Maitland Ward reveals what Hollywood can learn from the porn industry

Hollywood could learn a thing or two from adult film actress Maitland Ward, especially when it comes to sex scenes.

At 45 years old, the former Boy Meets World star has built a successful career in the adult entertainment industry, becoming an award-winning adult film actress for Deeper, part of Vixen Media Group.

Having been part of mainstream Hollywood since she was 16 years old, Ward has plenty of experience in front of the cameras. But when she decided to pursue a potential career in pornography, it gave her a totally new understanding of intimacy.

"Hollywood knows nothing about making sex scenes," Ward told Indy100. "It's not very organic."

Reflecting on her own experiences and knowledge of filming intimate scenes in Hollywood, Ward says she attributes this to actors not knowing what to expect of themselves.

"Sex scenes are often very stilted," she added.

Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Having been in over 20 adult films, Ward knows what's important when filming intimate scenes.

"I think what people can learn from adult [films] is consent," she says. "Talking about it ahead of time, knowing what to expect out of the scene, knowing what your 'nos' and 'yeses' are, what you do and don't like."

She says once actors know what their boundaries are, they can more comfortably express themselves.

"Porn is much more comfortable and fluid with that," Ward adds. "It makes the scenes more comfortable and hotter in many ways if you talk about it ahead of time and know boundaries and know what to expect from the scene you can really let go in that space and go for it."

That liberating and comfortable feeling is part of the reason Ward was drawn to adult films, something she recounts in her new memoir Rated X.

Though her career surprised some people who still saw her as the innocent and sweet Rachel Mcguire, Ward and her fans know she's following her authentic path on her own terms.

Ward began her career by posting in cosplay and Playboy-esque photoshoots and slowly moved toward posting more suggestive on Patreon.

"It slowly evolved from there like, and I was just like, I want to try more, and I want to do more and I'm really good at performing and I like it," Ward says.

By pursuing her passion and living her life as authentically as possible, Ward has developed a loyal fanbase and successful career all while controlling her own branding.

"The adult industry has really been able to change my brand and my persona and I've been able to create something that I really am proud of," she says.

But she's also still proud of her former Disney days and believes her past allows her to serve as a bridge between mainstream Hollywood and the adult entertainment industry. Both as a mentor to understanding better sex scenes and advocating for adult actors.

She says, "I have a voice that I like to use in order to bring light to an industry that has been in the dark or stereotyped or thought of as 'other than' for so long."

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.