Page 24 - AVN May 2018

WHO’S WHO | AVN Award Winners
WHO’S WHO
fresh faces
Jill Kassidy: ‘I Didn’t Expect to Win’
The Joint inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, where
act like this crazy little girlfriend and I did feel a little bit crazy
she accepted the crown from 2017 winner Holly Hendrix.
after set every day.”
The 21-year-old native of Dallas admits she suspected she
With her Best New Starlet win, she also received a Tiffany
had “a little chance,” but assumed that a fellow nominee who
pearl necklace, some sex toys and a water bottle courtesy of
had done more hardcore scenes would prevail.
Pornhub.
“I thought one of the girls who does anal would get it,”
Kassidy, who grew up watching the Dallas Cowboys and
Kassidy says. “I just don’t do a lot of crazy scenes so I really
even dressed like a Cowboys cheerleader at the AVN Adult
didn’t expect it.”
Entertainment Expo the day before the Awards Show, wore an
But Kassidy did more than enough during her first year-and-
elegant blue gown to the ceremony that matched one of the
a-half in the business to earn the trophy, performing in almost
team’s iconic uniform colors.
100 scenes for numerous blue-chip studios, not to mention
“I didn’t plan it to be,” she says. “Last year I had a really
starring in Half His Age: A Teenage Tragedy, the 2018 AVN Award-
bedazzled dress and it was super heavy, very blingy, and I felt
winning Best Drama and Movie of the Year that was the first
very uncomfortable in it. This year I wanted to go for
full-length feature ever produced by Pure Taboo.
something more simple, more classy. I had never worn a long
In the movie, co-directed by Bree Mills and Craven
dress before.”
Moorehead, Kassidy plays Lola, a popular 18-year-old student
An LA Direct Models client since the beginning of her career,
who gets caught banging her gym teacher, Mr. Davies (Charles
Kassidy thanked her agency during her acceptance speech. LA
Dera), which sets off an outrageous chain of events that
Direct owner Derek Hay tells AVN that seeing Kassidy progress
involves blackmail, violence and numerous bad decisions.
to this point has been a pleasure.
Kassidy departs from her sweet and innocent persona and gets
“In 2017 Direct Models watched Jill transform from the
crazy in her biggest role to date.
quintessential girl next door, slightly shy and unsure of herself,
“Whenever they chose me I was really surprised,” Kassidy
to winning the ultimate new girl accolade of Best New Starlet,”
recalls. “I didn’t think of myself as that great of an actor. I felt
Hay says. “She literally gained in confidence and performance
really special to be the star of the first movie they ever had for
ability as the months went by and we received numerous very
PureTaboo. It was really cool winning because we worked so
favorable reports on her work, especially in the second half of
hard and everybody got so into it and was so devoted. So it’s
the year. We hope and trust that Jill never loses that hometown
cool to see all the hard work pay off—it’s a great feeling.”
girl quality that many identify with and love about her so
She continues, “I think the most challenging thing was me
much.”
having to get mad at Cherie [DeVille], when I had to chase
—Dan Miller
her—because it’s Cherie. … And with me and Charles, I had to
Photo of Jill Kassidy by Jeff Koga/@KogaFoto
Jill Kassidy tells AVN that winning
Best New Starlet at the 2018
AVN Awards Show left her “kind of
in shock.” Kassidy says, “It’s weird
because now every time I go to set
everyone’s like ‘Best New Starlet!’ I
didn’t expect to win.”
Kassidy captured the top award for
a new female performer January 27 at
Great Scot: Foreign POTY Ryan Ryder
Ryan Ryder says he was “over the moon”
after winning Male Foreign Performer of
the Year at the 2018 AVN Awards Show—a
category that, last year’s win by Danny D.
notwithstanding, has been dominated by men
from the European continent, not the British
Isles.
“I’ve been nominated I think for the last
five years for best foreign male, so to win it
this year is very special for me.” Ryder also
is a multiple nominee for his acting work,
this year’s nod being for his role in Kelly
Madison’s Altar of Aphrodite (pictured.)
Born in Scotland 34 years ago, Ryder
entered porn in England in 2011. As he
wrote in an email from home, “I have been a
singer and actor all my life and I just saw it
as another way of performing. I knew it was a step away from mainstream and it
seemed a risky decision at the time, but seven years on I have established myself
and work regularly (thank goodness lol).”
His first movie “was for a UK company called Killergram. I remember being
really quite nervous, but I did the scene. I think the first scene is important for any
guy—a lot of the time it can make or break.”
For him it was definitely “make” and he has since worked extensively in three
countries: his own, France and Porn Valley USA.
For Marc Dorcel in France he got intimate with such Europorn queens as Stella
Cox, Claire Castel and Anissa Kate. And he’s been almost a fixture—more than 20
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scenes—with Barcelona-based Private.
Most of his work has been in the UK, “as that’s where I’m from. But I have
loved my three USA trips and the talent out there is top, and the way the industry
conducts itself there is fantastic.”
On those trips he got to work with directors like Jonni Darkko, Jacky St. James,
Will Ryder, B. Skow, Greg Lansky and perhaps most notably Axel Braun. His
performance in the title role of Wicked’s Peter Pan XXX: An Axel Braun Parody earned
him a 2017 AVN acting nomination, and Ryder got to join the cast on stage at the
awards ceremony when it won for Movie of the Year.
He has been honored by other U.S. awards groups and, he adds, “I have also won
best UK male performer twice for the Paul Raymond Awards, which is the main UK
awards over here.”
As he looks back at his life in adult movies he says, “As the years have gone
on, being part of amazing features ’round the UK, Europe and USA has been a
privilege.”
Acting plus sex or just all sex—his choice?
“I love both but if I was to choose I would say features. It takes more time on set
but it makes the most of my skill set from my previous career.
“As a singer and professional actor I am especially passionate about the acting
aspect of porn. I love being cast for features, and also here in the UK I am
producing/directing/performing for FakeDrivingSchool.com, which I love as they
give me creative license to come up with the plot lines and comedy improv.”
As for the future, he says, “I’m excited to be getting involved with producing
and directing but also want to keep performing and pushing myself to be better.
Experience is good but I want to keep learning and improving every year.
“And yes, I love coming to L.A. and hope to be there again as soon as possible.”
—Jared Rutter