Kayden Kross is like every blonde bombshell you ever had a crush on in your entire life rolled into one. And Vivid video recognized that when they made her a Vivid contract girl, a highly coveted title within the adult industry for female performers. She was one of the last women to hold this title. Since then she’s been a contract star for both Adam & Eve as well as Digital Playground. When a woman goes through her entire career as a contract star it means she’s got the goods. Kayden Kross most definitely has the goods and on top of being gorgeous, her scenes are some of the hottest around. She also has a college degree and is a published writer. Mens Mag Daily was able to sit down with the lovely Kayden Kross to discuss why she began stripping, her work in mainstream entertainment, and why she’s been spending more time behind the camera.
Mens Mag Daily: Okay Kayden, first things first, we have to get this out of the way. Is it true that you started stripping so you could get the money to save the life of a pony?
Kayden Kross: Yes, that is actually absolutely true.
Mens Mag Daily: Wow, you must be a big time animal lover.
Kayden Kross: I am, I really am such an animal lover.
Mens Mag Daily: Now you were actually a Vivid contract girl. Were you one of the last ones?
Kayden Kross: I was a Vivid contract girl and I think I was one of the last ones. They’re kind of like a dying breed at this point.
Mens Mag Daily: What’s it like being a Vivid contract girl? I’ve always heard that it’s like the upper echelon of the adult industry.
Kayden Kross: I would say yes, probably but at the same time I wasn’t with them for a very long time so I can’t really give you that whole Vivid experience.
Mens Mag Daily: And after Vivid you were a contract girl with Digital Playground, is that right?
Kayden Kross: Well, actually I went from Vivid to Adam and Eve and from there I went to Digital playground.
Mens Mag Daily: Where would you say you enjoyed your time the most?
Kayden Kross: I think I’d probably say Digital Playground.
Mens Mag Daily: What was it about Digital Playground that you enjoyed so much? Was it the type of movies they made? Did you just feel comfortable there?
Kayden Kross: When it came to Digital Playground, everything was just big. The productions were big, the names were big, even the catering was big and I definitely enjoyed that aspect of it.
Mens Mag Daily: Do you prefer shooting features or just doing more gonzo type stuff?
Kayden Kross: I definitely like features more. The days are way longer but you just do more.
Mens Mag Daily: Do you enjoy the whole acting aspect of the features?
Kayden Kross: I do, I love the acting aspect of the features.
Mens Mag Daily: You’ve actually done some mainstream stuff as well.
Kayden Kross: Yeah, I have.
Mens Mag Daily: What’s that like coming from the adult industry?
Kayden Kross: Um, honestly it’s sort of the same. They have way better lighting on the mainstream sets but other than that there aren’t a lot of differences.
Mens Mag Daily: Did you ever consider a career as a mainstream entertainer before you got into adult?
Kayden Kross: No I never even considered it. I would have been way too camera shy.
Mens Mag Daily: Wait, so wouldn’t being camera shy be a problem in adult as well?
Kayden Kross: Oh, I was super camera shy. It took me a good few movies before I really opened up and was relaxed around the camera.
Mens Mag Daily: What was the first time like? You must have been extremely nervous.
Kayden Kross: Oh yeah, I was absolutely horrible. It was with Manuel who’s my fiancé now and he told me he still looks back on it and he thinks I was the worst performer ever.
Mens Mag Daily: It couldn’t have been that bad, you’re engaged now.
Kayden Kross: Well, he didn’t talk to me for like three years after that. That’s how terrible he thought I was.
Mens Mag Daily: You also do some writing, was that something you were always into?
Kayden Kross: Yeah, writing just came naturally to me. I’ve been doing it since like the seventh grade. I just enjoyed it. I wrote short story form and poetry type of prose. I also wrote for Complex for a little while. I don’t mind a deadline when I can really just go at it and I love what I’m writing about but if I have a word limit and all that, it gets a little crazy.
Mens Mag Daily: You also had a short story published. That’s a big deal.
Kayden Kross: I did, Harper Collins published it. It was a couple of years ago but I was really excited about it. It was definitely one of my biggest achievements. When I submitted the story it took them so long to get back to me and when they did, it took so long for it to actually get published but it was still exciting.
Mens Mag Daily: You’ve been in the business for a long time now, what’s the secret to your longevity?
Kayden Kross: Yeah it’s been eight years now. I would say more than anything else it’s being a contract girl.
Mens Mag Daily: You’re always getting nominated for awards and winning awards. What’s that like?
Kayden Kross: I get nominated a fair amount but I don’t win all that much and it’s kind of sad because when you’re nominated you end up wanting to win and then you lose. Some of it’s politics and there are better performers out there.
Mens Mag Daily: You went to college, right?
Kayden Kross: I did. My major was psychology. It’s interesting but it wasn’t necessarily something I wanted to pursue.
Mens Mag Daily: Were you right out of college when you got into the industry?
Kayden Kross: I was still in college when I signed to Vivid. I was in my senior year.
Mens Mag Daily: Were people in your life kind of surprised at that decision?
Kayden Kross: Yes and no, I had already been modeling and I was in Penthouse and Hustler so I had talked about it before. I don’t think people who knew me were surprised. I still feel like modeling is harder than doing a scene. I’m a lot more critical of my pictures than I am of my scenes. You can kind of get lost in a scene. When it comes to modeling there are all these little insecurities.
Mens Mag Daily: Were you ready for that exposure that came with being in those magazines?
Kayden Kross: No, I don’t think I was ready for it. When I signed with Vivid my school newspaper did this big front page article on me and there was all this attention that I wasn’t really prepared for.
Mens Mag Daily: You’ve already been in it for the long haul but do you plan to continue in the business for a long time to come?
Kayden Kross: I’m still very much a part of the industry but I’m very behind the scenes now. I love working behind the scenes. I think I took it for granted when I was just performing. Even when you’re done you’re not done. I definitely plan on continuing to work behind the scenes. It’s what I enjoy more than anything right now. I like to create the story and the look and then see it all come to life.
Mens Mag Daily: What’s most important to you when you’re putting a scene together?
Kayden Kross: I want the feeling. The dialogue doesn’t have to be exact. The location doesn’t have to be perfect but I want that feeling. It’s a lot of fun.
Mens Mag Daily: So you’re not done performing right?
Kayden Kross: No, not at all, I just did two scenes last month.
Mens Mag Daily: Okay Kayden, tell us what you have coming up, websites, anything you’d like.
Kayden Kross: Well I’ll be performing at HQ with Stoya for their 9th anniversary party on Thursday. Also, everybody should visit my website which is www.clubkayden.com. And everyone should buy my Fleshlight, that’s important as well. My Twitter is https://twitter.com/Kayden_Kross.
Article By: Jon DaBove
