Fresh Faces: Jena LaRose

A version of this feature appeared in the April issue of AVN magazine. Click here for the digital edition. LOS ANGELES—Sometimes Jena LaRose gets overcome with emotion thinking about the past few months since her adult industry debut. "It makes me want to cry,” Jena says. “I didn’t expect all of this and I’m very thankful. “I’m thankful to be where I’m at because it’s a big leap and you don’t know if it’s going to go well. But you’re never going to know until you do it.” It’s safe to say things are going quite well for LaRose, the Air Force veteran who grew up in North Pole, Alaska. Represented exclusively for bookings by John O’Byrne’s East Coast Talent, she already has worked for Brazzers in a scene with Van Wylde called “Your Wife Deserves a Good Massage” and in March had another ZZ scene booked with AVN Hall of Fame performer Keiran Lee. “I’ve been a fan of Brazzers and John asked me what is my goal? And I said to work for Brazzers and he made that happen. I cried flying over there [to Las Vegas]. I never in my life thought I’d be working for Brazzers. I was like, this is crazy, I’m really here.” She adds, “Everyone I’ve met in this industry has been very welcoming. It really does feel like it’s a family. “I joined the industry at a late age. I’m mature. I know in my heart this is what I want to do.” Born in Fairbanks, Alaska, and raised in North Pole, she moved to Baker City, Oregon, toward the end of her 8th grade year before returning to Fairbanks during her junior year. LaRose worked as a Fitness Specialist in the U.S. Air Force, managing PT scores, PT sessions and on-base activities, among other duties. She was stationed in Minot, North Dakota for four years. “I enjoyed it for a certain amount of my life. It was something I’ve always wanted to do and I achieved that and now I’m ready for new beginnings,” says LaRose, who had considered getting into porn when she was 18 before joining the military. Jena completed her service on January 25, 2022, and then drove straight to California, living in the Mojave Desert. “That was the first place I could find and the cheapest, but in my heart I always wanted to live in California,” she says. She would commute to L.A. to dance at various gentlemen’s clubs for about a year. After East Coast reached out on her social media platforms, she took her time with the decision, waiting six months before deciding to do it. “Everything has changed, it really has,” she says. “I come from a rough background, and I feel like this has given me so much more opportunity to be a better person. When I work I do give my all. I show up with the best attitude and make it known that I’m here to work.” LaRose’s first booking for BackroomCastingCouch in Arizona—on January 3—led to six scenes with the same company because they liked her positive vibes and her performing so much. “They told me to never change my personality,” Jena says. LaRose also has worked for Maestro Claudio’s PervCity—with AVN Award-winning star Tommy Pistol—and top content creators such as Mr. Lucky and the notorious Johnny Sins, who has won the Fan-Voted AVN Award for Favorite Male Porn Star a record seven consecutive times (2017-23). “I was surprised that he wanted to fuck me,” Jena admits. “I told him, ‘I have like 2000 followers.’ He said he doesn’t care about followers. I was shocked, I was trying so hard not to act like a fan girl. I feel like it went very well. He said it looks hot.”On the day of her AVN interview in late March, she was on set for Nubiles, doing her first stepmother-themed scene with Ricky Spanish. “I cannot believe how young he looks,” Jena jokes. “I was his stepmom. I didn’t even know I looked old enough to play that part, but it was fun.” After a military news website picked up on her porn career, it didn’t take long for fans to request that she work with fellow military vet and AVN Award-winner, Will Pounder. “Oh my god, when the article dropped on the military thing, everyone was tagging me and telling me on my posts that Will and I need to collab because he was a marine,” she says. “Then two days later, we had a booking with Hustler.” LaRose attended her first AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in January in Las Vegas, meeting Kehlani, who headlined the 40th annual AVN Awards Show, on the floor of the Expo. “I really like her vibe,” says Jena, who got a photo with the multi-platinum recording artist. LaRose came up with her stage name after asking for ideas on her personal Snapchat, where she had developed a significant following before she ever stepped onto a porn set. “Some girl sent me the name 'Jena LaRose' and I just fell in love with it,” the performer says. She reveals that veteran star Reagan Foxx was one of her first followers on social media. “She’s so sweet to me,” Jena says. “She wants to create content eventually. That’s crazy to me.” Jena met the AVN Hall of Fame performer and author Lisa Ann at the AVNs, saying that Ann encouraged her to pursue her dreams. “My end goal is to write a book,” Jena says. “She inspired me to do that.” Photography by @romeoprice