Ryder Skye

Early life

Skye was born in the San Fernando Valley portion of Los Angeles, California, is an only child, and is of Japanese and Caucasian (English, Russian, and Norwegian) descent whose career background has centered around screen acting, where she trained for over 15 years. Skye has called her start in adult video as "unexpected."

Her father owned a company that made mechanical dinosaurs where she ended up working. She has also worked in retail and as a waitress. Later Skye worked at a company called Arts and Entertainment as a junior account analyst and annuities representative and was promoted three times. She also worked for a large toy company as a Design Assistant then moved into marketing.

Career

Skye is known in the adult industry for her appearance in feature titles, including movies for Brazzers, Hustler Video, Penthouse Video, Wicked Pictures and Vivid Entertainment. She also had a toy modeled from her own body by Topco, an adult toy company.

In 2013, upon her return from a break from the industry, Skye began representing herself and scheduling her own bookings.

Other ventures

In 2001, Skye opened an online store (Purely Skye Designs) which featured original handcrafted jewelry and accessories. In 2013, she partnered up to start a new company, Shameless Shirts (formerly RatedXTeez), where she designs screen printed T-shirts with explicit sayings on them. The apparel company has since ceased regular operation, but she still produces items on demand.

Advocacy

Skye identifies as a sex-positive feminist, supporting pornography. She has said in the past: "I feel that the majority of feminists, particularly conservative or radical ones have lost track of the true definition of what feminism is. It's as if they are lost in the idea that women are not sexual creatures just as men, but instead victims to sexuality in general".

Appearances

Members of the bands L.A. Guns, W.A.S.P., White Lion and Black Line appeared at Skye's birthday at the Universal CityWalk in 2007. She was a frequent co-host of adult personality Tony Batman's A! Entertainment.

Skye was featured in the 2008 movie Sex and the City, where she appeared with fellow adult actress Roxy DeVille and mainstream actor Gilles Marini. She was featured twice as an extra in Dexter, appeared on Entertainment Tonight for her Gilligan's Island Adult Parody, and on the Maury Povich show. In 2009, she was cast as a featured extra in Pimpin' Pee Wee, a comedy by cult film director Brian Trenchard-Smith and based on the 1982 film Porky's, and, in 2011, she had a small role in the documentary style film Cinema Salvation.

In 2014 Skye was featured in the music video for A. Gully's song Or Nah.

Personal life

Skye is an alumnus of San Diego State University and working toward her degree in women's studies with a minor in human sexuality. After graduating from college and when her adult career is over, she plans on going to graduate school to become a marriage counselor and sex therapist.

She has been married and divorced and credits a visit to a strip club with her ex-husband as the inspiration for entering the adult industry, starting out first as a nude model and a stripper. Skye stated in an interview that about two years into her career she revealed to her mother and step-father about working in the adult industry and that it was received in a positive manner.

Skye volunteers by participating in food sorting for AIDS Project LA, a meal food service at the Union Rescue Mission.

In 2009 Skye was diagnosed with throat cancer that required surgery which prompted her first break from working in the industry. She was also going through a divorce and returned to the industry in 2011. Starting in 2012, Ryder took another break from the adult industry that lasted roughly a year and a half. During that absence, she also had breast augmentation surgery to increase her bust to a size of 32DDD/F.

Awards and nominations