Porn Valley- Undeniably one of the most well-known and in-demand adult film stars in the world, Tera Patrick www.TeraPatrick.com has only increased in popularity since starting her career in the industry, nine years ago. Born the daughter of a Thai mother and an English father, Patrick has been featured in over 100 adult films and on more magazine covers than any other adult star in history.

“I posed for Playboy magazine in1999 and, shortly after that, I posed for Penthouse, Hustler and Club,” explains the 31-year-old superstar. “And then, about six months after I did my first magazine, I decided to do my very first adult movie, for Andrew Blake, called Aroused. I had a very good experience with that. I did movies for about three years, until the beginning of 2003, when I decided to open my own production company because I got tired of working for everybody else and making everybody else rich.”

That’s when Teravision was born. A top adult studio where glamour meets hardcore, Teravision produces high-end glossy vignettes and features from the top directors in the industry.

“One of the reasons that I decided to open my adult company was because I wanted to create my own product,” declares Patrick. “I believe in making the woman look beautiful, and not degraded. I wanted to make porn where the women were really beautiful, but nasty, at the same time. My husband, Evan Seinfeld, really pushed and persuaded me to open my own company. He said, ‘You can do it. You’re a very strong, good businesswoman, and I can help you.’ So, we decided to work together and open up Teravision.”

Patrick first became aware of musician/actor Seinfeld when she saw him on the HBO prison drama Oz, but it took some time before the two actually met in person.

“I was living in New York, and spending some time in L.A.,” says the 40-year-old Seinfeld. “I was recording the second to last Biohazard album, Kill or Be Killed, and filming the final season of Oz. Tera was dating somebody who used to watch Oz, and she saw me on the screen. She called HBO and they never gave me any message. Eventually, she found a photographer who was a mutual friend of ours. She asked her friends at Fox and HBO if they knew me, and everyone knew who I was, but no one knew me. Finally, this girl said, ‘Oh, my God! Evan? You don’t want to date him. He’s a pig!’ I finally got the message that she wanted to get in touch with me, but I was in New York. I had my son on the weekends because I was a single father back then, so I didn’t have the ability to go visit her in L.A. So, we talked on the phone for three months, and fell in love on the phone.”

The two finally met in person in the Fall of 2002. “We knew that, even if we didn’t get to have sex, at some point, we wanted to be together because of who the other person was,” says Seinfeld.

“We finally got together on September 4, 2002, and we’ve been together ever since. We got engaged that October in South Beach, and we got married a year later at AVN, at the White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. We had a great wedding. There were porn stars and Hell’s Angels, and all kids of kooky Vegas people. It was what a Vegas wedding is supposed to be. And, we’re both very happy being married to each other.”

When Patrick and Seinfeld started Teravision, their main goal was not to be the biggest company out there, but to be a company that does what they want to do, and does it their own way.

“Evan did his very first adult movie ever, on camera, with me,” says Patrick. “It was called Tera, Tera, Tera. From then on out, we decided to make more movies together. He’s probably done more movies than me, at this point. We really enjoy working together, and we really enjoy running the company together. The company has amassed a small fortune. We not only do movies, but I still shoot for magazines and I feature dance, all over the world. And, Evan has his company, Iron Cross, and he tours with his bands, The Spyderz (www.MySpace.com/TheSpyderz) and Biohazard. We also have Mistress Couture, which is my clothing line.”

“Working together is definitely the secret to our marriage,” continues Patrick. “It keeps us together. If you can work with somebody, live with somebody and play with somebody and, at the end of the day, still feel the same way that you felt, when you first laid eyes on each other, that’s a really, really good thing.

“We stay together because we really like each other. It’s not just about love, it’s about friendship. When we first met each other, I really admired him for all the creative things that he’d accomplished, and he really admired me for all the things that I’d accomplished. It’s really important to have that admiration for the other person. And, we give each other space, and the creativity to do what we each like to do.”

Seinfeld clearly recalls when he and Patrick made the decision to work with other individuals on film, apart from just each other.

“We had been exclusive and just done movies with only each other, or with a third girl, but I wasn’t really doing that much with them,” he explains. “So, I said to Tera, ‘If we’re going to do porn, let’s do porn because, by the 15th movie we release, where it’s just you and me, it will become like a home movie.’ Jenna Jameson’s sales went down, when she was only working with her husband. When you think about it, as a consumer, if you are a fan of any porn star and she only does scenes with the same guy, again and again, you’d get bored of it, eventually. For me, it was a real turn-on to see Tera with other guys, and for me to be with other girls.”

Neither Patrick nor Seinfeld see Teravision as strictly a producer of pornography, instead branching out into all areas of entertainment, both adult and mainstream.

“We do a lot of interesting things,” declares Seinfeld. “Porn is only one facet of what we do. We’re writing a book together, with Pete Fornetale, the author who wrote Chris Jericho’s autobiography, A Lion’s Tale.

“We’re working on a reality show. We’re developing a theatrical performance and stage show in Vegas, at a major hotel/casino, that’s going to be Tera’s own show. We think she’s got enough fans to support that, and so do the hotels. We just try to connect everything together. Someday, we want to do something, where we either have a show in Vegas, or we go on tour with our show, and my band, The Spyderz, is playing while Tera and her girls are parading in lingerie, and go-go dancing and spinning on poles. You have to take the things you like and surround yourself with them.

“The secret to our success and happiness has been staying away from stuff we don’t like to do. We just try to keep the creativity and the positivity going. I think Teravision could produce television shows, along with porn movies. I wrote a mainstream movie script, and I think we’re going to make the movie on our own. I’m going to have Tera in the movie, and put a big sex scene in the middle of this mainstream movie, and that will be my life statement. And, I’m going to do the whole score. Tera just finished production on her mainstream fitness video, called Fit for Sex with Tera Patrick, which is coming out for Christmas. I’m working on my new album, and we’re also working on a Tera Patrick figurine toy.”

Although she is one of the biggest stars in adult entertainment today, Patrick didn’t watch porn or know much about the industry prior to doing her first magazine layout for Playboy.

“I had some girlfriends who were interested in posing for Playboy, and they were like, ‘Come on, let’s do it! It will be really cool!’ And, I was like, ‘Well, what do we get out of it?,’ and they said, ‘It pays $25,000.’ So, I said, ‘Done! You don’t need to ask me twice!’

“When I was a young girl, I would sneak a peek at my dad’s Playboy magazines and I thought the women in there were really beautiful. I really admired Marilyn Monroe and the voluptuous pin-ups, and I thought, ‘Wow, I would love to be on the pages of those glossy magazines, with men and women admiring me!’ The fantasy was born with me doing the magazine, and then the movies were just taking it one step further. When I first did the movies, it was a surreal experience because it was so forbidden and naughty. I was living that life, and it was really exciting.”

“I started working with other guys, before Evan started working with other girls,” adds Patrick. “When I met my husband, I was really lucky to have met somebody who is very open-minded, who loved me for me and who wasn’t like, ‘Oh, she’s a porn star, but she can’t work with other guys.’ He never tried to limit me or stop me from doing anything. And so, when he came into the adult industry and wanted to work with other girls, initially there was a part of me that felt like I was losing him a little bit, but very quickly, I realized that he’s just living out his dream and, like me, he has fantasies.

“It’s work. He comes home to me and brings me flowers. Evan is a very, very romantic guy, and he treats me really well. In the beginning, there was some jealousy, but probably on my part, more than his part. Now, I don’t work as much, and he works more. He’s launching a website. I think it would break most people up, but it’s kept us together because it’s allowed us to do the things that we want to do.”

Growing up with a liberal father made it easier for Patrick to tell her family about her choice of career. “My father is Dutch and English. He grew up in a very conservative household, in the 50’s. I had a curfew, but I was allowed to stay out late and drink wine. My dad was a wine maker. I am really grateful for the type of upbringing that my dad brought me up with because he really listened to me. If I had problems, I could go to him. My dad was pretty cool. Probably a little too cool.”

“My dad is proud of me for the things I’ve accomplished,” she continues. “He doesn’t see me as a porn star. He sees me as a successful businesswoman who owns her own company, who’s never had to borrow money from him and who’s never been to jail. He really treats me with respect.

“And, my sister, who is younger than me, is very proud of me. She really admires me for the things that I’ve done. I’m really, really lucky. My family has been extremely supportive. They were very proud of me because they had seen me blossom into a grown woman who was making her life as a model. There are people out there who are conservative, or who think that it’s a bad thing, so I was glad that my dad didn’t feel that way.

“He’s very open-minded about sex and sexuality, and a lot of that had to do with the fact that he was so repressed. I don’t plan on having children at all, but I have a stepson, and my stepson knows what I do. I’ve been very honest with him. We don’t have Tera Patrick Movie Night, and he doesn’t get the details, but I’m very open about it. There are people in the adult industry who have to hide it from their families. If you can’t be honest, how can you be free? How can you really live life and be honest with yourself? It’s a terrible feeling, when you have to hide things. I’m not saying that we should air porn movies on network television, but I think the puritanical attitude we have in our country is kind of hypocritical.”

Working in an industry where you’re selling yourself and your body does create pressure to look a certain way, and Patrick admits that she’s no stranger to criticism. “When I first got into the industry, I got some flack because I had big, natural boobs. And then, I decided to get breast implants and go bigger. I was quoted a couple of times, saying that I would never get implants. Well, never say never because I ended up doing it. And, I got some flack for it, even though I had decided that this was the way I want to look. I’ve never had any other surgery, aside from my implants. When your living revolves around the way you look, there is a lot of pressure. There are days when I don’t want to exercise, but I know I have to. There is a lot of pressure to look a certain way, and I think that’s why a lot of girls do succumb to plastic surgery.”

Patrick also feels that she has an obligation, as a Thai woman, to represent her culture and heritage in a positive manner. “I think I’m the most famous Thai person in the world. Latin girls have J. Lo, and white girls have Gwen Stefani. So, a lot of Asian girls have Tera Patrick. It’s really cool that girls look up to me, as a role model.

“I see myself, not just as a porn star, but as a sexual icon. I’m not trying to toot my own horn, but I have a lot of female fans and I hear them say, ‘Wow, I bought my first adult movie because of you,’ or ‘I’m not ashamed of my body anymore because of you,’ or ‘My boyfriend and I watch you, and I’ve learned tricks from you.’ Being in the industry for the last several years, I’ve grown up a lot, in front of the camera. Most things that have happened to me sexually, have happened on camera. I’m living out my sexual fantasies, in front of the world. If that’s inspirational and helps other girls, then that’s really cool.”

The international sex symbol feels that becoming so successful, in crossing over from the adult industry into the mainstream, is all about being in the right place at the right time. “It’s also the attitude,” declares Patrick.

“Look at the world’s supermodels. They’re not the most beautiful women, but they know how to pose and they know how to look in pictures. I’ve been modeling for a very, very long time, and I love taking pictures. I think it comes across in the pictures that I take. I just love to work, and I have that hunger and drive to keep working. I never want to stop. People ask, ‘Are you going to retire soon?’ Hell, no! I’m going to keep on going. My dream is to get a fashion campaign, and I’m just going to keep on going until I can get it.”

Even though she has no regrets about her chosen career path, Patrick has no intention of being known just as an adult star. “I’ve moved on to doing other things, only because the excitement that you feel when you first come into the industry definitely leaves as you move on through the years. I’ve got the clothing line, I’m going to be doing a Vegas show and I’m shooting for regular magazines, as well as adult magazine.

“I could never turn my back on adult because I’ve been here for so many years and I have so many fans that know me from adult. Will I always be working in adult? Maybe in some capacity. But, I do find happiness now in a lot of other things that I do. What would I be doing if I wasn’t in adult? I don’t really know. There’s a part of me that says I would have gone to school to study forensics, or something really cool like that. Or, if I was really brilliant, I would have loved to have been a scientist and discover something and win a Nobel Peace Prize.”

Being a sexual icon doesn’t take away all of one’s insecurities, as Patrick will attest to. “Weather plays a really big part, for me,” she says. “When it’s a crappy day, I feel crappy inside, and I feel ugly. Even if I’ve washed my hair and put on my best clothes, I still just feel yucky. What makes me feel beautiful is my husband. And, working makes me feel beautiful. When there’s a camera around, I just light up. I also love being at home. Being at home makes me feel beautiful.”

According to Patrick, one of the cool things about being a mainstream cross-over sensation is all of the celebrities that she’s gotten to meet, who are familiar with her work. “It’s always surprising when you meet other celebrities and they know a movie you’re in, or they are just as excited to meet you. Everybody is starstruck, in some form or fashion.

“I’ve met a lot of other celebrities, and gone to a lot of great parties and events. I went to a fashion show for Fashion Week and Kayne West was like, ‘Hey, Tera, I just loved you in Teradise Island. Can I have a picture with you?’ And, I was like, ‘Oh, my God!’ You never know what your experience is going to be, or who you’re going to meet.”

Having been a part of the adult industry for nearly a decade, Patrick says that there are general misconceptions that many people have about it, and the industry’s stars. “People think that we’re not smart, that it’s one big sex party, that we’re all on drugs, and that we’re not people. I remember one time when I had one guy come up to me and kiss me. There are boundaries. Some people don’t realize that you’re a person and that you have feeling, and you may not always want to be grabbed or touched. You’re not always going to be excited to see them. Everybody has a bad day. My fans are pretty cordial. In seven years, I’ve maybe had three butt grabs, but it does happen and it’s disheartening. They think, because you have sex on camera, that you’re willing to do anything and that you have no boundaries, and that’s just not true.”

With her career still going strong, Patrick can offer advice to other girls, looking to follow in her footsteps and have a successful career in the adult industry. “It takes being really careful about who you align yourself with. Guidance is very important. I was really lucky. I married a man who treats me really good, and who tells me, ‘Nope, don’t do that. You’re fucking up!’ Even my make-up artist tell me, ‘No, honey, don’t go out there with that hair. That looks like shit.’ It’s about having a team of people. As successful as Tera Patrick is, Tera Patrick’s team is just as important.”

Currently, Patrick and Seinfeld are both focused on taking Teravision to the next level. “Every day that someone watches a new Teravision movie, or a new Tera Patrick movie, is exciting,” says Patrick. “It’s about making the company a household name, building the brand, and letting people know, ‘If you want good porn, watch Teravision.’”