Eve Laurence might have laid low from adult over the last year, but her name was center stage during the XBIZ and AVN Awards. Axel Braun’s Star Wars Parody marked her first DVD release in five years. In the Vivid epic, she and Brandi Aniston were both scantily clad, sexy storm troopers who got to take on Chewbacca, played by Dick Chibbles. The scene won “Best Scene – Parody Release” at the 2013 XBIZ Awards and the movie won “Best Parody – Comedy” at the 2013 AVN Awards.
“I really enjoyed making the movie and was thankful to be a part of the project. The cast and crew were amazing, especially co-stars Brandy and Dick,” says Eve Laurence. “I’m so happy the film did so well, and was honored when Axel mentioned our scene in his acceptance speech. I really miss filming and Star Wars really motivated me to start shooting and working again.”
We caught up with Eve for her first interview in five years to talk about where she’s been and where she wants to go as a back-in-demand performer.
First off, congrats on your success and return to the spotlight with Axel Braun’s Star Wars Parody. After laying low the past few years it has to be rewarding to come back with wins from AVN and XBIZ.
It’s definitely an honor and privilege to return to the business and have my first film after not shooting for five years do so well. I was really happy that I chose the right project! (laughs) As soon as I heard they were making the film I wanted to be a part of it. Doing that movie made me want to start performing again.
Sure. Having your first movie in five years win big awards has to be inspiring for your career and what’s next.
First and foremost, my family is really my priority and then my fans. I tried to make a comeback last year and ran into some legal problems but they all got sorted at the end of the year. Now I’m just trying to prepare myself for the responsibilities and pressures that come with performing. Last year I had an unrealistic idea of where the business is and where I wanted to take my career. I needed the experience to ground myself again. Even as somewhat of a veteran I still had that starstruck unrealistic view of the industry. I felt kind of foolish that I fell into that again. Everything worked out the way it was supposed to and it was really a blessing in disguise.
It sounds like you’re in a more comfortable place now.
The industry is pretty intense. If you don’t have the right mindset going in it can be difficult. I only want to work with companies that can give value to my brand while benefiting their brand at the same time. If people don’t want to work with me I don’t want to work with them! (laughs) I knew a lot of the crew on the set of Star Wars. I had worked with a lot of the crew even thought I’d never worked with Axel before. I’m really thankful to 101 Modeling for booking me in the scene. I told them I wanted to be in the film and they made it happen.
Do you think your focus on family will be an issue with pursuing your career? Will companies be hesitant to work with you because of that?
The companies that care about me and want me to work with them because they see the value in my brand and the revenue I can bring to them – I have a child with congenital heart disease that had major open heart surgery. Any company I work with has to understand that my family is my priority. My family is my driving force for me. It’s to make a better life for my family. If the company can’t allow me to be comfortable and give them a great performance then I don’t really want to work with them if my family is an issue. In no way does my love for my family affect my professionalism. I’m human just like they are. Some may see me as a disposable commodity but they’re not the companies I want to work with. It’s anyone’s ballgame at this point! (laughs)
That’s the beauty of being an independent performer…
It took me a long time to get here, at a point in my life where I’m not financially dependent on the industry. I have the ability to pick and choose when I want to perform. I love performing but if I’m in a situation where I’m not comfortable it’s just not going to be a good scene. I’m not fake. I have to feel it in order to perform it. It was different when I was younger and it was all about the money. I’m older now and it’s just as much a fantasy for me as it is for the fans – to go on set and have my makeup done and feel like a star for the day. After everything I’ve gone through in my life I really appreciate it more. Everybody goes through things but it’s how you handle the situation that matters.
What types of scenes are you looking to do now?
I don’t really want to shoot gonzo or internet work. I’m really only interested in features and things that will make me feel good about my career. I only see myself in the industry another three years, when I turn 30. Then I want to focus on my family. But I really want to focus on doing solo and girl/girl work. I’ve always been really attracted to women and I never shot a lot. I think shooting girl/girl will help me be comfortable being Eve again. I’m at a different point in my career and a whole generation of fans have come and gone. There are so many people out there that have never heard of me before or are maybe rediscovering me. I really want to do solo, girl/girl and then boy/girl for features or my own films. I’d like to produce my own films and have my own titles. My website is generating money and covering my expenses. It’s doing really well. Any project that I do is going to have to expand on the success I already have. I don’t have to win awards and get notoriety that way. As long as I feel good I’m content with that. That’s all that matters – finding something you love and getting to do it in a way that makes you happy.
Are you going to actively pursue having your own line of movies under your own studio?
The part that’s holding me back is I don’t play the game. (laughs) Companies don’t really know what to do with me. They don’t know how to approach me. They don’t really know me anymore. All I can do is focus on one project at a time and focus all my energy on that and make sure it’s a success. I want to make each project the best I can make it.
You mentioned your website earlier. Will camming always be an important part of your career?
Definitely. My website and camming will always be an important part of my life. I will never abandon my brand to the industry. I will always maintain that and when I pass away one day I will make sure my family can benefit from it. I’m thinking about what would happen if something happened to me. Who would get control of my brand and make sure my family continues to profit from the Eve Laurence brand? Those are the things that are important to me. That should be important to other girls in the industry. Webmasters and affiliates shouldn’t be the only ones making money off of my brand.
I hear deep down, hidden in your answers that you don’t want to have to kiss ass to get things done! Right?
I don’t want to have to be a prostitute to get what I want. I don’t want to have to be a hooker! There has to be a better way! (laughs) I know how I’ve achieved success and it’s been a long, hard road. No instant gratification or appreciation. I want to do things that will keep the fans happy. They’re a priority over any company because the fans are paying my bills – not a company. My fans have been taking care of me the past four years! I love my family too much, man. I have too many responsibilities. I’m taking money I earn in the adult industry and investing it in a business so when I don’t want to fly out to California in three years that my career can be put on the back burner. I can keep my site, relax and spend time with my family. I don’t know if that’s what companies want to hear from me or not – I just hope they’re wiling to work with me while I want to work.
I would imagine companies would want to work with someone that had a plan and knows how to handle responsibilities. Am I giving them too much credit?
(laughs) You might be!
So much has changed in the past five years. Tube sites are monsters. Content is pirated more than ever, although there are steps and choices companies can make to fight it. Is it important to you to work with companies that have taken steps to prevent their content from being pirated?
As far as I’m concerned, when I shoot with a company and I sign that contract and get paid – that content is theirs and I think it’s their responsibility to make sure they’re handling private information correctly and they’re taking responsibility to safeguard their content. If they’re not protecting their content then it’s their problem. It’s a business and it’s not fun and games. Some people are only concerned with money and paying performers to do a job. That’s one thing I learned this past year. These people are not your friends! (laughs) It’s a business to them, you are not their friend. You’re just an employee. You’re a person, too – but there’s a fine line between a person and a commodity in this industry.
It sounds like you’ve got the makings of a good book that’s dying to jump out.
Just from the ages of 16 to 21! I could write a really good book just about those years. I haven’t reached that star level to command something like that. I don’t feel like I’ve even hit the pinnacle of where my career is going to go. I stopped performing in 2007 when I received my first AVN nomination for “Best Sex Scene.” When that happened I needed to step back and take a break, look at my life and see if that’s what I wanted to do. I went back to school and focused more on what was important to me. When I went to LA when I was 18, I was just a lost little girl! I had been through so much up to that point. To be honest, I don’t remember shooting most of the content I did back then. I think I was suffering from post traumatic stress or something like that. That’s why it’s so important to me now to really enjoy doing what I do and to work with good people. I want them to enjoy working with me. That’s so important to me. I’m not about the money. It’s about the art. People may not think it’s art, but I’m a performer.
Does it freak you out that you can’t remember shooting your early scenes?
It doesn’t freak me out. I came to an understanding. I can step back and look at that situation and rationalize it so I can move forward. You can spend time complaining and wishing things were better or you can step back and look at it with a non-emotional mind and see how you can make things better. I’m just thankful that I have that kind of strength and perseverance inside me.
I know you’re really interested in music, too. Where are you with that now?
It’s something that’s always on my mind. It’s more of my dream. I’m really into R&B and soul. I want to learn guitar. I have a guitar and it just sits there in the corner. I stare at it every day. One day I’ll wake up and realize today is the day and make it happen!
Eve, I appreciate you taking time out for this! What would you like to say to your fans to wrap things up?
I love you and appreciate your support. I can’t wait to bring you some new content. I really love my fans. They take care of me and I see that. I have a lot of love for them.
