Tell us a little about yourself.
I’ve been under contract with Wicked Pictures for the last four years. Before that I was under contract with Club International Magazine, writing an article every month and having a featured photo layout. I started when I was 23 years old and I’m now 30. I’ve learned a lot over these years. I figured that this is definitely where I want to stay, but I want to change some gears though.
What do you want to do?
I want to be more involved on the production end and I recently just started a management company called Swift Entertainment. I have one girl under contract with me, Michelle Michaels. I have a brand new girl, recently within the last two weeks…her name is Sinara Ryan. What I want to do is provide a safe, professional environment for brand new girls to learn how to go to the top without having to be stuck in the trenches for a couple or three years.
I’ve read before that in the past and maybe even now, that that is how it is a lot of times.
Yeah, a lot of people…there’s a lot of competition in the industry. When I first started, if someone would have taken me by the hand and told me certain things to do…I mean, the agents do all they can do but it’s not their responsibility to make sure you save your money and you have a bank account. If you had bad credit when you were 18 – to help you go through credit reporting agencies and write letters. That’s what I’m offering right now. I’m not just offering, “Here, you can pay me all your money instead of just keeping all your money.” I’m offering full life management from this business end.
So you’re making it more personal?
Oh, absolutely. I take my girls to their sets when they haven’t gotten on their feet just yet, until they know who the people are. I do websites as well. I do my own website, StephanieSwift.com, MichelleMichaelsxxx.com and there will be SinaraRyan.com. It’s more fun that way. It’s more of a family oriented unit, and I’ve found that since I first started the business is definitely coming together, as far as the girls go. They’re starting to realize we really need to stick together. We all have our own best interests in mind, and there’s really enough work out there to go around. A lot of people, when I used to ask questions, would only tell me so much. I used to ask them, “How did you do it?”, “What did you do?”, and I guess people were either too busy or really didn’t know. Just a trial and error experience, like with me.
How did you get started in the adult business?
I never thought I would get into this business. I always said I would never do magazines, never do movies, never do anything like that. Deep down inside, I’m really just extremely conservative. There’s always been a very strong sexual sense about me and I think that’s what got my attention about this industry. When I was 19 I started dancing in a club in San Diego called the Body Shop and I was working full time at a dental office, going to school to try to attain my associates degree in dental asssisting, and from there I was going to go to dental school. I guess that my drive, in order to make as much money as I could so I could put myself through school and help out my family on the side when I could, pushed me to the top of this industry. Then I realized I don’t want to go to dental school. I want to stay here.
Sometimes it takes going through it to realize it’s not something you want to do.
I would’ve probably made a good dentist. I would have probably been comfortable, but there again, that’s a lot of hard work and I’ve seen a lot of dentists that are not happy. Dentists have a very high suicide rate…one of the highest suicide rates in the country. I don’t know why.
That can’t be a fun statistic to walk into!
No, it’s not! I wouldn’t do that, but I wouldn’t want to be surrounded by people that are that uptight and that anal. They were very precise and specific. I remained friends with everyone I knew, I’m glad that I have the background, but I’ve always really enjoyed perfoming and I’ve always wanted to be a model. I never purused anything on the mainstream end because I had the adult industry in front of me. It was so easy to get into, of course, because this business is all about making money. When a brand new girl comes along, everyone wants you. Everyone wants to take you into their arms. They say, “YES! I want to make you a star!” In their head they want to look at you and they’re saying, “Well, I can make some money off this girl.” Which is great, but people need to teach girls how to make moeny off of themselves as well.
How long did it take you to land an exclusive contract with Wicked?
I was already in the industry for four years before I was with Wicked. I was under contract for about three months with Elegant Angel and I parted ways with them at the end of three months and the same time I parted ways I won Performer of the Year and Best Actress and nominated for about 4 or 5 other awards that year. When I was nominated for those awards I had maybe a total of four box covers. A lot of people are under the misconception that you need to have the box cover and you need to be the star in the movie. No, you just need to show up on time, do your job well and like what you’re doing. If you don’t like what you’re doing, it’s going to show. The fans aren’t going to stay strong based with you because it looks like you’re bored or you want to be somewhere else. This is an industry that is very personal. I always tell the girs, “If you don’t like doing this, find something else to do. It’s not worth the money.”
I assume having done movies on your resume opens up a lot of other doors, like the internet. How important has the internet been to you?
I was under contract with two other companies before I started my own site. I now pay for the fees every month. I pay for my own hosting. I do the site myself. I have a webmaster that’s helping me. There’s a difference when you turn it over to a company and you’re just handing over copy and don’t have any say in which pictures go where. You’re just happy to make the little money that comes your way. A lot of girls don’t realize to take the extra time. Be involved in your website, because this business is going to take a toll on you physically and emotionally. You can live off your website if you are actively involved and making sure you fans know that that is really you and you are really there.
My other site that I had under contract with Wicked Pictures…right now we haven’t come to an agreement. I would prefer to take it down, but it still says the “Original, Official Stephanie Swift Website”, and it’s not. That needs to change because that’s misleading to my fans as well as taking members away from me. They’re being misguided. I don’t like that. I’ve never been about, “Lets make money off of everybody and lets see what happens.” For instance, I just started my “snail mail” fan club back again and I just literally went through thousands of letters and wrote answers to people if they’re still interested to join the fan club, I’m back. Before, I stopped doing my fan club because I was doing three to five scenes a week sometimes. Even my fans were saying, “Stephanie, slow down! You look tired!” It was kind of funny that they cared enough to say, “It’s ok. We have enough right now. Why don’t you take a break.” I am a workaholic!
Are you happy with Wicked? I think they’ve stepped up to the plate with big budget films like Dreamquest. How was that movie different than others?
Oh wow. Hard work. Just anything that looks that good after however much time was put into it, you know that those people are on the set anywhere from 14 to sometimes 20 grueling hours a day. Just because you’re stuck with a limit of a budget and you’re trying to make the best movie you can for the money you have. Definitely, I think Dreamquest was one of the biggest high-scale productions that I’ve ever been involved in and I think that’s one of my favorite movies I’ve been involved in, even though it wasn’t one of my starring roles. I had a lot to do with it and I’m very proud of it.
Do you have any current movies in the works or out now?
My latest movie is called ‘Making It’. I find that movie to be very personal to me because, one, it’s my singing debut…
Uh oh…
I just can’t leave anything alone! I have to do everything!
So you’ll be performing at the next AVN’s right?
That’s what everyone’s telling me, but…I don’t write. I haven’t had time to write. I used to write a lot of poetry, but the music…that’s a whole different ballpark. It depends on what I can work out. I don’t have a problem being in front of people as long as I’m prepared. I think that’s possible. I’d love to perform. Honestly, I would love to find a little bar around the LA area…go in there to sing just to have something fun to do and not let anyone know who I am. Just go in undercover. See what happens.
How would you describe yor music?
The music definitely was on the pop side. I like it, it was fun. They were more challenging vocal wise. The songs were written for me by the producer who wrote the music for the movie. The meanings of the songs were definitely related to the character in the movie, Cindy Blue, she is a girl that comes from a small town and she moves to the city to prove to everybody that she can sing. She’s got issues that she’s got to overcome. Life happens, just like in the real world. Her music, there is one song called “A Girl Like Me”, the other song is called “Fallen Down”. One is definitely a pop song and the other is a ballad. They’re beautifully done. I was very impressed.
What kind of music do you take on the road? What do you like to listen to?
R&B, Hip Hop, definitely. I like to sing “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. My favorite thing to do when I dance is to be in the audience in a big shirt, no costume underneath, and act like I’m just a girl coming from the audience to see some girl dance. I’ve got a microphone by my side and as soon as the music starts up I drop the shirt, bring the microphone to my face and I’m standing right there. The guys are looking at me like, “What are you doing?” It’s neat. It’s fun. It puts them on the spot in a fun sort of way. Sometimes I hand the microphone around to everyone and tell them, “You know the words! C’mon, sing!”
It sounds like you genuinely have a good time when you’re on stage.
I love going onstage, entertaining and performing. It shows my personality…that’s my opportunity to go out and say thank you for keeping me in the business going on eight years now and not giving me intentions you’re getting tired of seeing me on the screen. I guess the main thing people are wondering now is why I’m not doing more movies. You can’t do a lot of movies and go on the raod and start singing and start managing and do your website and work on your company all at the same time. Something’s got to give. I’ve got seven years of movies backed up, so I’ll take a break from that for a little while. I’m doing two movies a year for Wicked, which is plenty.
Are more entertainers moving towards more personal things like their websites and not doing as many movies?
Definitely, once you do a movie you take your digital camera along to the set with you. You take pictures of yourself and get home, download your pix, write the story about the set, and that’s wonderful. The company you work for, they take pictures and write stories and put them on their site too, but it’s not the same. You just went through and did it yourself. That’s the fist person point of view. You feel like you’re right there with us. I feel more people have become more personal. Again, it’s never been about the money for me, I’ve probably should have pushed that issue…you need to pay me more for this, pay me more for that, my rates are low, but that all comes in time.
Who is your favorite male performer to work with?
It changes all the time. It really does, over the years. I used to say T.T. Boy all the time. I really enjoyed working with Mr. Marcus over the years, Brad Armstrong, Eric Everhart – he’s fairly new. I feel like every movie I’ve done, Randy Spears has been there. He’s an incredible actor. A lot of people just look at the sex and ask, “Who do you like workig with?” Working with them just doesn’t have to do with the sex. It has to do with chemistry on screen with the person. I’m very much so an actress. It means a lot to me if, instead of just pushing through the dialogue, that’s not making the most out of the movie. We are definitely making real movies, it just so happens we are having real sex. Randy Spears is very professional. He’s been around for years. It amazes me how many people are huge fans of his. He really brings a definite character to the movie. We were talking about Dreamquest…One of my favorite parts in that movie is when Jenna is asking directions and she comes across this troll. That’s Randy Spears. He just comes up with this character and you just feel, you feel how violated Jenna was – when he sniffed her boob and touched her face. It was hilarious. Not everybody has that quality about them where magic happens. Randy Spears definitely has that. It’s not just about pretty girls in this business.
What about your favorite female actress to work with?
When I used to work all the time I would always say Charlee. I love working with her. Janine, I only worked with her once, but she’s amazing. She really likes women! REALLY likes women! She’s built for it! That tongue is just a creature! Devinn Lane and I just went crazy on each other recently…Of course. Nikita Denise. The first time I ever met her was in the Wicked parking lot. I fell in love as soon as I saw her! I told her she was going to be really huge. She wasn’t really speaking a lot of English, she still had a strong accent. She said, “No, no, no. I want to work with you.” I said, “That is a really good idea!” We did our first movie and I told her, “Oh my god, you’re going to win Performer of the Year.” I knew it. And sure enough she did. I was impressed. That happened fast!
Who is someone you’d like to work with that you haven’t had a chance to yet?
I’d really like to get my hands on Julia Ann. I mean, I’ve seen her everywhere and we did a little Playboy special a couple of years ago. I was in an orgy scene with her this year and did not get a chance…I’m giving it a little more time. I want it to be special. I want it to just be the two of us. Definitely. I really would like to work with Ginger Lynn, too. Maybe I’ll ask my boss to do a movie with me and Ginger.
So far in your career, what is your favorite scene?
Let’s see…an older scene that I had that I won Best Actress for. Definitely the scene I did with Jeanna Fine, Tiffany Mynx… that was amazing. Just complete and total surrender. You knew you were in really good hands with Jeanna Fine.
What about a man turns you on?
Definitely someone who is confident in whatever they’re doing. Intelligence is an extreme attraction to me…someone who can carry on a conversation, believe it or not! Someone who is into what they’re doing…enjoying what they’re doing.
What is the worst pick up line you’ve ever heard?
I was in Virginia and had to go on stage for one of the radio stations. It was for a pick up line contest. This one guy had a great personality, but all he could spit out was, “How you doin’?” I just went, OK…great delivery, cute idea, but definitely not the right kind of pick up line.
Have you ever felt exploited by the porn business?
Honestly, I don’t think anyone can ever be exploited unless they let it happen. No, I don’t think I’ve ever felt exploited by porn. Everything I’ve ever done I feel like I’ve been in complete control over…I’ve never been forced to do anything I didn’t want to do. I’d have to say no. I’ve been in complete control ever since I’ve been in this business.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I like to play with my dogs at home.
What kind of dogs do you have?
I have two dobermans, miniature pinchers. The boy is named Doobie…the other is Scooby Doo. They think they’re regular sized dobermans. The little one, the little boy, I have to lock him away. He’s vicious.
Any final message to the readers and your fans?
Watch out for Michelle Michaels and Sinara Ryan because they’re going to be heating up the big screen and magazines. The reason why I feel so strongly about them is because I’m taking them by the hand and teaching them everything that took me seven years to learn. I’m making them take their time and not letting them get overbooked. They honestly have what it takes on their own. Michelle Michaels is like a little baby Debi Diamond. She’s 18 years old and crazy. She’s not afraid of anything. She’s raring to go.