ENCINO, Calif.—After five years in business, Lisa Ann will be closing her eponymous talent agency on July 1, she told AVN exclusively.
With her own career reaching epic heights since the release of Hustler Video’s Nailin’ Paylin in 2008, an event she called a “game changer,” Lisa Ann thought it would be best to step away from the agency she created instead of having to be pulled in different directions and not give the agency the personal attention it needed to thrive.
“I didn’t really expect my career to take off like it has in the past three to four years,” Lisa Ann told AVN from Portland, Maine, where she’s feature dancing. “I’m at this point where I’ve got a few years left [performing] and I really want to make the most of it. I love the business more than I ever have.
“I love doing my scenes, I love feature dancing and I was faced with a time crunch and some major decisions; some mainstream projects and other endeavors came up that I wanted to pursue and I realized I couldn’t give enough of myself to the agency. It would be unfair to not give it my all and I’d be doing an injustice to myself, my staff and my talent.”
One opportunity that came her way recently was playing Barbara Hershey’s stunt double for the upcoming Darren Aronofsky-directed feature film, The Black Swan—and she’ll be able to pursue similar opportunities now with vigor, comforted by knowing that she’ll have the time.
Lisa Ann spent the past few days informing her talent of the agency’s closure and is recommending they move over to Vangard Talent, a new agency formed by Darby, a former agent with LA Direct Models.
“I think it’s going to be a great boost for Darby, just like I believe Lighthouse was a great boost for my business, so I want to share that feeling with him,” Lisa Ann said, referring to the benefit her agency received when it merged with Seymore Butts’ Lighthouse Talent.
Talent immediately moving over to Vangard includes Nina Hartley, Kendra Secrets, Sasha Sky, Darla Drane, Sinamon Love, Vannah Sterling, JR Carrington, Kora Peters, Morgan Ray, Brittany Blaze, Phyllisha Anne, Sincere Lamour, Kelly Leigh, Eva, Anjonette Astoria, Liz Black, John Espisido, Herschel Savage and Chad Diamond.
She also believes that some of her top-tier talent can start booking themselves.
“In this economy a booking fee could be holding some talent back from getting booked,” she said. “Production companies are trying to cut back and this could help a little bit.”
Looking back on her five years running her own business and serving as an adult talent agent, Lisa Ann will most miss the one-on-one interaction she had guiding her talents’ careers and seeing them succeed, knowing she had a hand in their success.
“I really took a lot of joy in seeing my clients be happy and successful,” she said. “As an agent that’s what we want for our talent. I wanted to give good advice, advance their careers and help them lead fulfilling lives. I’ll miss that interaction as an agent.”
Talent and production companies wishing to contact Lisa Ann can do so via email at [email protected].
