(Los Angeles, CA / February 1, 2024) — Maitland Ward scored a coveted AVN Award in the Best Actress-Featurette’ category this past weekend in recognition of her arresting leading role in Tushy’s Casting Couch.

The towering industry superstar, 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 & 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 setting screens ablaze with her latest starring scenes for Vixen Media Group’s newest studio MILFY.

Find and follow Maitland Ward at:

X.com/maitlandward

Southern California-born and bred Maitland Ward has quickly become one of the biggest stars in adult entertainment, after an-already successful career as an American model, actress and cosplay personality. After finding fame in the ‘90s on CBS soap The Bold and the Beautiful and smash ABC sitcom Boy Meets World, as well as a plum role in 2004’s cult classic White Chicks, Ward decided to shake things up with racy social media content, sexy cosplay and appearing at fan conventions before making the leap into adult film in 2019.

The statuesque (5’10”) all-natural redhead is unique in that not only is she beautiful and built for the adult biz, Ward’s talent as an actress means she can also carry dramatic and comedic scenes with ease. Her playful energy, professionalism and open sexuality earned her an exclusive performance contract with Vixen Media Group and the famous face of the brand’s blockbuster studio, Deeper.

In ‘20, Ward won three AVN Awards: Best Supporting Actress, Best Three-Way Sex Scene-G/G/B for Deeper film Drive and Favorite Camming Cosplayer, as well as three XBIZ Awards for Crossover Star of the Year, Best Actress-Feature Movie and Best Sex Scene-Feature Movie, also for Drive. In ‘21 she won two AVN Awards: Best Leading Actress for Deeper’s Muse and Best Boy/Girl Sex Scene for Higher Power, plus two XBIZ Awards for Best Acting-Lead and Best Sex Scene-Feature for Muse. In ‘22 she won two XBIZ trophies for Best Acting-Lead for Muse 2 and Performer of the Year. In ’23 Ward won two AVN Awards for Best Leading Actress for Deeper feature Drift and Mainstream Venture of the Year, and an XBIZ trophy for Drift in the category of Best Sex Scene-Feature Movie, and in ’24 she won AVN’s Best Actress – Featurette for Tushy’s Casting Couch.

Ward’s recent mainstream endeavors include starring and co-producing a TV series, The Big Time, taking on a lead role in psychological thriller Just for You and releasing an eye-popping no-holds-barred memoir about her wild life in the entertainment biz, Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me from Hollywood (which won a ’23 AVN Award for the aforementioned Mainstream Venture of the Year and an esteemed Kirkus Star for Excellence). Follow Maitland at Twitter.com/maitlandward and Instagram.com/maitlandward