Checking In With Vixen Contract Star/Author Maitland Ward

Maitland Shares Her Truth With Us All in Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me From Hollywood

Vixen contract star/former television actress Maitland Ward's new memoir Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me From Hollywood has already received a prestigious Kirkus Star and is available right now. You can read Naomi LeRoy's great review of the book here and having read an advance copy of the book myself, I can tell you that it is a damn inspiring, juicy and well crafted memoir where Ward shares her true experiences moving from Hollywood to the porn industry and what doing that meant to her. It is a damn fine book that all porn fans should treat them to.

Ward also stars in a new five part feature titled Drift on Deeper directed by Fleshbot Director of the Year Kayden Kross . The first scene is up on the Deeper site right now and features Ward in a super hot creampie threeway with her fellow Vixen contract stars Violet Myers and Anton Harden.

“I read Maitland’s book, Rated X, in anticipation of this project and was also personally very familiar with her story. I’ve always been fascinated by the risks this woman is willing to take and am so proud of the incredible reward its earned her, and that’s what I wanted to mirror in Drift. From the emotional depths of the script to incredible performances, Drift has been a true passion project to create.....We had an all-star team bring this vision to life in a five-part series and each scene aims to reflect the pages of Maitland’s empowering, sex-positive memoir. Fans will notice how we really brought the two together and, in the end, Maitland takes the stage as her authentic self, creating an environment that works for her,” Kross said of the new feature in a press release.

I love how Drift was created as a companion work to Ward's remarkable book and spending time with the book and this feature are definitely things that all porn fans should be doing.  Drift also stars Vixen contract star Little Dragon, along with Mick Blue, Seth Gamble, Alex Jones, Jamie Knoxx, Coach Cardher, Danny Mountain and Skye Blue. A new Drift scene will be posting every week on the Deeper site.

It was lovely to interview Ward again. Here she is.

Hello, Maitland! How are you doing? How are things?

"Hi! Always great talking with you and connecting with the fans here. Things have been busy and great. Just a whirlwind with the book and also with the big feature we have coming out at Deeper. But I can’t ever complain!"

A huge congratulations on the release of your memoir. How does it feel knowing that a ton of people out there are reading your story the way that you wanted to tell it?

"It’s really amazing that my agency and Simon and Schuster were so supportive of me writing my memoir in a way that was authentic to me and my story. They gave me such freedom. Of course, it’s exciting but also nerve-wracking to know that so many readers will be learning about all the very personal and intimate details of your life and journey, but that’s exactly why I wrote it."

What was the process of working on this book like for you?

"Sitting down and writing it for four or five months was an such an in-depth and cathartic experience. I laughed and cried reliving all the parts of my past. To look at yourself as a young girl and a young woman again and see the journey you have made from all your successes and mishaps to where you are today is something I wish everyone could experience. To see that everything that has happened to you, both good and bad, really forms your unique story.

I was filming Muse 2 at the time of my deadline for the book so it was a busy, busy time. But I would carve out blocks of four to five hours on days I wasn’t working and really just tuck away in my den and write. It was a lot of work but I love writing so much so it was a dream come true."

How did getting a Kirkus star on your memoir feel?
"I cried when I heard about it and everyone was really celebrating with me who has been on the journey of this book. To be recognized for my writing in such a profound way was one of the best days ever. It’s so validating for all the work you put into something to be recognized in such an esteemed way and it really inspires me to do more."

You share a ton about what being a working actress and really what being a woman in general in Hollywood is like. You really hit on the head the way that many, many women are treated as being disposable in entertainment through relating some of your experiences. What about that dehumanization changed the way that you interact with people?

"When I was younger and an actress in Hollywood I felt I needed to walk a line drawn for me and stay in a box made for me which eventually felt like a coffin. I felt I needed to always say and do things that other people wanted me to. But at the same time I was denying who I was as a person just to please people and try to gain their favor. But since I’ve found such freedom with my sexuality and body and the roles I’m given to play in porn I feel confident and proud to share who I really am. And I’m unapologetic about it."

Your love of your body and your sexual self stayed so true throughout your story, even if you had battles along the way. How do you think that you held on to what you loved about yourself and your capabilities, even when you were being directly told not to?

"It was just something inside me; a voice that just wouldn’t be shut up, even as much as I tried to silence it when I was younger. I’ve always been someone who doesn’t want to be told no and be defeated by that word so that fighting spark inside me just wouldn’t allow anything to fully put it out."

I loved reading about how you dipped your toes in the world of sexual performing with the naked photos and the cosplay for your fans. Looking back, would you have headed into porn sooner or later than you did or was it the right time?

"It was the perfect time. It was absolutely fate how it happened and how I came to meet Kayden Kross and make all our films for Deeper. The timing couldn’t have been more right. And I was really in training while doing all of my own personal content before I entered professional porn and worked with Vixen. I needed that time to come into my own."

I smiled a ton reading about how you described feeling like your most true self after your first times with porn stars Isiah Maxwell and Danny Mountain. What part of the liberation that you have experienced on porn sets has changed your life the most?

"The freedom I felt when I could finally unleash myself in a way I had only fantasized about and imagined before was such a thrill. And both of these guys were so wonderful and professional that they helped show me the ropes. I learned a lot and honed my craft as a performer. Also, I was so proud of myself that I was so good at something I loved."

What else is coming up for you? What should your fans be on the lookout for?

"We have a huge five part feature coming out for Deeper called Drift. Kayden drafted and directed a brilliant script that really is an artistic metaphor for my life and my story. It’s Natural Born Killers meets WandaVision in such a unique way. It’s like nothing you’ve seen before."

Is there anything that you would like to say to your fans here at Fleshbot?

"I love the fans here! They’re so supportive and wonderful! And I’d like to everyone for supporting me on my journey. I couldn’t have done any of it without you."

All of the images and video here appear courtesy of Deeper. Follow Ward on Twitter and tell her that Fleshbot sent ya!