Page 38 - AVN January 2025

“My career has been an exploration for me...I’ve almost done everything that I have wanted to.”
Veteran performer and content creator Jessica Ryan has been on a journey of self-discovery since joining the adult industry in 2013. For the Colorado native, the opportunity to escape a Protestant upbringing and explore her sexuality after ending a long-term relationship was an experience she could not afford to pass up.
“I grew up very Protestant,” Ryan recalled. “There are all the things that you’re told not to do. But I had curiosities and after being in a relationship for almost eight years, 18 through my mid-20s, there was so much stuff that I hadn’t done, and I hadn’t explored.”
A fascination with porn soon led Ryan down a rabbit hole of potential sex work. Aside from the safe sexual exploration shooting adult films offered, she viewed porn as “the loudest exclamation of bodily autonomy.” Of course, Ryan had no idea how she would feel after taking such a huge leap of faith.
“I didn’t know how well I would fall into place with it,” Ryan said. “It was just one of those things. I did my first scene and thought ‘I really liked that, that was a lot easier than I thought it would be.’”
But back home, Ryan’s new career was presenting some challenges.
“It was interesting having a second life with my family,” said Ryan. “I was finally getting to explore sides of myself that I had never been permitted to. Some family members found out and tried to expose me. So, I just let my family know for better or for worse. It’s nice not having two lives, but discretion is always kind of necessary when you’re facing certain people because [sex] is still an intimate thing and people get fucking weird. It’s not necessarily an open conversation with all people.”
Which suits Ryan just fine. “[Porn] is not the thing that I would lead with,” she laughed. “It’s a part of my life, but I wouldn’t say that it really defines me. But then I do associate with ‘normal’ people and am like ‘oh, my God, don’t say the shit that’s in your brain. Not everybody’s going to think ATM means ass to mouth!’”
With more than 10 years under her belt, Ryan has seen the industry evolve and feels optimistic for new and established performers.
“The traditional gatekeeping isn’t there,” said Ryan, who is repped by ATMLA.
“You see a lot of companies becoming more open to the people that are outside of their cookie cutter image because they see that they have a following. I think that’s super cool.”
That said, Ryan hasn’t missed much of anything during her time in porn and is eager to see what’s next.
“My career has been an exploration for me,” Ryan said. “I’ve almost done everything that I have wanted to. At this point, I would like to take from my experiences and start funneling that into a creative outlet. Make the stuff that I would jerk off to and share my, you know, milestones. And...I’m so bad about talking about myself!”
38 AVN.COM | 1.25 | JESSICA RYAN