LOS ANGELES — Anton Harden tells AVN the past year has been about pushing himself to become a better performer on and off the set.
The 26-year-old contract stud for Vixen Media Group is a finalist for the Best Male Newcomer trophy at the 2022 AVN Awards on Jan. 22, thanks to an eventful year of major-league performances for Blacked.com, BlackedRaw and Deeper.
“It really means a lot,” Harden says. “First of all, it’s an honor even being a part of the industry. Even getting a chance to be here and do the work is amazing.”
It didn’t matter if it was one or two girls—a fast-rising newbie or a seasoned porn superstar as his scene partner for the day—when it was time for action, the soft-spoken Harden delivered.
He thanks the team at VMG for “giving me a chance.”
“For teaching me the ropes, the techniques, the camera angles—teaching me all the stuff that it takes to become a better performer,” says Harden, who grew up in Charlotte, N.C. and moved to Atlanta before his junior year of high school.
A former computer science major who worked at a Lenscrafters warehouse in Atlanta and also at Chik-fil-A for more than two years before adult, Harden says his first full year in the business has been “a challenge”—but in a good way.
“It took some adjusting to get used to—not even just performing on camera, just the behind-the-scenes stuff. This is like running a business and they don’t tell you that stuff when you’re watching videos at home with your bottle of lotion. It’s a lot,” Harden says with a laugh.
“I’ve been fortunate to have a company like Vixen behind me, helping me and believing in me. All the performers I’ve been working with have been great. I love everybody I worked with, I love everybody in the community. Congrats to the other male performers also nominated for Newcomer as well.”
Harden also is riding into January with a nomination for Best Gangbang Scene for his contribution to Influence Emily Willis Part 4, a Blacked/VMG production that co-stars Rob Piper, Isiah Maxwell, Tee Reel and Willis, the 2021 AVN Female Performer of the Year.
His big break last year someday may be the stuff of legend. Determined to prove himself, he reached out to superstar performer Vicki Chase—more than once—through social media and Chase finally decided to give him a test drive in August 2020.
Vicki, the 2015 AVN Award-winner for Best Oral Sex Scene and February AVN cover girl, took a road trip to Atlanta and tried out Harden for her OnlyFans content.
Suffice it to say the “audition” with Chase in an Atlanta hotel room went well. Now about 100 professional scenes later, Harden is well established as exclusive talent for one of the top adult studios in the world with bookings that will take him all the way through 2022.
“When I go back to look at my first videos I see that I had the raw skill, but I just wasn’t polished with the camera angles or positioning or the timing,” says Harden, who shouted out VMG directors Derek Dozer, Laurent Sky and Kayden Kross for their guidance in the past year. “Now I know the ins and outs. I get in there and I know this angle is going to be popular, that this is what the fans want.
“Also I’ve just matured a lot inside. I’m ready to go out there and shoot with anybody and everybody.”
A student of the game, Harden says when he watches his scenes later that sometimes he’ll slide into the comments section and reply to the fans.
“Mostly it’s like homework,” he adds.
But when he's not performing Harden says he’s not someone who checks social media all the time despite already having 44,000-plus followers on his second Twitter account at press time.
“I’d rather stay in my lane, work for my company and do my thing,” Harden says.
“Everybody’s doing their own thing and it’s easier to get distracted by what other people are doing. I’m not saying I’m not friendly, I just separate myself from it all. It’s somewhat hard being in the industry and keeping your mind regular. It takes a lot of work.”
He says some of his most challenging—and rewarding scenes—so far have come when he steps onto set for Deeper, where the dialogue and setups often are more elaborate before the sex begins.
“I’d probably say one of my favorites is shooting for Deeper. They focus more on acting and roles and lines,” Harden says.
His scene with Lulu Chu in Kayden Kross’s Muse 2, “What We Have Lost,” so far has earned a terrific 9.4 rating on Deeper.
“It just did way better than I even expected it to for a site that’s for acting and theatre and not just based on being Black,” Harden says. “It just surprised me. I’m so glad it did so well. I’m breaking that wall… I can be the BBC guy, the Blacked.com guy, but I want to do other stuff, too.”
Harden comes prepared knowing that every day on set brings different challenges.
“Sometimes you have sets that could be cold. I’ve shot in freezing cold and I’ve shot in sun rooms in the burning heat in Beverly Hills… It shapes you. It shapes your skills and what to expect when you get to set, which I think has been making me a better performer,” says Harden, who shoots at least two or three scenes every week.
His off-the-set regimen includes running, working out at the gym and eating a lot of protein.
“I’ve definitely kicked it up a notch in the gym,” Harden says. “I’m doing what it takes to build the performer body.”
He prefers road work at nighttime but sometimes he’ll jog on the treadmill while listening to NBA YoungBoy, The Devil Wears Prada and We Came As Romans, among other artists.
Harden will be getting his passport in 2022 with plans for a European trip to work with VMG producer/director Julia Grandi’s talented crew.
“Other than being a software developer for iOS apps this is the second best dream job—being a top-class porn star—I just love it,” Harden says. “I love going to work, the money is good, I’m just good.”
He adds that “probably my favorite thing is just trying to see how I can change it up.”
“With everybody I can do something a little different,” Anton reasons. “I don’t want to be one of those stagnant performers, like I know what he’s going to do… I like mixing it up, meeting new people, having them mesh ideas. Kenzie Reeves is really good at that. She’ll throw out some ideas and we’ll put that in there. The creativity is my favorite.”
Plus the family support he receives means the world to him.
“I was just back home a few weeks ago for Thanksgiving… My brothers, they still crack on me,” Harden jokes. “The love is there… My mom is above and beyond the clouds for me—that’s support. I tell her that all this is just for us to live a better a life in the end. I do love my job and it’s fun but in the end I want to take care of my mom, buy a nice house and have family security and such.”
