Briana Banks

Briana Banks (born 21 May 1978) is a German pornographic actress and model. She was the Penthouse Pet of the Month for June 2001. She is a member of the AVN Hall of Fame and XRCO Hall of Fame.

Early life Banks was born in Munich, Germany to a German father and an American mother. They moved to Britain when she was four, then to the Los Angeles suburb of Simi Valley when she was seven. She entered the industry under the name "Mirage", but began calling herself "Briana Banks" in 1999, after having the first of two breast enlargement operations. Having had aspirations of being a supermodel, she chose the professional surname "Banks" after model Tyra Banks. Her first appearance using the new name was in the film Decadent Whores 9.

In June 2001, Banks was Penthouse magazine's Pet of the Month.

On 13 October 2006, Banks reportedly filed a federal lawsuit seeking more than US$75,000 in damages against Doc Johnson Enterprises, charging that they had created unauthorized products from molds of her genitals.

Starting in 2006, Banks went on hiatus from performing in videos and returned in 2008. That same year she was also nominated for five AVN Awards at the 25th annual Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas.

In 2009, she was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame. Banks portrayed the character of Francine Smith and was featured on the video's box cover. The video was released in September 2011.

On 28 December 2015 Briana Banks announced that she was making a comeback in 2016 after a 5-year hiatus. The same year she was inducted into the XRCO Hall of Fame.

Appearances Banks was featured in the thirteen episode cable television series Vivid Valley produced by World of Wonder that was broadcast in Europe in 2005 and later had a successful run on Playboy TV. The series featured stories about the real lives of then Vivid Girls Jenna Jameson, Savanna Samson, Mercedez, Tawny Roberts, Banks, and others.

Other ventures In 2002 Banks was one of the first porn actresses to have an action figure made in her likeness, by Los Angeles-based Cyber F/X and Sota Toys.

Awards and nominations Year Ceremony Result Category Work 2001 AVN Award Most Outrageous Sex Scene (with Mark Cummings) Perverted Stories 28 Hot d'Or Award Best New American Starlet NightMoves Award Best New Starlet (Fan's Choice) XRCO Award Starlet of the Year Orgasmic Oralist 2002 AVN Award Best Group Sex Scene - Film (with Lola, Aurora Snow & Joey Ray) Taboo 2001 Best Group Sex Scene - Video (with Justine Romee & Joel Lawrence) My Plaything Jenna Jameson 2003 AVN Award Female Performer of the Year Best Group Sex Scene - Film (with Chandler, Michele Raven, Cheyne Collins, Dale DaBone & Pat Myne) AFWG Award Best All-Girl Sex Scene - Video (with Jenna Jameson) 2004 AVN Award Best Supporting Actress - Video Tricks 2005 Exotic Dancer Award Adult Movie Feature 2006 AVN Award Crossover Star of the Year 2007 AVN Award Contract Star of the Year Vivid Entertainment 2008 AVN Award Best Actress – Film Layout Best All-Girl Sex Scene - Film (with Penny Flame) Where the Boys Aren't 19: Arabian Nights Best Anal Sex Scene (with Manuel Ferrara) 2010 AVN Award Best Double Penetration Sex Scene (with Ben English & Otto Bauer)Flashback 2016XRCO Award Hall of Fame