by Rich Moreland, February 2020
Photos by Kevin Sayers
Emma Hix is a rising star in porn. Just twenty-two, this sweet, seductive beauty has a personality that matches every degree of her comeliness. She is endearing, cooperative with everyone and has a definitive career direction.
If adult film issued report cards on performers, Emma would be at the top of the class as witnessed by the show guides provided here. Emma travels with the elite.
I first met this native Canadian at the Foxxx Modeling booth during the 2017 show. She was a newbie, a bit nervous but with an undeniable charm. We chatted briefly and did a quick informal interview. Since then, it’s been hit or miss, mostly miss. We’d converse, hope to set something up, then schedules conflict and opportunity slipped away.
Thanks to her PR people, this year Emma and I did everything very formally in the press room. Moving up requires protocol and with Emma’s popularity soaring, that’s the only way to go!
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Depends on Her Mood
After some small talk, I noted that in Axel Braun’s Nylon 3 she’s playing the piano, or at least appears to be.
So, Emma, let’s have the backstory!
“My mom tried to put me in piano lessons when I was a kid,” Emma says, but “I hated learning from someone else, you know?”
In fact, mom bought Emma a piano as an incentive to take lessons. Didn’t work.
“A couple of years later, I was playing around on it,” she reveals. “I was like ‘Wow I actually really enjoy this.’’’ Turns out, Emma learned to play by ear along with some YouTube help.
She has her own instrument now. “I bought a grand piano with my first paycheck from porn. It’s my baby. I love it!”
What kind of music does this self-taught virtuoso like to play? Is it different from the typical youngster who practices more formally under a teacher’s eye?
It’s a variety, Emma replies, with alternative, rock and instrumental piano her preferences. “Cinematic orchestra is one of my favorites,” she adds, but “it depends on what mood I’m in.”
Maturity
We turn the conversation to how Emma has moved forward with her career.
“I had a little bit of a rough start because being from Canada, it took a while to get my US ID,” she says.
Emma mentions having her tattoos removed. An image adjustment, I’m guessing.
“I’m starting to progress to do different kinds of scenes. At first, I was doing very vanilla scenes. I don’t want to say boring, but just more elegant. Recently, I’ve started doing more anal and DPs, which is a whole new ballgame for me. I wanted to bring on this more slutty kind of persona. I’m trying to change my look and my performance.”
“The slut plays the piano,” I joke.
Sporting a big smile, Emma is cool with that!
With two AVN noms in hand, this stunning blonde has matured since we first talked three years ago. Is this a natural progression due to getting older?
Emma claims it’s just wanting to get better at your job.
Art
I pose the “what is pornography?” question and Emma doesn’t hesitate.
“It is a work of art, shown by an individual or a group of people, whatever the scene calls for. Being very artistic, being themselves on camera. . . a sexual moment caught on video. Very beautiful.”
We talk about how porn has changed over the years and Emma references Hollywood.
“I feel like now, it’s kind of moving with the mainstream industry,” Emma says, and brings up Bree Mills’ Adult Time. “They put a lot of work into their scenes. They make it look like an actual movie. Their sex is not just sex. It’s art. It’s really well put together.”
As for mainstream film, Emma speculates that sex “must be super awkward on a mainstream set.”
Regarding that statement, Adult Time steps into our conversation again.
“It’s kind of cool seeing an actual movie and seeing all of the sex. I wish they did that in mainstream movies sometimes. I wish they normalized it and made it okay.”
Emma points out what much of the public believes. “Sex is such a shameful thing” and, of course, “it’s obscene seeing two people have sex and you know people look down on it. But I feel if mainstream normalized it,” it wouldn’t be a big deal.
I mention Maitland Ward, an actress who entered adult from mainstream film. Emma is impressed with the move, but she raises the typical criticism of Ward’s change of scenery.
“That’s amazing. Of course, people are going to say ‘Oh she downgraded.’ But no, you’re moving from one form of art to another [and] that’s pretty cool.”
A Personal Reboot
Finally, I persuade today’s Emma to go back in time and visit with the Emma who is just coming into the industry.
What advice would you give yourself?
Pondering the question for a moment she offers up two things.
First, “don’t get taken advantage of because I was in the beginning of my career and it took me a while to learn that. But I don’t regret anything because it’s made me [who] I am today, [though] I’m still not happy with [that]. I want to keep going, doing better.”
On the Red Carpet
Then the slender hottie relates what I’ve heard so often over the years in this business.
“I had a little bit of a rough start. I didn’t know who I was and that’s another thing. I was trying to be someone else. I kind of lost myself.”
This leads to her second piece of advice. “Just be yourself [and] don’t regret anything,” Emma declares. “When I was new, I didn’t really know anything about performing at all.”
But she has come to realize that her career goal is longevity. “Since I had a slow start, I was able to have a longer career instead of getting famous right off the bat and getting overwhelmed with it. I’m happy that it went gradually and slowly.”
I mention that some girls jump into everything like anal and multiple penetrations immediately when their careers begin.
Emma took the more cautious route.
“I didn’t know who I was at eighteen, nothing. But if you know where you want to go in this industry, do whatever you want off the bat. I had no idea. So, it took me a while to learn and now I know where I want to go.”
Her approach has changed, however.
“I [like to] take every scene that comes at me…because as female talent, you never know when the work is going to slow down. But I try to take Sundays off because you need those grounding days for your mental health.”
Nevertheless, work is never assured. Every performance is an audition for the next one.
“If you do a really good job [on set] and you have a good time with the crew and the director and everything, you can get rehired. But there’s only so many times that they can shoot you. So, you are unemployed until they can rehire you again.”
Longevity?
How does she cope with the uncertainty?
“You never know when it’s going to end. So, I have my Only Fans and my Snapchat that I make money off of.”
Hollywood actors often have lifetime careers, Emma muses. “I wish you could do that with porn, but it ends eventually.”
Ironically, I mention that in adult longevity mostly belongs to the men.
With resignation, Emma comments, “I know.”
As we’re about to wrap up, my photographer Kevin throws a question Emma’s way concerning being taken advantage of.
“Because you were young and naïve, did they put you in scenes you didn’t want to do?” he asks.
“Yeah,” Emma responds. “when I was newer, I was very naïve. I took every scene. Now I’m more selective. I’ve definitely had some bad experiences on set. Now, I know to stand up for myself.”
Well said, Emma Hix, and thank you for a great interview.
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