Taija Rae, born Tianna O’Keefe Reilly on January 29, 1962, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, grew up in a middle-class Irish family with little documented about her early life beyond participating in her high school drama club and school newspaper, per IMDb. Of Caucasian descent, she worked as a cocktail waitress before entering the adult film industry in 1983 at age 21, discovered by Philadelphia talent firm Lynx Management. Her stage name, pronounced Tayzh-a, came from an Asian cocktail waitress she worked with, and Rae was a tribute to Fay Wray, actress in King Kong, per Boobpedia. She debuted in Dangerous Stuff and Scenes They Wouldn’t Let Me Shoot (1983), filmed the same weekend, and appeared in over 170 films, per IAFD, working with studios like VCA, Caballero Home Video, and Western Visuals. Notable films include She’s So Fine! (1985), Star Angel (1986), Good Girls, Bad Girls (1984), and Taboo American Style: The Ruthless Beginning (1985), with her performances in Driller (1984) and Talk Dirty to Me 4 (1986) praised for their intensity and acting. Rae still lived on the East Coast and would spend a few months in Los Angeles every year filming. She was popular for her natural baby fat and youthful look. In 1986, she moved to Los Angeles, lost weight, and dyed her hair blonde, enhancing her career.