LOS ANGELES—Maitland Ward scored an AVN Award in the Best Actress-Featurette category last month in recognition of her leading role in Tushy’s Casting Couch.
The industry star, who wrote and directed the showcase scene, plays a powerful producer who, after years of taking part in demeaning auditions as a working actress, now finds herself in the sweet position of auditioning two up-and-coming actors (Mick Blue, Dante Colle) for a new production of her own.
“My life has become an open book—quite literally—since releasing my memoir, Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me from Hollywood, and now that I am writing and directing scenes myself, I have come to really enjoy sharing these experiences more openly in my work,” said Ward. “Thank you AVN for your acknowledgment and high regard for my abilities with this award, and I want to thank Mick and Dante for their fantastic work in the film as well, and the Tushy production team that helped me bring Casting Couch to life. It’s a special honor, and this recognition is immensely meaningful to me.”
Ward, who kicked off her directing career in 2022 with Blacked title Fame, can currently be seen starring in scenes for Vixen Media Group’s newest studio MILFY.