It’s your favorite erotic movie, but who are the pornstars behind the scenes? Whether you’re beginning to dip your toes in the pool of porn or a long-time fan of adult content, get to know the creators behind the porn you’re watching. They’re people before they’re performers and yes, they’re real! Here’s a behind-the-scenes look into their work — because at the end of the day, sex work is work — which is one of the many reasons why you should pay for your porn. Entrepreneurs, marketers, performers — they’re multi-talented and business-minded and we think you should know their names.
So, we searched for the best pornstars and we rounded up the top adult content creators of 2021 — scroll on down to get to know them.
1. Maitland Ward
If you’re a 90s kid you probably grew up watching Boy Meets World, if so, you most likely remember Rachel McGuire. Beginning her career as a Hollywood actress and a Disney Channel name, Maitland Ward decided to make a career change and enter the porn industry — and we’re happy she did. Stepping further into her sexual side, Maitland Ward always felt passionately about performing and feels as a “grown woman who loves sex” that being a pornstar is her calling. Now an award-winning adult performer, Maitland Ward will host the 2022 XBIZ Awards — it’s basically like the Oscars of porn.
Check out her interview with Cherie DeVille where she talks about her love for adult performing and her transition into the industry.
2. Ana Foxxx
Have you ever watched a porn movie and thought, “great sex, terrible acting” — you’re not alone. Pornstars are plenty talented at their profession — having sex — and they love to do it. No matter the stories you’ve probably heard about sex in porn not being real and performers not enjoying themselves well, that’s far from the truth. But that doesn’t mean they’re actors as well. That’s like saying an actor must also be able to sing or a singer must be able to dance — not everyone is a triple threat. But some pornstars have mastered the art of acting and performing sexual acts, Maitland Ward, for example, and Ana Foxxx is right there with her.
Get to know more about Ana Foxxx with this quick Q&A 💦
3. Natassia Dreams
We’ve got a thing for Natassia Dreams! A groundbreaking transgender pornstar, Natassia Dreams is a force to be reckoned with. Highly in tune with her sexuality, Natassia is a natural in front of the camera making it easy for viewers to enjoy themselves and impossible not to be turned on. From performing to directing, Natassia wears many hats in the adult industry — all of which fit her perfectly. She even made history last year when she became the first ever trans performer to win in a woman’s category at the XBIZ 2021 awards.
Say hello to Natassia Dreams ✨
4. Ela Darling
An afterglow personal favorite, Ela Darling. Porn performer, tech entrepreneur, VR porn queen, and you probably won’t guess this one…a librarian — now you get why we love her so much. Before beginning her career in the adult industry, Ela received her masters in information science and went on to become a librarian in Boston. Even talking to Ela for five minutes, her superior intellect is hard to miss. Although she’s still got a love for literature, she’s made it clear she loves being in front of the camera — and the camera loves her. With a nack for storytelling and performing, Ela was the star of afterglow’s first ever eduporn, Orgasm Synergy — a sexy and educational film on how to blend a variety of orgasms.
Watch Ela Darling in her newest eduporn, How to Squirt — available on afterglow now 🎥
5. Gabbie Carter
Hailing from Austin, Texas (shout out to a fellow Austinite), Gabbie Carter has topped the charts in 2021. She became one of the top ranking pornstars on Pornhub in her first year in the adult industry.
Listen to Gabbie talk about how performing has helped her to become more in tune with her body.
6. Kira Noir
If you’re at all familiar with pornstar names then you’ve probably heard the name Kira Noir by now. Kira Noir began her career in 2014 and has been featured in hundreds of adult films since — many going on to win awards at top adult film award shows. Having studied theater in her younger years, Kira is another one of those pornstars you appreciate for her quality acting skills. Fun fact about Kira, she’s got an inner goth spirit and her stage name is an homage to that.
Kira shares the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to her on a porn set below.
7. Eva Elfie
Ranking number three on Pornhub, Eva Elfie is a popular adult industry name and this year was no different for her. Known for her love for video games, Eva Elfie is a cosplay queen and her anime figure makes it all the more believable. Not only does Eva continually find herself as a top search term in America, but she’s also the biggest clip artist in the world! Eva believes her claim to fame is her unusual appearance that sets her apart from other top pornstars. Go on and see for yourself…
Meet the lovely Eva Elfie ⚡️
8. Angela White
Another popular pornstar and one that also had a successful 2021, say hello to Angela White. From winning a multitude of top porn awards for her performances, as well as starring in award-winning adult films, Angela White is an Australian pornstar that has been inducted in both the AVN Hall of Fame and the XRCO Hall of Fame. Not only that, but during a year where sex workers had to fight to keep their careers afloat (ahem, 2020 we’re over you) Angela became AVN’s first ever three-time winner of Female Performer of the Year.
Get to know Angela more with this fun Q&A ✨
9. Maya Woulfe
A budding pornstar, meet Maya Woulfe. With over 20,000 subscribers to her OnlyFans, Maya has truly blown up as an adult content creator this past year. She’s been nominated as Best New Starlet for both the AVN awards and the XBIZ awards (remember the Oscars of porn, these are them).
Watch Maya Woulfe in Spark, directed by Casey Calvert 🔥
10. Autumn Falls
With over a million followers on Instagram, Autumn Falls is a fan fav. She is a rising pornstar and was named XBIZ’s Best New Starlet in 2020. She is a proud latina who loves having sex with her boyfriend on camera. Together they have made Autumn Falls more than just an award-winning pornstar but a business name.