Page 26 - AVN April 2018

WHO’S WHO
IN HER OWN WORDS
Sarah Vandella reflects on 10 years in the biz
MILESTONES | By Tod Hunter
Sarah Vandella says, “I’m here for the long haul.”
“What started me in the adult industry was curiosity,” Sarah Vandella says.
“I was over the square life. I did the college thing and did the nine-to five
job thing, and it just didn’t quite feel right.” Among the nine-to-five jobs
were in porn shops, Vandella adds with a giggle. “It was on my mind, and it was important
that it was authentic and real. I didn’t want to throw myself into an industry or profession
without getting my feet wet first. Seeing if I could do it. I didn’t even know if I could be a
clerk at a porno shop. I was shy. Sheltered. I didn’t even know what a d.p. was until I was
21, that gives you an idea.”
Clerking in the porn shops made her more at ease with the material: “Once I got past
the stage fright of being around adult films, I took it further. I wanted to see if I could
make it work for myself, long-term. As shy as I was growing up, I was always drawn to
sex work. I was curious about it. I’d research sex and the human body in the library. I
knew something was going to happen, I just didn’t know what. I was drawn to it—the art
of performing nude and dancing, but I know there was more. I was careful not to bite off
more than I could chew. I started slow.”
From the beginning, Vandella was honest with her family about her career choices.
“Growing up on Long Island, my parents gave me an amazing life. They’re still married
and they’re a huge part of my day-to-day life. It was important for me from the get-go to
let them know I’m leaving this sales manager job and I’m gonna be working at the porn
shop. I got bored at the porn shop and I wanted to take it a step further. I started looking
for strip clubs in the yellow pages. I was auditioned and I got the job. I was 21. … I just
loved it there.
“I ended up legalizing my actions and going to Sheri’s Ranch in Pahrump. I told my
parents, ‘I know this sounds crazy, but I really want to be a sex worker. This is where
my heart is.’ It was totally regulated, sheriff’s card, doctor visits, everything. They were
supportive, and they thought it was admirable that I wanted to be independent. During
that time I started researching adult films. … It took another year of thinking. I met
Carmella Bing at Sheri’s and she invited me to watch her shoot for Naughty America. We
did an L.A. trip, two weeks later I shot my first scene for Naughty America. 2007. I’ve
been shooting ever since. …”
26 | AVN.com | 4.18
Working with Lisa Ann as her agent, Vandella at first stayed in New York.
“Lisa and I would plan my trip and she would have a booking for me. I
met the great directors and the people who are incredible in the business.
I did two weeks on, two weeks off for roughly two years. I was scared to
just move here and be just another L.A. girl in an L.A. world. I didn’t want
to be just ‘some girl.’ I didn’t have family out here. I wanted to build a
foundation. ...”
When Vandella finally came to Los Angeles, she did a stint as a contract
performer with Zero Tolerance under the name Sarah Sloane. “It was
everything I had ever wanted, and more. Face time with the amazing
people at ZT and 3rd Degree, with Mike Quasar, who is to this day one of
my favorite people on the planet. He’s a badass cinematographer and he
knows his shit. He’s a big fan of mine, and that makes me feel damn good.
You can put that in the article. ... And they still shoot me to this day and I
am so grateful for that. I love them. They’re good people. I got to do some
showcases with them and some wonderful parodies. Amazing work that I
never would have had the opportunity to do. The Psycho parody, the Jersey
Shore parody, Flavor of Love, Wife Swap. Quite a few. All different in many
ways, all amazing. I had great memories with them.
I LOVE WHEN I GET A CHANCE
TO DO FEATURE WORK.
GONZO WORK IS IMPORTANT
TO ME AS WELL, BUT I FEEL
LIKE I REALLY DO SHINE IN
FEATURES. MY CONFIDENCE
AS AN ACTRESS HAS GOTTEN
SO MUCH STRONGER.
“That was 2010-2011. Good years. I came back to freelancing as Sarah
Vandella and somehow, some way, during all of that, I became a MILF. I
fucking love it. I think it’s amazing, it’s so empowering. I find it to be very
freeing sexually, especially coming into my early 30s and doing more anal in
2015 and 2016, experimenting with a few d.p.’s. I just find it so much more
enjoyable in my early 30s than ever in my life. Sex is just getting hotter and
better for me. Definitely in my peak. …
“I’ve been working quite a bit, and it’s all really great work. I just
wrapped two features for Adam & Eve, one with the wonderful, amazing,
incredible, talented Kay Brandt, Hotwives and Their Dirty Desires, and I had
the privilege and honor to be in [Will Ryder’s The Cursed XXX]. I had a
wonderful role in that, some great dialogue scenes and a super fuckin’ hot
sex scene with the incredible Brad Armstrong. I love when I get a chance
to do feature work. Gonzo work is important to me as well, but I feel like I
really do shine in features. My confidence as an actress has gotten so much
stronger. I used to be terrified of auditions. I’m just so glad to be part of it.
I’m working, and I’m so blessed to be a part of this business.
“I’m looking forward to—honestly—just becoming the best version of
myself that I can be. … I would love to be given an opportunity to direct—
that would be incredible. First I would want to learn photography. I had
the privilege of doing a shoot for Dana Vespoli recently, and the incredible
James Avalon was there. I played a photographer shooting Anna de Ville,
and James Avalon took his time to give me a 15-minute tutorial on not only
how to hold and operate his beautiful camera, but also how to take a proper
photo: How to line it up. Composition. I was like, ‘Holy shit, this is like a
life moment right now.’ We are given so much opportunity once we open
the door to this industry. I also love a lot of things—yoga, and traveling,
and hiking—but my heart is with sex work and being an adult actress. I’m a
lifer, man. I’m a fuckin’ lifer. I’m here for the long haul.
As told to Tod Hunter. A longer version of this interview is available on AVN.com.