Page 38 - AVN November 2024

2023 AVN Awards Best Leading Actress Maitland Ward is relishing her latest, more mature role. Her character in MILFY.com’s American MILF series, also named Maitland, has just sent her son off to college, emptying the nest and leaving her with a mi􏰀 of, for lac􏰁 of a better word, emotions.
“􏰂ou 􏰁now, we all have ups and downs,􏰃 􏰄ard told 􏰅􏰆􏰇. “It’s about a group of friends in a neighborhood who love se􏰀 and they love, um, you 􏰁now, finding their boy toys and everything. 􏰈ut it’s also about what’s going on in their lives, their storylines, and where they’re coming from in their perspective.
“􏰉y character is coming from empty nest syndrome and being tired of her husband at home, and she’s finding new outlets. 􏰊he’s a professor. 􏰊he’s not, you 􏰁now—I won’t say 􏰋ust a housewife, but it’s not li􏰁e the typical trope of what you assume is a 􏰉I􏰌􏰍􏰎mommy􏰎 housewife waiting at home and the mil􏰁man comes by,􏰃 she e􏰀plained.
The five􏰎part series, directed by multi􏰎award􏰎winning performer􏰎director 􏰏ayden 􏰏ross, boasts an ensemble cast of mighty 􏰉I􏰌􏰍s, including 􏰐hristy 􏰐anyon, 􏰑hoeni􏰀 􏰉arie, 􏰈randi 􏰌ove, and 􏰊erenity 􏰐o􏰀. In an atmosphere that thic􏰁 with estrogen, it’s probably no wonder the ongoing narrative has been elevated and enriched with women’s stories and their ta􏰁e on being hot, older, and se􏰀ual.
“I thin􏰁 this is the first feature series that really focuses on 􏰉I􏰌􏰍s as more comple􏰀, human characters than 􏰋ust the trope,􏰃 􏰄ard surmised.
“It’s the second most searched term in porn sites, and everybody loves that strong, sure woman who’s older and wiser, and 􏰁nows what she wants, and is good at what she wants, and then gets what she wants. 􏰈ut I thin􏰁 it’s been so limited in the past. They haven’t really e􏰀plored a more mature woman,􏰃 she added.
The unflagging popularity of 􏰉I􏰌􏰍 content, it could be argued, is proof of empowerment for women of a certain age. 􏰅nd adult industry trends seem to signal a cultural shift for viewers who appreciate and want mature women in their adult content.
􏰒f course, with age comes e􏰀perience, and that’s where acting ability can bring depth to a 􏰋uicy 􏰉I􏰌􏰍 role, li􏰁e the characters in American MILF. 􏰄ard feels that there’s also been a shift in cultural standards, especially since starting her mainstream acting career in the mid􏰎􏰓􏰔􏰕s. Thirty years ago, the furthest a mainstream actress could push boundaries would be to do a nude photo spread in 􏰑layboy or 􏰉a􏰀im. 􏰅udiences today, she said, are more accepting of e􏰀plicit content as 􏰋ust another entertainment genre, li􏰁e anime or horror.
􏰅 teen when she debuted in the 􏰐􏰈􏰊 soap opera The Bold and Beautiful, 􏰄ard is probably best 􏰁nown for her role as Rachel 􏰉c􏰖uire on 􏰅􏰈􏰐’s Boy Meets World. 􏰅fter several T􏰆 and
38 AVN.COM | 11.24 | MAITLAND WARD