Fresh Faces: Tomie Tang

A version of this feature appears in the August issue of AVN magazine. Click here for the digital edition. LOS ANGELES—Tomie Tang tells AVN she may be new to studio porn, but she’s no stranger to creating adult content. The Korean American performer started making “sex tapes” during quarantine in 2020 and has performed in more than 100 scenes for her fan sites in the past two-and-a-half years. “When everyone started quarantining in 2020, the clubs closed, and I lost my other jobs, too,” Tang explains. “I had to figure out something quickly. I had worked at the strip club with my friends Sidney Summers and Emma Magnolia, and when the clubs closed, they both hopped on OnlyFans right away and strongly encouraged me to do the same. “It took me some time to get comfortable with the idea, but eventually, I started in August 2020, and I've never looked back!” Tang at press time had completed four studio scenes—two for Reality Kings, one for Mofos, and one for the queer indie studio Crashpad—with plans to do many more. Now represented by Nexxxt Level Talent, Tomie says she has always loved storytelling and connecting with people—which inspired her to go for it in adult. “That's why I spent a lot of time writing and initially pursued a career in journalism,” says Tang, who is a former NPR reporter. “I'm interested in evoking powerful emotions and experiences from an audience. Adult entertainment can also be a platform for artistic expression, with its own unique themes and subjects. “I also saw a chance to challenge societal norms and stigmas, explore diverse and unique sexual experiences, and bring my own individuality to a rapidly evolving industry.” She describes herself as someone who is always trying to find humor in any situation. “I'm pretty laid back and open-minded—I go with the flow of things and like to stay curious about other peoples' experiences and perspectives,” Tomie says. “I would say that while I'm very playful, fun-loving, and social, I'm pretty introspective, and I really value solitary activities and recharging in my own space.” When Tang performs, she sets out to convey a blend of “sensuality, authenticity and open-mindedness.” “My main goal is to create a genuine connection with my audience and show off my individuality,” she says. “I also believe in embracing diversity and inclusivity and celebrating the uniqueness of each individual.” Tang says one of her favorite scenes so far is an orgy she did with four transgender women and two cis men. “They all came inside me,” Tomie reveals. “It was an exhilarating, incredibly sexy experience. I had never taken so many creampies at once before. It was super hot, and I felt blissfully submissive.” She continues, “I also love working with trans women, and I feel honored to have co-starred with so many baddies! One of my co-stars was my friend Leilani Li—I always enjoy working with people I already hang out with in real life.” The performer tells AVN what she likes most about her career choice is the people. “I love that I always meet incredible people in the adult industry and learn amazing things from them,” Tomie explains. “The adult industry gives me many opportunities to come out of my comfort zone and have unique, memorable experiences. I feel like working in the adult industry made me more sexually confident and in touch with my own sexuality and sexual desires.” Tang tells AVN she was born in Mississippi to a Korean mother and an American father in the U.S. Air Force. When she was just few months old, her father was deployed to Korea, so her whole family moved there. “I was raised in South Korea until I was 6, moved back to the U.S. for four years, then moved back to South Korea until I was 16, before returning to the U.S. again to finish high school and college,” Tomie, 25, explains. “So, I’m American-born but was essentially raised in both countries.” She worked at a lot of jobs before adult, including as a part-time resident assistant at a shelter for unhoused people, a radio host, news reporter, and dancing at a strip club on the weekends. Tomie studied journalism in college, leading to an internship at her local NPR affiliate station. Tang excelled in the role, earning a paid position as a part-time host and reporter. “I really enjoyed having the opportunity to interview so many different people and learn about a variety of issues and topics,” Tomie says. “I picked up a lot of skills on the job, like script-writing, audio editing, and operating audio and recording equipment. “I was told that while my writing and research skills were excellent and I had a great voice for radio hosting, I was too opinionated and struggled with the tight deadlines and strict standards of professionalism in the newsroom. “My time as a reporter was incredibly rewarding, but I walked away knowing the newsroom wasn’t for me. I do feel like my communications and journalism experience really helped me succeed in building my career in adult entertainment.” An only child, Tang says she spent a lot time home alone reading, writing, playing video games, watching movies and TV series. And that led to her getting involved in “fandoms." "I was definitely considered a nerdy or geeky type of girl in high school,” she admits. “I feel like anime and manga weren't considered very niche where I grew up. It's pretty mainstream in East Asia, even outside of Japan, so I just grew up watching it. “I think I always appreciated excellent fiction and even spent some time writing creatively when I was young.” She immersed herself in novels, movies, TV shows, and anime. “Good stories with memorable characters, fascinating worlds, and themes excite me, especially if they tug at my heartstrings,” Tomie explains. “I love classic 90s anime especially, and my fave sub-genres are science-fiction, historical fantasy and magical girl. Revolutionary Girl Utena is my number one fave.”