The XCritic Interview: September Reign

I do not think that it matters which profession you write about, there is always a subject or person who you hope that you get the assignment to cover, meet or research. September Reign is an adult film actor who since 2015 has always caught my eye by more than just her scenes of incredible erotica. She is not just a woman who has created some of the most alluring hidden gems of the industry with her performances, she is also a woman who knows the true ropes of adult entertainment. She has been a dancer, a webcammer and a model whose look just makes you want to stand up and ask twenty questions in a crowded room of people. That is the flare that she has as a woman. Now, what makes this interview so special is more than you would think. Rarely do I miss a call time for an interview but I was running late and September told me about how she felt about that. Now, I am never a person to complain when such things occur because what she told me was the truth, “my time is valuable.” As is every performer who is looking to climb the ladder, be successful and make a living. My respect went up tenfold when she told me that because it showed she is a woman of deep conviction which is something I wish fans knew about the performers in this great industry. I was very excited to start this interview as September showed me, she is a woman of true passion in more ways than one. We began our conversation with friends in the industry and she is sharing wisdom that I needed to hear.

 
September Reign: You know, what I think is the most important thing is that you get into this business in a positive way and that you make sure that you leave in a positive way. That is so important. I have met many wonderful people during my time so far in this business and I hope others do as well.

 
Don Juan: You know, I have always wanted to sit down and talk with you. You are such a bold woman and a performer whose direction with her performances are so powerful. I look to try and be a new age historian of this business and I take pride in everything past and present. I truly hope that I can contribute something positive to the media side of things and make things better on my end as well. I think that people on every side of this business are realizing we are all in this thing together.

 
September Reign: Oh, absolutely. It is all about working together. If September the performer was going to say anything to media people a lot of them do not ask our opinion as performers as to what they do. For me, a woman who does mainstream and does adult I see people that have to worry about their brand. We tend to be free spirits in our business and there are times when at a convention or an awards show there will be a group of us performers and we are sitting around talking amongst ourselves as women and men, not as performers and the media tends to want to record that. Why that matters is people lose sight of what it means to be a star. Then they publish something private and intimate and fans, directors, critics of this business think that is how we are all the time and it just is not true. They get the idea that September Reign is the ravenous fuck animal who is like this all the time whether she is in a scene or at a party. Fans see that and they believe that they can walk up to you at a convention and stick their tongue down your throat. That is not easy to deal with. I mean whatever happened to saying hello, buying me a drink?

Don Juan: YES! (September is a woman who brings it. You can tell by the confidence and wisdom in her voice she has seen many places and people in this business. You can not pull one over on September as her intellect and wit are massive. I have interviewed some great minds in this business and others but none have the mix of honesty, fun and truth like she does.) You know where I gained my respect for the adult performer was from working in professional wrestling. Adult film stars and professional wrestlers are one in the same in terms of how fans treat them. People think they can just walk up to a wrestler and start fighting while adult film stars have the guy or gal walking up and grabbing their ass ready to shoot a scene without even seeing the human being. It is a trip, I will never understand that as a man who is so passionate about women in general.

 
September Reign: Well you have to give people the benefit of the doubt. Some people just do not know any better. It has always been a joy to me that everything that I have done or do on film is something that turns somebody on. That is awesome to me. Because I think that sex, sexuality and sexual energy is something that is healing. It is something very natural. (Once again, the most wonderful thing about the adult film performer, I have had situations where fans really upset me due to some things they just don’t know about. It is always these amazing ladies who have stopped me and said to look at things through their eyes. It is one of the many things that makes them so wonderful.)

 
Don Juan: That is true wisdom right there. I honestly did not realize all these years that a fan sees your intimate side before anything. That in itself is massive. A civilian has to work to achieve what they get from filmed fantasy with no effort at all. See my view always is still, not to sound negative but they should say to themself, “hey, I already know what the end result could be, perhaps I should try and work on getting to know her now.” Let me be sweet, let me be charming, let me be kind and romantic. You know, I think we have lost that period as a society.

September Reign. Well, modern society moves quickly with everything. Anything you want is on-demand it doesn’t matter what it is. Food is one demand, TV is on-demand. You remember the time when the only thing that was on-demand were the Direct TV movies, shows? It was once just an action that was just for cable, just for TV where you got what you wanted to see instantly. Now, you get everything with that same timeliness. Everything you can possibly think of is on demand. You can literally order anything mobile hotspot or through post mates. Look at Uber. Everything we have become is fast and distant. Everyone wants to text message no one wants to even make a phone call anymore. Let’s take this interview for instance. My publicist asked me, “how do you want to take this interview? We can do phone or e-mail?” I told him, “I want to vibe baby!” I don’t have time to type out a bunch of LOLs to make things as close to a real conversation as I can, I want to have a real conversation.
 
Don Juan: As I was talking with your press manager and we were talking about the business and we met a few years back but you met me not as Don Juan DeMarko. We met through a director/producer with a production company who is no longer there and when I met you I saw this exuberance that I never forgot. So, as I am trying to set this up I have this thought in my head as we are discussing the format like, “come on, please September, choose the phone, ahhhh!”
 
September Reign: I was so thrilled too. You know, I have truly had some of the funnest experiences doing these things and I have some times and people who are also crazy. The same thing goes with my fans to finish my point in that area. I have honestly met some of the coolest fans in my years doing this. I have met some of my fans where we just have that vibe and it goes beyond a performer meeting a fan type introduction you know? It even extends to whenever I have met some big names on the mainstream side at whatever is they do and we just instantly vibe. Some of my favorites have been meeting some people in the tech world. One of my favorite times is I had dinner with this really big tech guy. Only in this industry could something like that happen. Porn star and a tech guy. I knew who they were and they knew who I was and that is what made it so cool.
 
Don Juan: I love stories like that. I think the one time we met face to face it was brief and it was at Vice is Nice if I remember correctly. The one amazing thing and I love getting to finally say this to you, a person can see honesty a mile away, especially in someone’s eyes. When we met, I said my goodness, here is a woman of conviction and truth. I mean that. So now you see the joy in getting to sit down with you finally. So, let’s get this thing rolling. Tell me how you got started in this business.
 
September Reign: I love telling this story, I really do. So, I modeled in mainstream for a very long time. I mean we are talking since I was a baby. I had breaks here and there. I can remember being a kid and I start and then take a break and start again. That was my life on and off as a kid, as a teenager and then when I was seventeen at that age where you are a teenager but you think that you are freaking grown. So around that age, I had done a pictorial for these teen magazines that basically had me nude. Now, I had a sheet covering me in certain places but I was basically nude. Basically, the only thing you really could not see was the nipple. My mom had to sign a waiver and all this extra stuff. To backtrack a bit, I have always been independent as long as I can remember. I grew up with Mom. We have such a close relationship she is truly my number one fan. She has been such a strong supporter of mine when I made one of my first box covers my Mom was talking about it all over social media she was so proud of me. She also did the same thing when I won two Urban X awards. She has always known what I do, we have always had an honest and open relationship. So, during this shoot at seventeen, that was my first taste of anything adult related. Then, for a while, I went back to doing mainstream. From there I started dancing. It was from there that I took a job with this big company that I still work with to this day who sells micro bikinis. It was with them that I began doing webcamming. I will never forget that year. It was 2015 I believe and I went to AVN and then on the other side of things there were the webcam awards. I was nominated for Ebony Model of the Year on the webcam side and it was from experiencing all of that when I finally crossed over into adult films.

 
It was only then and this is why I love this story, that I got to know what AVN was and started to see things that I never had and I was telling my Mom about all this stuff I was doing. I kept telling her, “who knew that I would be doing this? ”She even has rolled up to AVN. My Mom always reminds me about the work I did in the past, I can see her talking to me now saying, “you don’t remember doing the teen glamour thing, I am already used to this.” (We pause for an incredible laugh as honestly, most Moms are not supportive of this business and I think we both knew just how rare it is. We would share a few of those wonderful inside laughs.) This is why I love telling this story. It is something good and positive for me. I think everyone expects our stories to all be bad and that just isn’t so. I grew up in a household where you could walk around the house nude. I used to always walk around the house nude. My sister did as well. We were and are a very open family. This led to me knowing my body parts at a very young age and I think I embarrassed the shit out of my Mom a few times. There were a few times I remember going to Wal-Mart and dancing and singing up and down the isles, “my vagina, my vagina.” So what I am getting at with this, I think that I have always been crazy, I have always been September. That is me, that is my story.
 
Don Juan: That is amazing. I think that is what truly sums up every wonderful person in this business. Doing this on and off for as many years as I have, you grow to acknowledge people as your family. Our porn family is massive because all of us have that spark, that jolt of life. This is something that has been a part of us I think before all of us met. It is what drew everyone to come here. Most people think that performers simply walk out of Clancy’s Bar, drunk as a skunk and just say, “hey, I wanna try working in porn now.”
 
September Reign: They think that we are a part of this new generation that doesn't give respect where it is due. When the truth is, even before I got into the business I had met people in this industry who gave me so many words of wisdom. I met a lot of girls when I was an exotic dancer and was in between getting ready to jump head first into webcamming, I met a lot of girls who had done some amazing things. I worked at one of the bigger, busier clubs. Getting to meet all of these feature dancers who were always the star of the show even when I went to Deja Vu the girls there gave me so much advice that still I use to this day. I met Bonnie Rotten there, Marey Carey and so many of these big stars. So I have been lucky to have met so many people along the way of my journey.
 
Don Juan: You know, that leads me up to our next question. Before we got to talk today, my days were filled with doing research on you and I read about how much you wanted to be a pin-up girl and how much you looked up to Misty.
 
September Reign: Oh my goodness, I was just talking about that with one of the newer performers I worked with and she told me that I should totally do the pin-up thing. I think that every person who gets into the business has that vision of themselves as this beautiful Barbie doll. I would love to do some pin-up work but there does not seem to be a market for it like there used to be and even though my look has changed over time, my fans know that I have probably had every hairstyle imaginable. I have had it in every shape, size, and color. I have always had in my mind a clear view of what I wanted to do and how I wanted to look as a performer.

 
Don Juan: That is something I wish that every performer had within them. Getting to talk with you, I see that you do have that direction in your voice. I think that is what has led you to be a part of such deep roles within amazing films. My favorite and it was a few years ago that you did it, was Ethnicity with Wicked Pictures. I am dying to know what it was like being on that set and being a part of that cast?
 
September Reign: It was awesome.
 
Don Juan: I love it, that cast, it was just so amazing! This interview is all you babe and we are gonna keep the focus on you but what that film had was so many people who are amazing actors. That film had Kira and so many other stars. I was glad to see that year that it took home the awards that it should. I would have been so intimidated being on that set. What was it like for you?
 
September Reign: Oh, it was awesome. Anyone who knows me how much Wicked means to me. I have shot a few times with them and in particular Axel. He and I have a great friendship anytime he asks me to be there, I am there. I have always been in love with Wicked. I think that every girl who gets into this business, no matter who she is, she will always have a list of people she wants to work with, followed up with companies that she wants to work with. There is no one that comes into this business blind. Everyone has that dream and that dream for me was that I have always wanted to shoot with Wicked. Before I got into the business, Wicked was a name that everyone knew, including me. Besides magazines back in the day, Wicked was one of the very first things I saw and so impressed with. The first film I saw was done so beautifully and I was in love after that. So, working with Axel, I had discovered that Brad knew me and I could not believe it. I have always loved Axel for the work that he does with his comedies. What made Ethnicity so special is when he called me up, I was thinking that I was going to be asked to be in a parody, which I would have said yes to instantly but I was even more surprised in the best way when I found out that he was doing a feature. I had all these thoughts going through my head when all this happened. Brad Armstrong has such a flair for the story. I love how he pushed the threshold and created these films that are so taboo. So, the best way I can describe being on this set, everyone had this feeling that we were making something that was more than erotica, it was more than just sex. The acting was done so well. Getting to see how much was put into everything, the lighting, the set, the acting. So, when it comes to Ethnicity, what I remember most is getting that phone call. He asked if I could come down and read for this part. They were having auditions and that part that I was originally reading for was Kira’s part.
 
So, I began reading for this part and I don’t know if you know this but I wear a lot of wigs when I perform so when I showed up to read, I was wearing a unique wig. Brad had told me after I read for the part that eventually went to Kira that he had another part that he had in mind for me and I think I got that part mainly due to what I showed up looking like at that audition. How funny is that? The role that I ended being cast in was one that mirrored the way that I grew up. In a film like this, I saw that you had to have that realism to the part that you are going to play and I truly look at that role as something that helped me grow in many more ways than I thought I would. Being a part of a story that is so deep and real. So, as we began talking about this role, I had made a joke that because they did not know I was wearing a wig that I had cornrows underneath it. It was then that he said, “I have a role for you.” That is how I got the role that I ended up playing.

 
When on set Brad was so open to suggestions. I had thought about how I could make this character come to life. All that was on my mind was Jada Pinkett Smith in the movie Set it Off. My hair was long enough to add extensions to it and I went to Brad with my vision of how I saw things and he was so open to what I suggested. As we all got our scripts I felt so comfortable with how Brad let us be open on set, we talked about how my character would talk and how to make lines become a bit more authentic. I think anyone would be scared to tell Brad Armstrong what you think of his script, I sure was. I had that thought in my head, here is the guy that just cast me for this great role, he knew who I was, I was getting this great chance to make this role mine and I am over here telling him, “hey, your script is not right.” I got brave and I told him I could do the part better if I flipped the script this way and spoke with some things I had improved and to my surprise, he told all of us, “I want you to do these parts so that they are you, that you feel comfortable in making these characters yours.” He basically let us all do things the way that we thought they needed to be done and I thought that is what made that film so good. I watched that film and saw what the final cut was and my memories will always be filled with how wonderful being in that set was. I will never forget it. Even being in the little role was a big deal for me because the movie is so powerful. It is something very special to be a part of something that showed the African American performers the way that this film did. This is a film that showed that we are people who can act too, who have talents beyond the sex in the film like I was talking about earlier.
 
Don Juan: I love that you are a crusader that you and so many people are looking to show what the African American actors in this business can do. I think films like that need to be made more often. I remember we had a few of our writers at XCritic review that film and it came back the same with everyone. We were blown away by how wonderful it was.
 
September Reign: Yes, it is a true film. What I like the most about it is that fans see that as well. When I was getting ready to head to eXXXotica New Jersey that year, I made sure to have as many copies as I could get of that film for the fans. That means a lot to me to be a part of that. To tell you the truth, that is the film that I have one copy nestled away as a very fond memory of being in this business.
 
Don Juan: You have to have those keepsakes in life, you have to and I think that you have pretty much answered my next question I have for you. Seeing how much you put into every scene you have been a part of, I would love to know what has a bigger pull on you? Is it the scene that you are cast for that has a ton of acting and lots of dialogue or is it that gonzo style shoot that is all sex?

 
September Reign: Well, that honestly depends on the performer I am sitting across from. If I know the person I am shooting with and it is someone who I have wanted to work with, well wait, back up for a second. Let me give you an example to better explain. I had met this lovely woman who I had wanted to shoot with for a long time. She messaged me and said she wanted to shoot some content. I was a bit nervous because we were going to be shooting with her and a few other people. The chemistry she and I had was amazing. Now, when it came to the rest of the people we were working with I did not have that same vibe that I did with her. Sometime after that, we both ended up working together in a Girl/Girl shoot with her. When we were getting ready to work with someone and you know just what to expect I walk into that room and with just eye contact I am ready to go and I have that peace of mind that I can get nasty in the scene with my partner because we have that chemistry, that connection. Now, I won’t say that I do not like working on a set that has lots of dialogue and tons of acting. I look at that as a challenge to become a more rounded performer. I have come to really enjoy doing things like that, it just makes me more well rounded.
 
Don Juan: Woman, you are simply psychic. You are walking straight into every question as if you were here reading my notes. This is something I always enjoy. Getting to see the depth of passion that a performer has for this business is the most amazing of things for me. I look to find it with every person I interview. I could tell from watching you work that you add a lot to the creation of your scenes. It shows from the moment the credits fade and the film starts. I would love to know what it was like when you did your scene with Aaliyah Love. That scene is hands down one of the best Girl/Girl scenes shot in the last ten years. It is a travesty that it did not get an award. That is how damn good it is.
 
September Reign: Why thank you so much, I like girls so much. That is the thing with some of these companies that shoot only Girl/Girl. They want to know that you love girls and I sure do. (Her charm is so casual and wonderful. We share a few laughs talking about how these companies cast and her humor and with is something so amazing.) It is so funny that I get asked so many times by my “civilian” friends, what people are on my “no list.” I have a few girls that are on my no list more so then I do guys and that is because I genuinely, genuinely love women. I just can not live life without women. Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of male talents in this business that I do vibe with but sometimes if I am on set and I am working with someone new, I will have those thoughts, “will these guy be professional, will he be able to do what needs to be done for us all to be able to finish the scene.” When it is a woman, there is so much more that I feel on the inside. Looking into her eyes, touching her skin, holding her hand and touching her everywhere, I live for those types of scenes and shoots.

 
Now, with Aaliyah, I enjoyed Aliayah. (She actually pauses for a second and laughs so playfully, you can tell she is reliving the shoot in her head and she continues to laugh and smile as she tells the story.) That scene always cracks me up because on the cover of the movie, it is not me, well it is my vagina I should say. I remember shooting that and I get a call from the director and he tells me, “September, you made the cover!” I was so excited and tell him, “I DID!” I was so excited and then I saw the cover and was like oh my God! It is nice to make the cover. That scene, it was so natural to work with Aaliyah. The part that you will not believe about that scene. Aaliyah and I were really going strong and having so much fun. Then all of a sudden, the battery died and the production manager had already headed home and did not leave the extra battery. So we had to stop shooting. So we had to literally stop this incredibly sexual moment and then come back a day or so later and try and pick up where we left off. We literally had to knock this part of acting out super early in the morning. I happened to be double booked that day, so the only way we could get things done was if we shot early and I mean early in the morning. Trust me, we made it work because of how amazing Aaliyah is but let’s just say, my vagina was screaming WHAT THE FUCK!
 
There is no better way to end part one of this amazing storytellers interview than what she just spoke of. September is such a unique woman and performer. What I found so amazing about September, she is a woman whose acting talents are so amazing. She has the character of that best friend who just comes over every morning and shoots the shit with you as you watch daytime TV. She makes you feel trust and warmth from second one. I can only imagine how she makes her fellow performers feel when she shoots with them. September is that person who you meet in this industry and they instantly become a part of your life, that is the kindness that is deep within all that she does. It is why we literally spoke for almost two hours when we did this interview. She is an actor so brilliant, she makes her fans look at her with eyes of marvel, the same of which she spoke about when she would meet feature dancers back when she was dancing. To know that someone has come from the same place that many of us do, as fans, as artists and people, September truly shows what can be done when you follow your heart. Stay tuned for more...

Special Thanks to Elegant Angel, be sure to check out their latest film starring the lovely September Reign, Big Wet Black Tits 5 were all these lovley pictures appear from.

Follow September on Social Media:

Twitter: @iSpySeptember

Instagram: ispyseptember

ManyVids: iSPySeptember