Texas native Jessica Drake was a dancer in an El Paso strip club that often featured porn stars, and she would watch them and think that she could do it better. She spoke with friends who were involved in the adult-film industry and eventually decided to give it a try herself. She made her first film in 2000, and that year was nominated for Best New Starlet at the AVN Awards. In addition to her work in hardcore, she has also appeared in quite a few "softcore" films made for cable TV and has made guest appearances on several TV series. In 2003 she signed an exclusive contract with Wicked Pictures.