Checking In with Vixen Director/Star Maitland Ward

Maitland Calls The Shots Over at Blacked!

Vixen contract star Maitland Ward has made her directorial debut in her latest scene for the studio's Blacked label. The scene titled Fame has a theme of Ward's real-life experiences as a mainstream Hollywood actress who is forced to have dealings with the paparazzi, who want to strip celebrities of their privacy to put cash in their own pockets. Ward stars in this scene that she also wrote and Fleshbot's Best Total Package winner Isiah Maxwell is her co-star in it. Here is Ward sharing her thoughts on this big new step in her career.

Hello, Maitland! Hope you had super holidays! How are things?
"Hi! Always great to talk with you. And thank you so much for awarding Drift this year! The new year is going fantastic and I’m really excited for everything 2023 has in store!"

Congrats on the release of Fame on Blacked! How has the response to it been?
"The response has been amazing! Blacked is where it all began for me and my first scene there was what led me to meeting Kayden [Kross] and filming Drive, so it’s special that I was able to bring this to a full circle moment with my directorial debut and grow another branch in my career in creating scenes and films."

What made you decide that it was time to make your directorial debut?
"Kayden has been such an inspiration to me and she’s always encouraged me to use my writing skills and try my hand at directing. I’ve learned so much from her over the years and I really felt confident that now was the time I could make something special. I feel this is a natural progression in my career to move partly into the creative process behind the camera. I’m always looking for new challenges and this is a fun one."

The press release about the scene said that it was inspired by your career and your interactions with the paparazzi. What do you think that most people don't know when it comes to dealing with paparazzi?
"There’s a line in the scene about how real fame is something you don’t chase, it chases you and I believe that’s true. The paparazzi and press have been so good to me but I have seen firsthand how they can turn on celebrities when they fall down. I equate it to a tamed tiger who is always capable of attack, especially when it smells blood. This character has done some bad things as she’s been part of destroying a big Hollywood relationship but the man in this scenario isn’t chased like she is. Hollywood loves to brand a scarlet woman. This woman is literally self-jailed in her room shielded by guards. But she’s not being saved, only hidden."

What made you write this part for Fleshbot's Best Total Package winner Isiah Maxwell?
"He has been with me since the beginning of my adult career and he was majorly responsible for guiding me in those first steps as an adult performer. I knew it had to be him for my directorial debut. Not only is he a phenomenal performer whom I absolutely adore, he also really embodies the character of this mysterious, handsome bodyguard who becomes a liberating force for my character from an attacking mob of flashbulbs. He’s also something of a force she has to work to attain and in the end she doesn’t; he’s the force that takes her."

You have worked with Fleshbot Director Of The Year Kayden Kross just a ton. What has she taught you the most about directing?
"To say I have learned immeasurably from Kayden Kross is not giving it justice. She is so brilliant at her craft and has such skill with words and scene and shots that I have been so profoundly fortunate to be able to take all of that in and soak it up over the last three years. She’s been so encouraging of me to write and direct and I really felt now was the time. I love the way she sets up artistic moments with sound and light and angles to really give you a multidimensional feel to things. I tried to incorporate some of that into my scene because I think it’s beautiful. Her advice to me has always been let your words be your guide and she’s right. It’s a lot like acting in that when you have the lines down and you’re in costume you can really swim in the role and the character and create something special. For both of us everything starts with the written word."

Will we be seeing your directorial work for other Vixen sites? What Vixen sites have you been enjoying the most lately?
"Without giving anything away a little bird told me another scene on another site might be coming very soon… Of course, Deeper is my favorite but I had the best time working on Blacked Raw for my debut gangbang. I really was able to let loose and have a wonderfully gritty, raw (fittingly) and amazing experience and I loved it."

What do you love most about the holidays? What do you like to do to have fun this time of year?
"My holidays were a wonderful chance for me to unwind and relax before the start of the new year. I had been going full force with my book release and my films since September, so it was nice to breathe and enjoy my favorite time of year. I got to spend it with friends and family and my dogs."

What else is coming up for you? What should your fans be on the look out for?
"I’m starting on another book which I’m so excited about. I’ll be going more in the direction of fiction but I do always incorporate elements of myself and my experiences. I’ll definitely be looking forward to creating more projects both in porn and in mainstream and most importantly both at once. Porn to me is not something 'other than' from Hollywood. It’s a genre of the same mainstream Hollywood that makes movies for the theaters and streams shows with nearly the same content. And I want to create projects that celebrate it as such."

Is there anything that you would like to say to your fans here at Fleshbot?
"I just love Fleshbot and my fans here so much! I say it time and again but it’s true how much my fans mean to me. You are always there to support me and cheer me on and I love that you enjoy my work. I promise more and more special and great things for you to come in 2023!"

All of the images and video here appear courtesy of Blacked. Follow Ward on Twitter and tell her that Fleshbot said hi!