Page 73 - AVN November 2023

“We felt like if we were going to do a showcase we need to do it big and we decided to just make it all-anal.”
Fueled by a clever screenplay by fellow AVN Hall of Famer Kayden Kross, the narrative of Influence: Vanna Bardot revolves around the shady underworld of organized crime and crypto- scammers.
“I knew from the beginning that if I was going to get an opportunity to do a movie like this and a showcase for a company that I wanted to be really involved in it with the story and the casting and just everything. I wanted everything to be perfect,” Bardot says. “Kayden Kross is the one who wrote the movie, so I met with her and we sat down for a while at her home and she asked me all about my life and my story and that’s how we kind of put together the script for the movie.
“Obviously, a lot of the movie is not based on my real life, I didn’t pull off this high-speed chase and heist. But other parts are very much inspired by my life.”
Bardot’s agent, Mark Schechter of ATMLA, tells AVN that Bardot “hit a grand slam this year.”
“My team and I at ATMLA are so very proud and honored to be behind her and beside her on this incredible journey,” says Schechter, who has represented Bardot since 2019.
“The past two years for Vanna has been a perfectly orchestrated plan. She laid out a two- year path to accomplish all of her aspiration goals in terms of scene performances, industry accolades and studio recognition milestones.
“The most exciting aspect that I can think of now is... This is Vanna Bardot’s year! And she has only just begun.”
Veteran performer Codey Steele—Bardot’s boyfriend and strongest supporter for the past four years—agrees.
“When she went over to ATMLA I think that was the turning point for her,” Steele tells AVN. “Once she was there over the course of two to three weeks, ATMLA had her booked out for the next two to three months. All the companies she wanted to work with were right there and all she had to do was put in the hard work and show everyone what she could do.”
Not only was Influence a career-changer for Bardot, it also changed her life off the set. For starters, she prepared for it like a professional athlete.
She went into beast mode from January until principal photography began in June, hiring a personal trainer with whom she worked out three times a week at 7 a.m., while also sticking to a strict diet.
“I was like this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I want to feel so confident when I get on set to film this movie. I don’t want to have to feel anxious or self conscious that I don’t look good in photos,” Vanna says. “I just want to feel happy and confident.”
Steele saw Bardot’s commitment to excellence first hand.
“She really worked her ass her off for that and she deserves all the credit,” Codey adds. “She
put in so much time and effort.”
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