This past weekend, Sasha Grey, a 23-year-old actress, photographer, model, and performing artist from North Highlands, California traveled to Louisville to watch the Kentucky Derby in person for the first time.
Sasha was primarily in town to make an appearance at 4th Street Live!, and admits she wasn't sure if she would make it to Churchill Downs Saturday, but said she was excited to wear her Derby Hat.
Sasha said, "I plan on [going to the Derby], but you never know what may happen when you're in a city for only 36 hours, but I've got my Derby hat ready!"
This wasn't Sasha's first Kentucky Derby experience. Sasha says she has never been in person, but Grey says that she has watched the Bluegrass leg of the Triple Crown many times.
Sasha said, "I watched [The Kentucky Derby] many times as a kid, with my grandfather."Sasha Grey stayed at Louisville's 21c, voted #1 Hotel in the U.S. and #6 in the World by Conde Nast. I asked her where she planned to eat while she was in town, realizing that staying at 21c, it really isn't necessary to go anywhere to get a first class meal. Sasha said that the room service would probably be her first go-to, but added that she wanted to get out and try some of Louisville's famous restaurants.
Grey said, "Unfortunately, my hotel room service [is my first choice]! I do hope to make it to Lynn's Paradise Cafe or at the very least, Maker's Mark Bourbon Lounge."As a former porn star, Grey has already conquered the Adult Film scene with 15 various awards, and has since transitioned out of the porn industry into acting.
She received warm reviews for her acting performance in the experimental drama "The Girlfriend Experience". GFE was written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, who wrote Oceans Thirteen.
Grey also played a supporting role in the 7th season of HBO's Entourage, acting alongside the lead character "Vince"; Sasha’s character was a fictional version of herself.
Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun-Times commented on Grey's portrayal of Chelsea, the character she played in GFE. Ebert said, "Once she allows her mask to slip: a surprising moment when she reveals what she may feel. Grey perfectly conveys both her hope and her disappointment, keeping both within boundaries."
Sasha seems poised to continue her acting ambition, saying that she plans to focus on her acting and writing projects. Sasha said, "I'm putting all of my energy into acting, and developing screenplays along the way."
Yet, Sasha's talents as a photographer have been long apparent. She recently showcased some of her work publicly for the first time and received lots of positive feedback.
Sasha recently finished a four year photography project "Neü Sex". The recently published book has received four out of five stars on Amazon.com and builds upon her ambitions as a professional photographer, something she didn't take seriously until 2006.
Sasha said, “I’ve always liked [photography], but when I started taking it seriously back in 2006, I started showing my work for the first time and received a great response; naturally, this encouraged and inspired me to do more."