LOS ANGELES — Sarah Vandella told XBIZ her latest star turn in director Will Ryder’s new original comedy marked a reunion of sorts.
Vandella and Ryder have teamed up a few times during her eight-year career, so joining forces again for Adam & Eve’s “Love, Sex & TV News” just felt right.
“I’ve worked with [Will] pretty much since I got into the business,” Vandella said. “My first time on set with him was in 2008 for ‘This Ain’t Monday Night Football. Then I was in his ‘This Ain’t the Cosbys XXX’ parody and I may have been in one more.”
“Some of my earlier scenes have been for him. Then I ran into him at Chicago Exxxotica [last July] and he told me, ‘you look great. I have may have a role for you.’ I told him ‘that’s awesome, I would love to audition.’ So I read over some lines in L.A. and he hired me for the role of Maggie McCormick.”
The feature, which is available now, focuses on News 10 Los Angeles and it's gorgeous and talented producer, Maggie. When the station's ratings begin to slip, along with Maggie's love life, she turns to the world of high-paid escorts looking for a big scoop. But with her boss riding her ass and her romantic life unraveling, how will she keep her career from spiraling?
“I’m so glad that the movie is out,” Vandella said. “I had some good scenes with Skin Diamond. She couldn’t be any sexier and I do a bunch of fun dialogue scenes with Nick Manning and a bunch of other great actors. It was a lot of fun.
“Everyone did such a great job and put so much work into it, from the set design to the makeup and wardrobe. I was so happy to be able to not only be a part of it, but to also have a lead role. I’m grateful to be here and still have an opportunity to suck and fuck.”
So is Will Ryder.
“There has always been something special about Sarah from the first moment I met her,” Ryder told XBIZ. “She's incredibly beautiful which initially causes a split-second of pause, which I think is a good thing because it gives your brain a little bit of time to think about what you're going to say to her.
“Of course back in the day when I first met her I don't think I said anything intelligent other than ‘you're really pretty or your pussy is perfect,’ but then I began to discover the actress behind the sexiness. The cool thing about Sarah is she always wanted to give a great acting performance, but I'm not sure she always had the right opportunity.”
Ryder continued, “I remember her auditioning for me for another movie in the lobby of the Hyatt Hotel in Chicago during a convention and although she was good I picked somebody else for that role and I know she was very disappointed with me.
"I guess sometimes timing works either against or for us but I always kept her in the back of my mind. She's even in ‘Manson Family XXX’ but that was not a starring role for her but I always hoped I would one day have the perfect part for her to play. That's why her role in ‘Love Sex & TV News’ was right for her and she did not waste a syllable. This girl is Best Actress worthy.”
Vandella said she prepared for "Love, Sex & TV News" for a few weeks, memorizing her lines as best she could before she arrived on set.
“I had all the fundamentals so it really came natural. Plus, Will’s a great writer and it just felt natural. My brain just clicked. He was super thrilled with my performance. Now we’ll see how the fans feel and the critics. There was an ease and a flow to it and I hope that translates on camera,” she said.
The seasoned performer, whose character also narrates some of the action, said she knew most of the cast just from being at various events over the years.
“But it was my first time getting a chance to work with Skin Diamond and doing some dialogue with her,” she said. “We had a mini make-out session. It was a blast. She was a trooper.”
In terms of sex, Vandella hooks up with Kurt Lockwood.
“My character is in that 'willing to do anything' kind of place, so she’s a little more submissive,” she said. “I got to play kind of naïve, like a square character whose curious about sex and prostitution in general. I had a great time shooting with him. I let him take him more control of the scene. Kurt’s been around a long time. He’s one of the greats. It was fun being on set with him.”
Vandella said the XBIZ Award-winning shooter Ryder, who is best known for his parodies, “just has a way of making it come together.”
“It’s usually nonstop laughs on his set, but he knows how to crack the whip too,” she said. “Overall it’s a freakin’ blast.”
Ryder agreed that he’s able to bring out the best in Vandella.
"Every time I step on set with Sarah it's apparent that she has a real respect for my directing and writing abilities and the process of creating a movie and I appreciate that,” he said. “She comes onto my set prepared and ready to put in the long hours and never once bitched, moaned or rolled her eyes when I gave her direction.
“It's been said before by some that she has a temper but I think that's good for an artist to have some volatility within them. I can see that brewing underneath the surface at times within her character but I think it enhances the performance. She's one actress I can honestly say joins the ranks of some other good actresses that actually give a shit.”
Vandella traveled to Tampa, Fla., this week for the annual Nightmoves Caravan of Stars and awards show. She called the trip a “working vacation.”
“I went to this event once years ago in 2011. I'm looking forward to going and just enjoying myself," she said. "I’ll be meeting my new fans, socializing with the industry gals and promoting myself.”
There’s a lot to promote. Aside from “Love, Sex & TV News,” Vandella recently performed in ArchAngel’s “Mandingo vs. MILFs” with heavy-packing Mandingo.
“I got to take him up my butthole which was fucking awesome," she noted. "All men should study Mandingo."
The performer also appears in Elegant Angel’s upcoming “Interracial Wet Tits,” taking on Rico Strong.
“He’s a fan favorite. It’s just fire every time we're together,” Vandella said. “He’s another amazing performer.”
Vandella said she also did a scene with Holly Heart and “the adorably cute Tyler Nixon."
“Holly and I kind of dominate him,” she said of the scene which will be in an upcoming Zero Tolerance movie.
Her recent work also includes a Naughty America scene in “2 Chicks Same Time” with Alix Lynx and Preston Parker; and a Devil’s Film scene in “Pussyman: Fornication 101: 7th Semester.”
The Long Island, N.Y., native said she is only getting better with age and enjoying her longevity in the industry.
“I love it more than ever,” Vandella said. “I just keep getting better the more I learn about my body and about sex, and even about myself as a person and as a human being. I’m so happy the fans want to see more of me.”
Vandella plans to attend Exxxotica N.J. Nov. 13-15, when she’ll sign at PornStarTweet’s Star.xxx booth. And she’s still doing weekly shows for members of her official site, SarahVandella.com.
“I look forward to the future and can’t wait for more opportunities,” she said.
