CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Taryn Thomas has been gone from adult a long time. (Well, in porn years, at least.) It was in 2005 that she burned up the scene, earning herself an AVN Award nomination for Best New Starlet and a F.A.M.E. trophy for Dirtiest Girl in Porn.
Not long thereafter, though, she burned out. In the several years to follow, Taryn battled with drugs, depression, bad relationships and a loss of direction. She spoke multiple times of a planned comeback that never materialized. But now, as 2009 enters its twilight, it seems Taryn Thomas just might be on the verge of that long-promised Big Return.
Today, the first release from her self-helmed production company, Taryn It Up Entertainment, arrives in stores, courtesy of distributor Antigua Pictures. Entitled Vogue Nasty, the movie was co-directed by and co-stars Taryn and Poppy Morgan, with Veronica Jett and Bobbi Starr filling out the female lineup.
"Porn was never far from my heart while I was away from the industry," Taryn told AVN. "I did explore a lot of different things while I was gone, but none of them suited me."
Enter her fiancé and Taryn It Up co-founder, Brett T., "a friend of my family's for many years," Taryn said. "His background is in finance and business, and he also owned and operated a very successful entertainment company in the New York City area for a long time. Adult will be a new aspect of the entertainment industry for him that he is very excited to embark on.
"It took us about three months from deciding we definitely wanted to start a company to put all the pieces together and get things going," she continued. "First we needed to figure out what we wanted to shoot, how we wanted to shoot, etcetera. We had to get people in place to work for us such as editors, graphic designers, cameramen, directors and so forth. We also needed to find a good distributor, and we found Antigua Pictures. Everyone at Antigua Pictures is really fantastic—they are like a family over there. So it is the perfect place for Taryn It Up."
The feeling from Antigua is mutual. Said sales manager David Peskin, "She is experienced in the industry and is very excited about the type of product that they're going to be releasing through Taryn It Up Entertainment, and we're just as excited to have the distribution. We feel it fills a void with our lineup here at Antigua."
Peskin praised Taryn both for her command as a performer and her savvy in forming Taryn It Up.
"I think it was no secret in the industry that when Taryn was performing, she was one of the top performers and one of the fiercest performers to come around in a long time," he said. "I was very aware of how incredible all of her titles sold and how quickly she rose to be one of the top girls in the industry. After some time off, she really put together a phenomenal team on the business end and production-wise, and I think it's time for everyone to see not only her performing again and the excitement for her fan base surrounding that, but also Taryn the director and businesswoman."
In the case of Vogue Nasty, as noted earlier, Taryn brought Poppy Morgan aboard to share in the directing duties for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that, "Poppy and I have been friends for many years, since the days when we used to live in [then agent Mark] Spiegler's house together. When we decided to form Taryn It Up, we knew we would need directors other than ourselves. Having Poppy as a director for Taryn It Up will be a very good thing because she is very well known in Europe, and can bring a different type of style to the titles she directs."
Coming up with the name for company's debut release "wasn't the easiest thing to do," Taryn admitted. "I wanted to use the word 'dirty' or 'nasty' in the title, but I couldn't figure out the other name to use. So my fiancé and I pondered it for a while and he came up with Vogue Nasty."
Peskin couldn't have been more impressed with the finished product. "She has a real understanding of what top-quality product is in the adult market," he said. "It's beautifully shot, really high-end, hardcore, hardcore gonzo with an amazing cast."
The future for Taryn Thomas and Taryn It Up Entertainment is looking rather sunny. "At present time, I work out on a daily basis and eat healthy. I am at my goal weight and couldn't be happier about that," Taryn said. "I want to grow with Taryn It Up and let my fans see me grow.
"I think in 10 years, Taryn It Up will be a very viable business, and continuing to push hardcore porn throughout the world, whether it be by DVD, VoD, internet, etcetera. We are here and here to stay."
For a preview of Vogue Nasty, visit www.voguenasty.com. For retail ordering, contact David Peskin at (818) 709-7400 ext. 302 or [email protected].
