Asia Carrera
Encyclopedia
Asia Carrera is a former American
pornographic actress
.
to a Japan
ese father and German
mother, the eldest of four siblings. She was raised in Little Silver, New Jersey
, attending the Little Silver School District
and Red Bank Regional High School
. She studied piano
as a child, and performed at Carnegie Hall
twice before the age of 15. By 16 she taught English
at Tsuruga
College in Japan
.
She won a full academic scholarship to Rutgers University
and is a member of Mensa
, with an IQ of 156. When she was 17, she ran away from home because she felt her parents put too much pressure on her to succeed academically.
surname from actress Tia Carrere
, changing the spelling for legal reasons.
Carrera performed only a few anal sex
scenes during her career. Her first anal scene was in the movie A is for Asia (a film to which she owned all the rights) which occurred after her contract with Vivid finished.
in a faux pornographic movie titled Logjammin within the film.
Carrera was a guest reviewer for Maximum PC
magazine.
Carrera lent her voice to several erotic hentai
OVAs
for publisher Pink Pineapple, such as Inmu (2001) and Shusaku (1999). In October 2001, Carrera attended the Big Apple Anime Fest
in New York City for her voice roles and along with Kobe Tai
was an Opening Night Guest of Honor at the fest's Midnight Anime Concourse.
Carrera was featured in the book, Part Asian, 100% Hapa by artist Kip Fulbeck
. She also authored one of three featured quotes on the book jacket.
and describes herself as "the nerd
of porn." She states that she created her own Web site in the late 1990s, including writing the code and editing the pictures.
Carrera is also an avid player of Unreal Tournament
. She designed her own game skins and was featured in the show Players on the G4 games cable channel, where she revealed that her screen name is "Megabitchgoddess." Carrera hosted her own Unreal Tournament server that featured custom maps designed by fans that frequented the chatroom that she has hosted on her site since 1997. She is also a Corvette
aficionado but traded hers in after starting a family.
She identified investor Warren Buffett
as her hero on her website, which Buffett was pleased to learn.
. They divorced in 2003 after a long separation, but remain good friends. Carrera dated a former grip
from her porn sets for a few years until his visa
expired and he returned to England. Soon after, she married nutritionist
and author Don Lemmon on December 19, 2003. The couple moved to St. George, Utah
where Carrera gave birth to her first daughter, Catalina, on March 4, 2005. Lemmon was killed in a car accident near Las Vegas
on June 10, 2006. At the time, Carrera was almost eight months pregnant with their second child. Concerned about her livelihood and worries of not being able to support her two children on her own, Carrera began to solicit donations on her personal web site. Eventually, Carrera got a message from an insurance company that a life insurance
policy she had forgotten about did exist for her husband, and she was granted it after mandatory investigation.
Their son, who was born on July 31, 2006, was initially to be named Devin; but she decided after Lemmon's death to name him Donald Edward Lemmon III. She and Lemmon had planned for the birth to be unassisted
, but after his death she was offered free midwifery
services; she was unsure whether she wanted to give birth alone without her husband. The birth occurred 11 days before the estimated due date, while a midwife was en route.
On May 13, 2007, she announced on her web site that she had filed a request to legally change her son's name to Devin D'Artagnan Lemmon, in honor of Devin DeVasquez
, the woman who first introduced her to Donald. She explained that "He's not Don, he never will be Don, and it made me want to start crying every time a random stranger would say, 'Oh he's so cute, what's his name?'" The state made an error in changing his name, however, keeping the "III".
Carrera is an outspoken atheist, stating "I've always been an atheist; science explains everything."
After growing tired of impostors claiming to be her on MySpace, she posted her own authentic profile.
On April 14, 2010, Carrera confessed on her blog that she became an alcoholic after the death of her husband, Donald, that she had joined Alcoholics Anonymous
, and was in her third week of sobriety. She emphasized that she was still an atheist, as Alcoholics Anonymous does not require a belief in God
.
-area newspaper, on the local case of Susan Russell, who was charged with 15 counts of third-degree felony
distribution of pornographic material. Russell allegedly sold pornographic materials and sex toy
s from a back room in her Earrings and More store, potentially violating the "community standards" of the Mormon
-dominated town per the Supreme Court
case Miller v. California
. Carrera opined:
However, she also said,
Nevertheless, she reiterated that the community's conservatism was the reason she moved there, and that she had no plans to challenge it.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pornographic actress
Pornographic actor
A pornographic actor/actress or a porn star is a person who appears in pornographic film. Most actors appear nude in films...
.
Early life and education
Asia Carrera was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese father and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
mother, the eldest of four siblings. She was raised in Little Silver, New Jersey
Little Silver, New Jersey
Little Silver is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,950.Little Silver was established with a Kings Land Grant in 1663 and settled in 1667...
, attending the Little Silver School District
Little Silver School District
The Little Silver School District is a community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade from Little Silver, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States....
and Red Bank Regional High School
Red Bank Regional High School
Red Bank Regional High School is a comprehensive regional four-year public high school that serves students in grades nine through twelve in Monmouth County, New Jersey, from the boroughs of Little Silver, Red Bank and Shrewsbury...
. She studied piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
as a child, and performed at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
twice before the age of 15. By 16 she taught English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
at Tsuruga
Tsuruga, Fukui
is a city located in southern Fukui Prefecture, Japan.-Outline:One of city of Wakasa Area, present southern Fukui Prececture. Municipalized on April 1, 1937....
College in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
She won a full academic scholarship to Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
and is a member of Mensa
Mensa International
Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test...
, with an IQ of 156. When she was 17, she ran away from home because she felt her parents put too much pressure on her to succeed academically.
Adult film career
According to interviews, she chose her stage nameStage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
surname from actress Tia Carrere
Tia Carrere
Tia Carrere is an American actress, model, voice artist, and singer, perhaps most widely known for her role as Cassandra Wong in the feature films Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2, Queen Tyr'ahnee in Duck Dodgers, and as Sydney Fox in the TV series Relic Hunter.-Early life:Carrere was born in...
, changing the spelling for legal reasons.
Carrera performed only a few anal sex
Anal sex
Anal sex is the sex act in which the penis is inserted into the anus of a sexual partner. The term can also include other sexual acts involving the anus, including pegging, anilingus , fingering, and object insertion.Common misconception describes anal sex as practiced almost exclusively by gay men...
scenes during her career. Her first anal scene was in the movie A is for Asia (a film to which she owned all the rights) which occurred after her contract with Vivid finished.
Other work
In 1998 she appeared in an uncredited cameo role in the film The Big LebowskiThe Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeff Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler, who is referred to as "The Dude". After a case of mistaken identity, The Dude is introduced to a millionaire also named...
in a faux pornographic movie titled Logjammin within the film.
Carrera was a guest reviewer for Maximum PC
Maximum PC
Maximum PC, formerly known as boot, is an American magazine and web site published by Future US. It focuses on cutting-edge PC hardware, with an emphasis on product reviews, step-by-step tutorials, and in-depth technical briefs...
magazine.
Carrera lent her voice to several erotic hentai
Hentai
is a Japanese word that, in the West, is used when referring to sexually explicit or pornographic comics and animation, particularly those of Japanese origin such as anime, manga, and computer games. The word hentai is a kanji compound of 変 and 態...
OVAs
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
for publisher Pink Pineapple, such as Inmu (2001) and Shusaku (1999). In October 2001, Carrera attended the Big Apple Anime Fest
Big Apple Anime Fest
The Big Apple Anime Fest was an anime convention which was held annually between 2001 and 2003 and supported by a consortium of anime and manga companies.-Event history:-Cancellations:...
in New York City for her voice roles and along with Kobe Tai
Kobe Tai
Kobe Tai is the professional name of a pornographic actress and adult model of Taiwanese and Japanese heritage. She entered the adult film industry at the age of 24, and appeared in over 70 films between 1996 and 2003. She returned to adult movies in December 2001 when she made Jenna Loves Kobe ...
was an Opening Night Guest of Honor at the fest's Midnight Anime Concourse.
Carrera was featured in the book, Part Asian, 100% Hapa by artist Kip Fulbeck
Kip Fulbeck
Kip Fulbeck is an American artist, spoken word performer, filmmaker and author. Fulbeck's work explores identity politics.His mixed race ethnic background is Cantonese, English, Irish, and Welsh...
. She also authored one of three featured quotes on the book jacket.
Other interests
Carrera has an active presence on the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and describes herself as "the nerd
Nerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
of porn." She states that she created her own Web site in the late 1990s, including writing the code and editing the pictures.
Carrera is also an avid player of Unreal Tournament
Unreal Tournament
Unreal Tournament is a futuristic first-person shooter video game co-developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes. It was published in 1999 by GT Interactive. Retrospectively, the game has also been referred to as UT99 or UT Classic to differentiate it from its numbered sequels...
. She designed her own game skins and was featured in the show Players on the G4 games cable channel, where she revealed that her screen name is "Megabitchgoddess." Carrera hosted her own Unreal Tournament server that featured custom maps designed by fans that frequented the chatroom that she has hosted on her site since 1997. She is also a Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
aficionado but traded hers in after starting a family.
She identified investor Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett
Warren Edward Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. Often introduced as "legendary investor, Warren Buffett", he is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is...
as her hero on her website, which Buffett was pleased to learn.
Personal life
In September 1995, Carrera married adult film director Bud LeeBud Lee
Bud Lee is an adult film director. He is an AVN Hall of Fame member and also works as an agent for LA Direct Models.Lee has been married to adult film actresses Asia Carrera and Hyapatia Lee.-External links:* *...
. They divorced in 2003 after a long separation, but remain good friends. Carrera dated a former grip
Grip (job)
In the U.S. and Canada, grips are lighting and rigging technicians in the filmmaking and video production industries. They constitute their own department on a film set and are directed by a key grip. Grips have two main functions...
from her porn sets for a few years until his visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
expired and he returned to England. Soon after, she married nutritionist
Nutritionist
A nutritionist is a person who advises on matters of food and nutrition impacts on health. Different professional terms are used in different countries, employment settings and contexts — some examples include: nutrition scientist, public health nutritionist, dietitian-nutritionist, clinical...
and author Don Lemmon on December 19, 2003. The couple moved to St. George, Utah
St. George, Utah
St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah. It is the principal city of and is included in the St. George, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 119 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles ...
where Carrera gave birth to her first daughter, Catalina, on March 4, 2005. Lemmon was killed in a car accident near Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
on June 10, 2006. At the time, Carrera was almost eight months pregnant with their second child. Concerned about her livelihood and worries of not being able to support her two children on her own, Carrera began to solicit donations on her personal web site. Eventually, Carrera got a message from an insurance company that a life insurance
Life insurance
Life insurance is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death of the insured person. Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger...
policy she had forgotten about did exist for her husband, and she was granted it after mandatory investigation.
Their son, who was born on July 31, 2006, was initially to be named Devin; but she decided after Lemmon's death to name him Donald Edward Lemmon III. She and Lemmon had planned for the birth to be unassisted
Unassisted childbirth
Unassisted childbirth refers to the process of intentionally giving birth without the assistance of a medical or professional birth attendant...
, but after his death she was offered free midwifery
Midwifery
Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and during the postpartum period. They also help care for the newborn and assist the mother with breastfeeding....
services; she was unsure whether she wanted to give birth alone without her husband. The birth occurred 11 days before the estimated due date, while a midwife was en route.
On May 13, 2007, she announced on her web site that she had filed a request to legally change her son's name to Devin D'Artagnan Lemmon, in honor of Devin DeVasquez
Devin DeVasquez
Devin Renee DeVasquez is an American model and actress. She was chosen as Playboy's Playmate of the Month in June 1985. Her centerfold was photographed by Richard Fegley...
, the woman who first introduced her to Donald. She explained that "He's not Don, he never will be Don, and it made me want to start crying every time a random stranger would say, 'Oh he's so cute, what's his name?'" The state made an error in changing his name, however, keeping the "III".
Carrera is an outspoken atheist, stating "I've always been an atheist; science explains everything."
After growing tired of impostors claiming to be her on MySpace, she posted her own authentic profile.
On April 14, 2010, Carrera confessed on her blog that she became an alcoholic after the death of her husband, Donald, that she had joined Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
, and was in her third week of sobriety. She emphasized that she was still an atheist, as Alcoholics Anonymous does not require a belief in God
Belief in God
Various theistic positions can involve belief in a God or "gods". They include:* Henotheism, worship of a single god despite recognition of other deities.* Monotheism, belief in a single deity....
.
Commentary on the Susan Russell pornography case
In 2006, Carrera was asked for commentary by The Spectrum, a St. George, UtahSt. George, Utah
St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah. It is the principal city of and is included in the St. George, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 119 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles ...
-area newspaper, on the local case of Susan Russell, who was charged with 15 counts of third-degree felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
distribution of pornographic material. Russell allegedly sold pornographic materials and sex toy
Sex toy
A sex toy is an object or device that is primarily used to facilitate human sexual pleasure. The most popular sex toys are designed to resemble human genitals and may be vibrating or non-vibrating...
s from a back room in her Earrings and More store, potentially violating the "community standards" of the Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
-dominated town per the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
case Miller v. California
Miller v. California
Miller v. California, was an important United States Supreme Court case involving what constitutes unprotected obscenity for First Amendment purposes...
. Carrera opined:
- "I deliberately moved to St. George with my husband so we could raise our kids in a conservative atmosphere, in a low-crime, family friendly state. I do appreciate that the laws are there, and will make it harder for my kids to get into trouble when they get older."
However, she also said,
- "Do I have a problem with porn being sold here? No, not per se. I have no problem with porn at all. Trust me, they don't exploit women, and watching porn has never been scientifically shown to lead to any increase in crime rates, be it rapeRapeRape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, pedophiliaPedophiliaAs a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
, or any other sexual crimes."
Nevertheless, she reiterated that the community's conservatism was the reason she moved there, and that she had no plans to challenge it.
Awards
- 1995 AVN Female Performer of the Year
- 2000 AVN Best Couples Sex Scene - Film for Search for the Snow Leopard
- 2000 AVN Award nominee for Best Actress (film)
- AVN Hall of FameAVN Hall of FameThis is a list of members of the AVN Hall of Fame. The AVN Hall of Fame honors the legends of the adult entertainment industry.- AVN Hall of Fame members :[Top]| style="vertical-align:top; width:15px;"|...
External links
- Official Blog
- Nakamura, Eric. "Big Money Shot: Asia Carrera" Interview at Giant Robot; 1999