: I know that there is porn out there that is degrading and there’s a reason for that. Some people like that and some people are just stupid and just degrade other people or want to be degraded on camera. I think that the majority of porn out there is consensual. You know what you’re getting into before you do it. It’s really not degrading. I actually am the same way in bed in my personal life as I am on camera. Not as loud, of course, because I don’t want my roommates to wake up.

SH: Has your stint in porn gotten any criticism from your friends and family?

Lee: Actually, my friends and family are really supportive. My mom is really supportive. My mom’s side of the family totally asks me questions and is totally interested. And it’s just really cool because I can talk to them about it being my career and not this secret of mine. My dad’s side not so much. Some of them know and some of them don’t need to know. I do have friends that don’t’ really approve of porno. But I’m actually really happy that I’m doing what I’m doing. I mean, I found out who my real friends and my not-so-real friends are.

SH: What attracted you to Burning Angel dot com?

Lee: I remember sitting around at my computer and watching a few trailers of Burning Angel movies. And I was watching the one for Porny Monster and I saw this scene with Chapel and I’m like: “Oh, I want to do a video.” Seeing Chapel, a normal nerdy-looking girl that looks really sexy just getting fucked on camera, you know? I’m like: “Well, I want to be a sexy nerdy girl that gets fucked on camera, too.”

SH: How long have you been with Burning Angel?

Lee: My first photo set was shot for them in August ’07.

SH: Did you find it difficult breaking into the industry?

Lee: I found that a lot of websites will be super choosy about their girls. At Burning Angel, I felt like I was really accepted.

SH: What’s it like working with Joanna Angel?

Lee: I love Joanna. Not only is she super smart and super sexy, but also she’s a really fun person. She’s a really smart businesswoman who did this all on her own.  She’s been fucked over I’m sure, but she’s been real smart about it. I was lucky enough to have Joanna and Burning Angel help me out with getting my name out there. Since then, I’ve been on Howards Stern’s program and I’ve been on Playboy Radio and I’ve also been in a Buck Cherry music video with Joanna and a couple of other Burning Angels. I’ve done a handful of signings and was even nominated for an AVN this year.

SH: Speaking of getting your name out there, I see that you host a monthly event called Pretty in Pink in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Lee: I do.

SH: How long has Pretty in Pink been going on exactly?

Lee: Pretty in Pink started on my birthday. I was turning 25 and I wanted to do something super awesome for my birthday. It fell on a Friday and I haven’t celebrated a birthday in a decade and I felt that had to do something. So, I called one of my partners Joey Nova, who does Rebel Rebel on Tuesdays on the Lower East Side. But, we decided to just have burlesque dancers and go-gos and bands play and djs. We decided to call it Pretty in Pink because I’m obsessed with the color pink and it was such a success that we were asked to do it monthly. Right now, we’re doing the event at Public Assembly in Brooklyn I really like the venue. I like the whole setup there.

SH: Tell me a little bit about your films. I know that Burning Angel has helped you’re your career forward. Let’s talk about some of these films. What has your on-camera experience been like and what’s it like being featured in a series of full-length adult DVDs?

Lee: Well, Fuck Me in the Bathroom Part 2 was the first DVD that came out that I was in. I was actually listed right below Joanna who was really cool and it was with Mick Blue. It was a really cute flash funny scene and it starts off with me singing in the shower and I’ve got this awesome song that I sing. And then Mick Blue and I fall in love and I sing to him and then he totally falls in love with me. We have really raunchy sex and then we end it. POV Punx was actually my only POV scene that I’ve done.  It’s kind of gonzo, I guess. And then Cum On My Tattoo 4 is one that I starred in. I actually have two scenes featured. There’s only one sex scene, though. One is this little skit with Joanna and me. I get a bunch of dudes to cum all over me and all over my tattoos. My second scene was actually a really good one. I was super slutty in that and they just kind of tossed me around like a rag doll and I absolutely loved it. I like being dominated.

SH: Let’s focus more on Cum On My Tattoo 4 for a little bit. In it, you were nominated for best double penetration scene by AVN. How do you feel about that? I’m sure there’s a lot of excitement going around in your camp.

Lee: I actually found out from Twitter dot com. Baby Sinead and Brian Street Team sent me messages that said: ‘Hey congratulations, you got nominated for best double penetration sex scene.’ I asked Joanna about it and she told me that I totally got nominated. I thought it was awesome. I only have three movies out and only one of them has my image on the box cover of and that’s the one I got nominated for. It’s like a really big honor. One of my goals in life is not to become a doctor or a lawyer, but to win an AVN. I’m not retiring after I win one; I’m just saying it’s one of my goals.

SH: I saw that you had a spot on Switched dot com where you counted down the five sexiest cell phones.  How were you selected and what was that experience like?

Lee: Well, the guy who runs the casting for it is apparently friends with someone who works for Burning Angel. They had Joanna do a webcam review and they asked me if I wanted me to be a part of it. They told me I’d get a lot of mainstream exposure. I went in, got my makeup done and got my hair done and just reviewed cell phones for a couple of hours. It was really, really fun. They kept telling me to give them more energy but I didn’t want to look like an idiot, though. It’s actually really cute and really funny.

SH: What are your general views on the industry? There’s a lot of talk about DVDs being phased out in lieu of the rise of Internet pornography. Your thoughts?

Lee: I think that people who are really into pornography and who are big fans of certain porn stars will go out and buy the special addition stuff. I think that DVDs come with extra stuff anyway. True fans of porno will go out and buy the DVDs. But, I know a lot of people that say: “Why spend 24 or 50 dollars on the DVD when they can go on porno tube or watch online amateurs?”

SH: Where do you see the adult film industry going in the near future?

Lee: Because I’m new to the industry, it’s hard for me to tell. Because I’m an actor, I’m not sure about sales. But when it comes to the look of porno, I can sense that things are about to change. It’s just the fact that someone like me who’s brand new to the industry can be nominated for an AVN. I’m the most modified girl to be nominated, I think. I have a lot of tattoos and the fact that I was chosen for a pretty mainstream category is pretty awesome. I think that the industry is becoming more accepting. Tattoos still restrict me from finding work, though. It’s hard being a modified girl, but I have good faith in the industry. Hopefully, I’ll be around for a bit longer.

SH: Los Angeles seems to be where the heart of the industry is. Would you say that New York is coming up to speed with regard to adult filming?

Lee: You know, it’s hard to say. I know that LA is always going to dominate New York when it comes to the amount of pornography that comes out of that city. New York is the home of Burning Angel. I know that most of the Burning Angel stuff is, I believe, shot in New York and the East Coast.

SH: You’re an alt chick. Is punk rock something you’ve always been into?  Getting tattooed and getting drunk seems natural when observing that lifestyle. Is that something you’ve always been into?

Lee: It’s really funny because up until six or seven years ago, I was pretty mainstream looking. I worked at a Hooters and I dated a Top 40 radio personality in my hometown. I just got sick of looking like everyone else. I’m like, “I’m going to rebel against society.” So in some way, I guess I did. I started getting tats and started listing to more hardcore and metal stuff. I changed myself up and I’m happy with myself now and I’m really happy with the way things turned out.

SH: Is there anything we haven’t talked about that you’d like to discuss?

Lee: Have fun with life and be happy. Life’s measured in happiness, not how much money you have. If you’re happy doing something, then do it. It’s like me and porno. I love doing it, so I’m doing it. Don’t work that nine-to-five job because you think that you have to do it. Go and do something fun! Do it right and remember to do it for yourself.