BiBi Jones’ appearance on Howard Stern this week is already archived at www.adultcybermart.com/InterviewBiBiJones.html
Porn Valley- Adam Wilcox posts on www.xxxwasteland.wordpress.com – Bluebird Films contract starlet Dylan Ryder has been climbing the ranks of the adult world since returning in 2008 following a break from the industry. The dark-haired beauty appeared in several Bluebird feature titles before signing an exclusive deal with the studio two months ago and recently landed the starring role in the upcoming BatfXXX spin-off KatwomanXXX, which is anticipated by many adult insiders to be one of the blockbuster releases of 2011.
Dylan kindly spoke with XXX Wasteland to discuss her part in KatwomanXXX, working as a substance abuse counselor and correctional officer during her time away from porn, common misconceptions many people have about the adult business, her future plans and many more topics.
You can visit Dylan online at her official website, DylanRyder.com, and follow her on Twitter under the handle @DylanRyderXXX.
Click here to view behind-the-scenes footage of KatwomanXXX on the official Rising Star PR YouTube channel. www.youtube.com/user/risingstarpr
(Special thanks to Lisa Massaro of Rising Star PR for arranging the interview. All photos courtesy of Bluebird Films and/or Rising Star PR)
Q: Can you give us some background on yourself and how you entered the adult industry?
A: Sure. I actually had a friend who was in porn, but at the time I probably didn’t even know it. She kind of introduced me to the idea of making some extra money.
When I got into it, I really didn’t think I could go through with it or be any good at it, and truth be told, I really wasn’t super-comfortable with my body at that time. So, I ended up doing it for about six months and then decided to leave to go and pursue another career. Then I realized I liked this much better and it gives you more flexibility, so I wanted to come back. I decided to leave my other “real” job and come back to porn.
Q: You signed an exclusive contract with Bluebird Films earlier this year, is that right?
A: Yes, March 1.
Q: Can you tell us how your experience with the studio has been and talk a little bit about some of the films you have done with them?
A: Well, I’m Katwoman – you’ve probably seen me Twittering about that. I’m going to be Katwoman and that has been interesting so far. I play an anesthesiologist in Nip/Fuck, which is another movie that we’re doing. So far, it’s been good. We just got back into production, so all month we’ve been working on the movies. In between all of that, Lisa, our amazing publicist with Rising Star, has had me doing tons of different interviews and events for Bluebird. So, when I’m not physically here at the office doing stuff or shooting, I’m doing interviews – kind of like what we’re doing right now – or working on my website. It actually keeps me quite busy. I like it.
Q: You mentioned the Katwoman parody, which is probably the most prominent thing you have going on at the moment. Has the movie wrapped filming?
A: We’ve pretty much wrapped for now. Once they start going through everything and editing it together – which I actually got to see portions of the CGI work that they are doing – once our editors get through some pieces they’ll realize, “Okay, we need this,” and then we’ll come back and do other days. We call them “pickup days,” where we’ll come in and we’ll get that filler material that we need or little special effects here and there where they’ll actually need me to do stuff on the green screen or they’ll need me in-costume for whatever. So, it’s technically not wrapped, but for the most part right now, yeah.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the making of the film – any unique stories from the set?
A: It was a lot of fun. I keep getting told that I’m giving away too much, so I’m supposed to wait to talk about the plot until the hardcore trailer is finished. We got to give a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff away on YouTube in the initial days that we were shooting. But, now I’ve been told not to talk about it too much until that hardcore trailer comes out. (Laughs)
Q: No problem. I understand.
A: There is actually a site – it’s KatwomanXXX. They are in the process of loading stuff onto that page so that we have a nice landing for people who want to look for it, being that it probably won’t be released until later this Summer. It will give people a chance to sort of follow along with how things are progressing.
Q: Very nice.
A: Yeah. It was a lot of fun.
Q: It certainly seems like a very cool movie. It is a spin-off of the Dark Knight parody, right?
A: Kind of, except obviously my character was a different girl last year and this year it’s me. This movie revolves more around Katwoman and Jo-Kerr rather than Batman, so our Batman character isn’t in this one. We also have the Jokette, who is kind of like a puppet for Jo-Kerr. So, Katwoman stands on her own in this one. She takes center stage, which is kind of cool.
Q: You have done a few films – such as the Bonnie and Clide parody and others – in which you portray an actual character. Do you enjoy taking on those types of roles?
A: I do. I think the more theatrics that are involved, the better. Sometimes I just want to do a scene or, “Hey, I got this really hot lingerie the other day,” and I just want to do a scene. That’s kind of what my website is for me. It’s an outlet to do whatever I want. Whatever mood I’m in I can shoot it and put it up there, and it’s just like sharing a piece of myself with my fans, whereas when it comes to working for Bluebird – or any other company, for that matter – who have the money to spend and they want to do all the big theatrics and special effects, I’m all for it, because I think it’s a blast. It truly is like therapy for me to be able to come out here and do what I do. I think it’s awesome.
Q: Are there any specific goals you wish to accomplish in the industry?
A: It’s funny, because at the beginning of this year I was like, “Oh, I’m going to retire. I’ll do one more year and then I’ll move on to something else.” But, truth be told, this year is flying by and I’m not ready to be done yet. I was just telling my boss Nicholas Steele yesterday, “You know, maybe I will stay on for two years.” Because he tried to tell me two years and I was like, “I don’t know.” But, now I want to stay, because we only get to do so many movies and there is so much work involved that people don’t get to see in post-production.
So, being that we only have so much manpower and they have to dedicate so much time to making sure that these big-budget movies look amazing, that is the part where I wish that I could make more movies. So, it’s like I have to stay longer to be able to fulfill everything that I want to do. I think the only goal I have right now is just to maintain and stick around and make sure that I can still make myself useful – and hopefully people will still want to see me. (Laughs)
Q:(Laughs) I’m sure they will. I would imagine being under contract to a major studio such as Bluebird likely makes the decision to want to stay involved easier.
A: True. Because when you are, for lack of a better word – “freelance” – and you get hired at random as more of an independent contractor, it’s really hard to plan anything because one month could be really good and the next month could be really bad. So, any planning that you did do when things were really good, you end up having to utilize that little piggy bank stash and you’re living off of emergency funds. And then you have a couple more good months and you’re like, “Oh, okay.” It’s just too much of a rollercoaster ride.
I love being able to say, “I have a home now.” I have a family here and I love everybody that works at Bluebird – they are a bunch of amazing people. I don’t think that I’d want to go anywhere else. Plus, they give you so much creative freedom here. I get to pick my pictures and help plan stuff. That part is fun and not a lot of companies allow you to have input like that. So, I’m pretty fortunate.
Q: Do you have a visual of where you see yourself in ten years?
A: I truly don’t know. I really don’t. I’ve been trying to sit down and really thinking, “I really need to plan for my retirement, since I‘m getting so old.” (Laughs) Honestly, it’s really hard to say, because I don’t know what I want to do or what I want to pursue. I thought I knew what I wanted to do two months ago, but now I’m having so much fun that I’m just like, “I just want to keep going as long as they’ll have me.” But, at the same time, I know I’m going to eventually have to do something different, just because it makes sense to move on. And, at the same time, I’m like, “I wonder how long I can do this for.”
I don’t know. I just know that I want to keep on doing whatever makes me happy five years from now and that me and my family are healthy. That’s all I want.
Q: Seeing as you have a desire to remain in the industry, have you given any thought to possibly directing and/or producing?
A: Yeah. I like a lot of what goes on behind the scenes, most definitely. Directors have a lot to be concerned about and I think I might be just a little bit too anal-obsessive about things. I don’t know if I’d make a good director, but I definitely think I would make a good producer because I’m detail-oriented and I just like being in the mix – just being a part of something, watching it all come together, seeing the end result, knowing that you had your hand in that and it turned out really fucking killer, you’re like, “I took the trash out on that day.” (Laughs)
Little things, because the people that ultimately have the job of selling the product, they have a tough job. The people that have to put everything together, they have a tough job. As performers, we have the funnest job. So, there’s a lot of work that goes into it and the guys here are geniuses that do all of the post-production, editing and stuff. They truly are a whole bunch of rocket scientists in the back here and there is no way I could ever do their job and I would never want to do Nick’s job or Mark’s job as a director. Maybe something.
Q: If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you about a couple of very unique jobs you held prior to entering porn. You were both a substance abuse counselor and a corrections officer, is that right?
A: Yeah. Before I got into porn, I worked as a drug and alcohol counselor for inmates at a prison here in California who had six months or less before being released. Basically, we had to help them strategize where they would live, what kind of jobs they would pursue – sort of just help them stay on track so that they didn’t end up back in prison for drug or alcohol-related charges.
After my six months in porn, I was actually waiting for my job application to go through – the background process – to be hired as a corrections officer in California. And then my sister told me, “Arizona hires relatively quickly versus waiting on California. Why don‘t you try there?” And I did. And I got hired literally within like two weeks.
Plus, at that time, I was getting a lot of grief – not only family, but just people talking – about, “Oh … you’re a porn star?” It was just this whole taboo thing and I lived in a really small town at the time. I didn’t want to have to explain it to everybody, so I was like, “Okay, look at me: I’m a big girl and I’m going to go get a ‘real job’.” And as it turns out, I didn’t make a fraction of what I was making (in porn), and I was actually putting myself in debt, living off of credit cards, having to work so much overtime, and it just wasn’t worth it.
A lot of people think porn isn’t a real job, but it is a real job. We come to work every day as we are required to, just like a normal, nine-to-five job and we get paid once our work is completed. Yeah, we get to have fun in what we do and it takes a little more gumption, I guess, to do what we do. (Laughs) But, it’s a part of the entertainment industry that everybody partakes in, whether or not they want to admit it.
Once I got over all that, I was like, “I’m going to do what I want to do. Love me or hate me, I am what I am.” And I ended up coming back – obviously, a little bit older and more mature when I did come back and I was able to get more in touch, because I understood myself more and the industry better.
Q: You mentioned how many people don’t think of being an adult film star as a “real job,” but there are so many facets that I believe they aren‘t aware of. Not only is there the actual performing aspect, but many girls run their own websites and have gone on the road feature dancing as well, in addition to the many other things involved.
A: It’s totally true. Just your everyday stuff: Your routine upkeep – to be camera-ready at all times and maintain your figure. Not that it’s hard work, because I love every bit of it and it makes me a better person to be able to take care of myself. But, a lot of people, when you get into a routine and you go to work and this and that … for me, I know I gained about 70 pounds as a corrections officer. I was like, “Well, I just have to wear a uniform every day and nobody sees me. Who cares?” You sort of get into that humdrum routine and monotony, and you lose focus on who you are.
And in this business, I’m constantly being looked at, constantly picking myself apart. I have to be on top of my game, I have to be sure I’m representing Bluebird in every way possible as to not let anybody down, at the same time trying to be relative to my fans – to my female fans – to be somebody they can look at like, “Okay, she’s a real chick. She’s the real deal.” Because I’m far from perfect and I like the fact that a lot of stuff I put on my site is not retouched and Photoshopped, because I am what I am. What you see is what you get. And when you meet me I’m exactly the same as the stuff that you see, because the stuff that you see is stuff I enjoy doing.
There is a lot to it, but anytime I’ve ever tried to explain a day-to-day for me, everyone is always like, “Oh, I wish I could take the day to just go tan and stuff.” And it’s like, “Really? Okay … yeah.” Because after a few months, it starts getting to you and you’re like, “Fuck! This, this and this – plus have a life outside of work.” It’s like any other job where you have a commitment to always be available, to always be ready to go. It’s like any other job in that respect.
Q: I also wanted to ask about your twin sisters, Jillian and Jocelyn. They are MMA fighters, correct?
A: Yeah, they are amateur female MMA fighters. They are also twins. We are five years apart. DylanRyder.com and Bluebird Films are actually official sponsors for them, because as amateur fighters, they don’t get paid, so they need money to cover travel expenses. They have sponsors to cover their clothing, the supplements cover gym costs.
I actually just took on another fighter who is a kickboxer. He is a friend of my sisters and I am on his shorts for a fight he has coming up. It’s exciting, because they work really hard to be able to get to the level they want to be at athletically, but also to make sure they are setting themselves apart enough for better and bigger fights. Of course, the better they get, the more confident they get and the sooner they can go pro, to where they won’t necessarily need so much help. Once they get there, it’s like I helped them get to that point, so it makes me feel good. The stuff that they do is not easy, so anything I can do to help them out, I’ll do.
Q: Wonderful. What are some of your interests and hobbies outside of work?
A: I like to sleep. (Laughs)
Q: (Laughs) That’s always good.
A: I like my sleep. I like to travel. I like to read. I spend a lot of time with my family. I swim … basically, just stuff to relax.
Especially when I don’t have to work, one of my favorite things is pancakes and French toast. Just little things like that make me a happy girl. Knowing that, “I have a few days off. I’m going to have French toast for breakfast.” It’s like Christmas Eve and I’m waiting for Santa – that’s how excited I get. (Laughs) I’m really simple like that.
Q: Are there any more upcoming or current projects in the works you would like to mention?
A: Basically, all of the updates for Katwoman will be at KatwomanXXX.com, and of course, there will be stuff on BluebirdFilms.com. If you click on our blog section, it will take you to our official blog.
My website, DylanRyder.com, updates all the time. So, for people who don’t have any Bluebird movies, all my Bluebird movies and some behind-the-scenes will be up on my website. Actually, I think we have an update coming up that is a scene from Bluebird.
Of course, I’m on Twitter and I always talk about what’s up and current. It’s @DylanRyderXXX.
And I look forward to my Fleshlight coming out soon, hopefully it a couple of weeks. So, that should be fun and exciting. I keep making jokes that I’m going to buy a whole van full, go park downtown L.A. and carry around a bunch around in a backpack to try and pass them off on people. (Laughs)
Q: (Laughs) I also read that you were planning to design an athletic apparel line, is that right?
A: Yeah, one of my sister’s sponsors, Five Star, are a company that does all athletic apparel. They have an amazing team that they work with and they know what they are doing. The only thing that they didn’t have was a female perspective for a female apparel line that actually fit female bodies, because the female fighters have to wear guy’s shorts and it doesn’t always fit right. It’s like when a girl tries to wear guy’s boxer briefs – they’re not going to fit the same way. One of the things I looked into when they first started fighting was how we could combine a really sexy girl fit with something that is active, comfortable, wearable, breathable – all of those little things that people don’t normally think about. The company responded really well and they actually just went over to UFC, so they can no longer sponsor amateur fighters. So, once they get all of that stuff solidified – because they’re doing a lot of traveling right now to promote their UFC fighters – and now that this month has wrapped for me, we’ll be getting together to actually come up with the cut and sew and do all the fun stuff on that.
Q: Very nice. To finish up, is there anything you wish to say to readers?
A: Just follow me and join my website, of course, because that’s going to be the best place to find everything that my name will be on, like my Fleshlight products and all of my movies you will be able to find links for. It will help redirect everybody back to what they want to find, so ultimately that is the place to go. That or Bluebird Films.com, of course.
Wonderful. Thank you for your time. It was nice speaking to you and I wish you continued success.
Thank you so much.