A former top nude model, petite Leanni Lei had been thinking about getting into the adult-film business for some time before she actually did in 1997, and soon became a favorite of fans who were enamored with her wide eyes, beautiful smile, terrific body and enthusiastic performances. She left the business for a while after getting a case of burnout, but came back in 1999 and has been going strong ever since.

"I left last time, to go back to college and I also left because I was getting tired of the business. It wasn't fun for me. When I first got into the business, it was more as a fan. I was thrilled to be working with all these people. Then it became a business, which of course, it is, and should be. But I wasn't having fun. I was coming to work being Leanni Lei, porn star, not Leanni Lei, girl having fun, excited about having sex. I got sick of it. I started doing features, and doing promotion, having to actually be a porn star and having to kind of pretend to be some nympho. I'm not a nympho. Don't get me wrong, I love sex, but I love sex when the magic is there. So, I was getting sick of it and went back to college, pretty sure I was done. I had a lot of time to think about it over the year and I got back into town four days ago with a new attitude. Some people may not want to hear this, but it's the honest truth. I am doing porno for the money because I am trying to pay my tuition, but, and I mean this, I still enjoy doing this. As long as I get to work with good people, I still enjoy the sex. I am not going to do scenes I don't enjoy. You are not going to see me doing scenes just for the money. Does that make sense?" (June 1999)