Small Town Girl, Chloe Cherry

Cherry’s brightness comes through as a total constellation. She writes poetry and maintains close connections with her muses, makes collages from old fashioned women’s magazines, and dishes on the adult film industry’s secrets to having voluminous sex on podcasts with mental health advocate Eileen Kelly and writer/model Emily Ratajkowski. I can’t wait for what Hollywood collabs she has next. Cherry is one of the few post-It Girl actresses that has sincere cinema afterglow. And, she makes you feel like you're in the presence of supreme coolness.

Chloe Cherry— I can't talk about Euphoria or any current or past Hollywood projects that I've done. I stand in solidarity with my union and what they are fighting for.

Johnny Belknap— That’s right, okay. Weird times.

It’s really weird. We could talk now or just have this conversation again when the strike is over.

Cool. Let’s chat now.

Yeah, that would be great.

You’re been in the Hollywood film industry now after some years in the adult film industry. Your shift from the former to the latter began right before the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. What has that been like?

It’s really weird timing for me. I got into the industry and there's suddenly a strike. It's really weird. But, the writers and actors have to stand in solidarity during this important time. There's so many issues that my peers have finally vocalized for and mobilized around.

For sure. I’m happy to hear that people are paying attention. Writers are under-compensated and under-resourced. I like when actor and national president of SAG-AFTRA, Fran Drescher, asked what everyone was doing taking advantage of writers all the while doing what, “moving around furniture on the Titanic?” We hit the iceberg; the furniture sinks along with the rest of the stuff hanging onto an old system. Those who are looking out for one another are building something new and that’s exciting; I’m hopeful about where things could go next. Do you do any writing yourself?

People tell me to write a book so I’ve thought about writing one. I haven't tried writing scripts but I would try that one day, too. The only writing that I've really done is sketches. I write those for my Instagram and stuff.

Would your book be a novel or a memoir?

I want to write a memoir.

You totally should.

It would be cool just because there's a lot to talk about. My career starts off in the adult film industry. I was in it for like six years and I really enjoyed it. I'm not in it anymore. If I wrote a book I want to explain to people how the adult film industry works.

Watching adults on film do the deed is something many of us do all the time. Like, we watch it at least several times a week, if not every other day, or more. I’d love to learn more about it.

Totally.

There doesn’t seem to be too much conversation about the adult film industry beyond those working in it or the text I see on my laptop screen: Cum Inside, Domination, Big Cock, Natural, Cucked. People love to categorize and fantasize. But, there’s got to be so much more stuff to talk about. In another interview you’ve done, you shared about the industry’s #METOO movement and how that’s provided a real sense of accountability in the industry.

The me too movement in porn was huge. We had our own me too movement in about 2020 where every girl in porn shared on twitter their personal stories about anything non consensual that happened to them. It was a lot like the Hollywood me too movement. Directors that abused their power, co stars that were too rough.

Was working in the adult film industry your first job?

I briefly worked in restaurants before working in the adult film industry. Restaurant and food service work is really, really hard. It’s very physically demanding and I was so bad at it.

Right? Restaurant work is super demanding. It’s exhausting managing so many different appetites. So, I guess, what did you like about working in the adult film industry?

I really liked the amount of freedom that it brought me. One thing was the schedule and freedom. I was able to work a couple days a month and had so much free time for myself and time to see others.

That rocks.

Another thing that I liked was the different types of people I met. Just like, I don't know, it was cool to connect with people. I got to learn about my sexuality and my scene partners got to learn about their sexuality. We got to learn about each other’s sexuality. That kind of openness is like not shared so often beyond romantic or strictly sexual partners. I mean, for me, personally I enjoyed confirming that I was bisexual by shooting lesbian scenes. I figured out I liked a lot of different stuff. But mostly the biggest one was that I’m bisexual.

What was memorable was how passionate people were. The performers especially took pride in their work and worked very hard. Just like any part of the entertainment industry people would have crazy workout regimes and diets. Performers would practice what they wanted to do on camera. They invested in their wardrobe. Performers had good relationships with directors which got them more work (I mean friendships not sexual). And the directors put in long hours and lots of effort. A lot of performers were on call at all times meaning their agent could call them any day and they would go do a scene. I did that a lot. Porn taught me how to be a hard worker.

That sounds special and a lot less stressful than keeping up appearances in the way you have to do while working in a restaurant. It’s physically exhausting to keep a smile on for all the eaters. It’s like restaurant workers are the ultimate vibe curators. Let’s back up some. What was growing up like? Were you close with your family?

My mother always said I had a talent to wear what’s going to be in style before it is. And in Pennsylvania, where I grew up, people didn’t know trends. Not like they do in New York and London. I’ve been parting my hair in the middle since middle school. People made fun of me for it back then but now it’s totally in.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was very religious and traditional. People also said the strangest things. My favorite was once in school when a teacher was asking us students to name every continent and one boy said, “Texas.” He actually thought it was a continent. Another time a teacher asked us to share about our families and a boy told a story of his lineage and the teacher asked “what side of the family is that from?” And he answered “the left side of the family.”

No way. I totally recognize that kind of mixed up language-speak. I went to middle school and high school near Lancaster and I recently spent some time out there. It’s quite a provincial place and I think those of us that leave it still have a close relationship to its funny language-speak. M. Night Shyamalan, Taylor Swift, Jonathan Groff, Pink.

I really didn't love it but I've grown to appreciate it. What were you doing there?

Hanging out with my sister. Jumping into therapy. Writing some fiction. I’d wake up every morning to a hot pot of Wawa coffee and watch the horse and buggy of Amish and Mennonite children roll down the street. You always know they're coming because you hear the horse’s trot: clip-clop, clip-clop.

And there’s horseshit, like, everywhere. What were you writing?

I’m trying to tell a story where a bunch of characters take Viagra all the time. It’s funny that it’s a drug that redirects blood flow. There’s something sort of vampiric about it. At one point in the story, a character's vision goes totally blue, it’s called cyanopsia. It’s a bewildering side effect of Viagra.

Sounds so fun.

I had this realization a few years ago that so many people take it. Someone’s dad, their daddy, or a trans dude; a John or his hustler; a doll or a porn star. I know some cis girls that take it with their boyfriends, too. They have weekend-long bedroom adventures.

I was gonna say Viagra is really popular in the adult film industry.

Yeah. What is your experience with it?

I remember guys that were new to the industry would show up on set and they would take it. They would be so nervous that it still wouldn't work and their face would get really, really red. They would be really sweaty, too.

Did you ever get nervous while on set?

I wouldn’t really ever get nervous. I guess, maybe, I would get nervous with higher-end porn. I would get kind of nervous that I wasn’t gonna perform well enough for the bigger scenes for the more popular companies. I was nervous but I was also, like, excited.

Were there co-workers were you really excited to work with?

My favorite male actor was probably Small Hands and my favorite female actor was probably Lola Faye.

Small Hands is pretty sexy. Guys covered head-to-toe in tattoos get it: Boomer Banks, Big Harry, Jack Delany. There’s something about being so visually marked up that translates to me as fleshy vulnerability. I don’t know. Do you miss porn at all?

I guess so. What I miss about the adult film industry is that it was always going on. You didn’t have to wait so long between work. Like, that industry is always happening. It’s not like filming a movie or walking Fashion Week. Currently, I have a lot of free time between things.

What have you been doing with your free time?

I’m reading Happy Go Lucky by David Sedaris. David Sedaris is my favorite author. I’ve been making art. I've been hanging out with friends and hiking. I just got a dog so I’ve been taking care of him.

What kind of dog?

I got a Dalmatian.

What's his name? I imagine him being a nice companion when out picketing.

His name is Domino. He is really nice.

Domino: tall and thin with beautiful ink spots. Tell me a little about art-making.

I make collages. There’s this discontinued magazine called Penthouse Forum Magazine from the 2000s, and it has really raunchy stuff in it. My dream is to have people send me their songs while they're in the studio making albums. Then, I can make a collage based on the songs they send.

Totally. Would Shygirl or 100 gecs or wait even like Charli XCX send you stuff? You could do one of their next album covers or something.

Yeah, that'd be so fun.

What do you have coming up?

Mostly working a lot. I have a few indie movies that I am working on so there’s a lot of shooting in the coming months.

Do you have to travel for the shoots?

Yeah. We’re shooting in London, New Mexico, Rome, and Greece. I really hope things get worked out and the writers get paid fairly soon. Also, I hope that actors get paid fairly, too. Actors don’t get paid what they used to get paid. Many actors can’t get by on just acting anymore. It’s pretty crazy.

How has your summer been?

It’s been fine. I guess I want to talk a little about Angus. I really miss him. He is missed by so many people. It’s really sad.

I’m sorry. It must have been quite a shock. You guys were fairly close?

It was really shocking. When I first heard about it I thought it was fake news. I was like this is fake news, like, there’s no way that can happen. It has been really hard. He was one of my closest coworkers and confidantes during that time. It's like a special thing that happens, you know, when you get to know someone like that.

The experience of loss or grief distorts stuff like so much. Things slip. Interactions have a sudden scripted quality to them. People you know get quiet and quiet people speak at you, for you. Loss or grief doubles up inside you in this way. After experiencing bouts of loss or grief, I’ve reminded myself to slow time down a little and be present, especially with friends. Take a second cigarette. Give a sixty second hug. Talk in bed with someone you love for three hours straight. Eat all day, dance all night. It’s good to make people feel good. People love to feel good.

Yeah, it's really important. I've been trying to be better about keeping closeness and being in contact with people. It’s so easy to forget.

What’s now, what’s next?

Right now it’s three indie movies. But, we’re waiting.

If you commit to the bit, babe, you’ve got it. Do you have any dream roles? Or, is there anyone you’d want to play in a biopic?

I would love to play Dolly Parton.

Absolutely.

Playing her would be a dream. She’s like nobody else. She’s so cool. I know about her lore, you know? It’s interesting.

I see. What kind of music are you listening to right now?

I'm listening to Tommy Genesis. I’m listening to Frank Ocean and Baby Keem. I’m listening to Padam Padam by Kylie Minogue. Oh, and 100 gecs.

They’re so good. What about you? Would you ever do an EP or album? That process of collaborative art making seems up your alley.

I’m actually working on a song with this NYC artist Blaketheman1000. He’s really talented and he thinks I should do an EP or album. But, I’m not sure yet if I will. I think I’m decent at writing lyrics and poems but not very musically skilled in a technical way.

Tell me about the poems.

I used to write poetry back in high school. I wrote this one:

This is an apology to us both
For how much I loathe you and lost your trust You told me "use this as a chance for growth" Now it's all interplanetary dust
I told you I was drowning in darkness

Just looking at you felt sensational
Until you became nothing but harshness
You were never even motivational

I can't help myself from adoring you

Your kisses used to feel like warm honey

You once turned so cold out of the blue

Then you gave me up like ransom money With a kind heart and soft facial features

You turned into the cruelest creature

That was after my boyfriend and I broke up. He went away to college and of course it was too hard to keep dating at that point.

There’s always that one relationship that ends because of “bad timing.” Which, in a way, is its own self-fulfilling prophecy. Timing isn’t something that can be so easily pinned down with dualistic thinking. I.e. good timing, bad timing, yada yada. You can’t really plan ahead for things like girlfriends, boyfriends, and other types of best friends.

That poem really summed up my feelings on it. Then I fell in love again and wrote this for someone while I was with them;

To the wonderful love of my life
Your face and body is prepossessing 

Someday I'll be your adoring wife 

Our situation may seem depressing 

But soon we will have a glorious life 

With my darling zest for adventure

And your brilliant mind and soul 

We will spend our lives together 

Our love becoming celestial
I know your joy feels obliterated 

Soon it will not feel that same way 

As if sadness was inoculated

And I'll be there with a floral bouquet 

Because these days will happen to you 

But I will always help you pull through

Later in life I turned my poetry into songs. I have music on SoundCloud because I mostly make it just for myself to hear. My favorite song of mine on SoundCloud is my song “come through.” It’s about me and also about my best friend and my ex-boyfriend who has become my emotional support ex-boyfriend; he has never left my life since we met at 19. I met him in LA when I was 18. Both him and another ex told me to go to Miami and follow my dreams. They both played huge roles in helping me become more confident. Now we’re 26.

It’s grounding to have someone who knows you from one chapter of your life and then they pop up or stay with you into another chapter. It doesn’t always work out that way. I have someone like that who recently came back into my life. He was my first boyfriend and he was able to shine some lights on pretty dark things around me. It was nice to be reminded of that luminosity, to be seen through. I sometimes wish we had some more words that describe the different ways of relating or kinds of relationships we have with certain people. I mean “Ex” can feel too big and broad. “Boyfriend” can feel constraining. “Lover” is too plastic, slippery. I want more language-speak. Like, more words for specific kinds of connections makes so much sense.

I say in that song “if you wanna come back / I would tell you come through / it’s an ordinary task / like fixing up some food,” which isn’t necessarily true it just… sounds good.

Well, yes. Playing the “what if...” game always makes for good storytelling. Let’s plan to chat again soon.

Right now I'm filming a movie that has its SAG Interim Agreement, so the weekend is best!