Alicia Rio

She began her career in 1992 around age 22, after a brief stint as a stripper, and worked steadily for six years. Standing at 5'2" with an average body, black hair, and brown eyes, she was unmistakable. Her inner right ankle bore a tattoo that fans often mentioned. She was openly bisexual, comfortable on camera in solo scenes and with partners of all kinds, often mixing intensity with a playful spark. Her work ranged from softcore glamour to hardcore pairings, and she performed both oral and anal acts with equal enthusiasm.

Rio rose quickly in the 1990s, starring in more than 200 films, including titles like Seymore Butts: In the Love Shack (1992) and Fantasies of Alicia Rio: A Sex Play in Five Acts (1995). In 1995 she won the XRCO Favorite Female Award, and in 2004 she was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame, cementing her status among the decade's top performers. She also modeled for Hustler and Penthouse, worked as a feature dancer, and even reviewed adult films for the Beverly Hills Outlook.

Off camera, Rio's personal life was complicated. She was arrested in 1997 for theft in New York City and served nearly three months in jail. She battled alcoholism, which led her to step away from hardcore porn in 1994, though she returned briefly in 2002 for Elegant Angel, Wicked, and Vivid. She married Steve Houston, whom she later divorced, and after that had a relationship with Lacy Lee. She had no children. Rio passed away in 2022 from complications related to COVID-19, and colleagues remember her warmth and professionalism.