Alex Riddle

Sasha Grey was 18 on her first day on a porn set. Her co-star was 50, one of the biggest names in the industry, and before the cameras rolled she asked him to punch her in the stomach. He was so shocked he refused. 8 months later she had filmed over 80 adult movies, including one scene with 15 men, and sat on national TV describing it all like a summer job. Tyra Banks had to stop the show to pull herself together. In the video below, she sits on Tyra's couch and doesn't flinch once. She says porn was never a stranger to her. She'd seen it for years before she ever stepped on set. And she noticed the industry only showed one kind of woman. Her instinct told her: I could do this. Within 8 months, more than 80 films. She calls herself loud, aggressive, dominant and submissive at the same time. She expected to make up to $150,000 that year, minus the days she had to take off for infections. She says the work makes her feel empowered. She doesn't represent the industry. She represents herself. That first scene, she was nervous all day, terrified she'd freeze up. Once the cameras rolled, she says she felt completely in her element. Tyra asks where she draws the line. Her answer is short. Nothing involving children. Nothing involving animals. Everything else is on the table. Then the hardest conversation. Two weeks after moving to LA, her mom and sister came to visit. She showed them around Hollywood, took them to dinner, and spent the whole night trying to find the words. "I can't expect to get respect from you unless I have the respect to tell you." Her mom said her body was a temple. Her sister laughed, the scared kind of laugh. Tyra admits on air that this interview is really hard for her. Sasha talks about all of it so lightly. What happened next is the twist nobody saw coming. A few years later, she walked away from porn completely. Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh cast her as the lead in a movie. She landed a role on HBO's Entourage. She wrote novels, became a DJ and built a huge following as a gamer and streamer. Everyone on that TV set thought they were watching a girl throw her life away. She was the only one who already had a plan. Some lessons are written in other people's mistakes. Watch it once. Remember it forever.

Sasha Grey was 18 on her first day on a porn set. Her co-star was 50, one of the biggest names in the industry, and before the cameras rolled she asked him to punch her in the stomach. He was so shocked he refused. 8 months later she had filmed over 80 adult movies, including one scene with 15 men, and sat on national TV describing it all like a summer job. Tyra Banks had to stop the show to pull herself together. In the video below, she sits on Tyra's couch and doesn't flinch once. She says porn was never a stranger to her. She'd seen it for years before she ever stepped on set. And she noticed the industry only showed one kind of woman. Her instinct told her: I could do this. Within 8 months, more than 80 films. She calls herself loud, aggressive, dominant and submissive at the same time. She expected to make up to $150,000 that year, minus the days she had to take off for infections. She says the work makes her feel empowered. She doesn't represent the industry. She represents herself. That first scene, she was nervous all day, terrified she'd freeze up. Once the cameras rolled, she says she felt completely in her element. Tyra asks where she draws the line. Her answer is short. Nothing involving children. Nothing involving animals. Everything else is on the table. Then the hardest conversation. Two weeks after moving to LA, her mom and sister came to visit. She showed them around Hollywood, took them to dinner, and spent the whole night trying to find the words. "I can't expect to get respect from you unless I have the respect to tell you." Her mom said her body was a temple. Her sister laughed, the scared kind of laugh. Tyra admits on air that this interview is really hard for her. Sasha talks about all of it so lightly. What happened next is the twist nobody saw coming. A few years later, she walked away from porn completely. Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh cast her as the lead in a movie. She landed a role on HBO's Entourage. She wrote novels, became a DJ and built a huge following as a gamer and streamer. Everyone on that TV set thought they were watching a girl throw her life away. She was the only one who already had a plan. Some lessons are written in other people's mistakes. Watch it once. Remember it forever.