Maitland Ward

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Maitland Ward
Ward in 2014
Born
Ashley Maitland Welkos[1][2]

(1977-02-03) February 3, 1977 (age 47)[2][3][4]
Long Beach, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Mainstream actress, pornographic actress, internet personality
Years active
  • 1994–2007 (mainstream)
  • 2019–present (pornography)
Spouse
Terry Baxter
​
(m. 2006)​

Ashley Maitland Welkos (born February 3, 1977), known professionally as Maitland Ward,[1] is an American actress and model.[5] She made her acting debut as Jessica Forrester on the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful (1994–1996). Continuing to appear in film and television through the mid-2000s, she came to further prominence for playing Rachel McGuire on the sixth and seventh seasons of the ABC sitcom Boy Meets World (1998–2000). After retiring from mainstream acting in 2007, Ward began performing in pornographic films in 2019.[6][7]

Career[edit]

Acting career[edit]

Ward starred as Jessica Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful, where she appeared from 1994 to 1996.[8] She landed that role, which was her first acting role, when she was 16 and still a junior in high school.[9] Ward had guest-starring roles on USA High and the seventh season of ABC's Home Improvement; and co-starred with Jay Thomas and Mario Lopez in the 1997 television film Killing Mr. Griffin.

Her character of Rachel McGuire was added to Boy Meets World in 1998, at the beginning of the sixth season, as a main cast member. This role lasted until the series ended in 2000. After Ward's stint on Boy Meets World, she appeared in the independent film Dish Dogs, a romantic comedy in which she co-stars with Brian Dennehy, Matthew Lillard and Sean Astin. Later, she appeared in the 2004 comedy film White Chicks with Shawn and Marlon Wayans.[10]

Cosplay and social media[edit]

Ward cosplaying in September 2015

After retiring from mainstream acting, Ward began engaging in cosplay and making appearances at various comics conventions.[11] Her first cosplay was a slave Princess Leia outfit; she was given the idea by photographers that she had worked with on the red carpet.[12] She also appeared as Jessica 6 from Logan's Run and as Red Sonja.[13] In recent years, she has also made comics-convention appearances wearing only body paint.[11]

Adult film career[edit]

Beginning in mid-2013, Ward began posting nude and topless photographs of herself on Snapchat and Instagram, gaining a large following on both sites.[14] In April 2016, she posted her first nude pictures to social media of her being body-painted for Luciano Paesani for a Los Angeles exhibition called "Living Art".[13] In 2019, she announced on Instagram that she would be performing in an adult film entitled Drive, a move described by In Touch Weekly as a "drastic career-shift".[6] Ward received support from former Boy Meets World co-star Trina McGee.[7]

In May 2019, Ward signed with adult talent agency Society 15.[15] She stated that she had been approached by adult actress and director Kayden Kross and was "just floored" by the proposition of doing adult films.[6] She told In Touch Weekly, "It's been an evolution. It's all been my authentic journey because everything that I have done along the way is something I wanted to explore and do. I just did it publicly for my fans, that is the exhibitionist style of me."[16] Drive was released online at the website Deeper.com on September 30, 2019.[6]

Of her decision, Ward stated that she feared being typecast and believed that if she became a porn actress, new fans would have an opportunity to discover her.[7] Upon Drive's release, Ward promised "more taboo stuff to come", and she subsequently appeared in multiple additional porn scenes released on Deeper.com.[7] She has said that she did not perceive any stigma associated with being a pornographic actress,[17] and that she regards her transition into adult films as a savvy business move.[18][19]

Personal life[edit]

A native of Long Beach, California,[20] Ward married real estate agent Terry Baxter on October 21, 2006.[1] The couple met on a set.[21] After getting married, Baxter and Ward moved to New York, where they still live.[22] While they were there, Ward studied writing and screenwriting at New York University.[13]

In 2022, Atria Books published her autobiography, Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me from Hollywood (1st. Ed., September, 2022).

Filmography[edit]

Mainstream filmography[edit]

Film and television roles
Year Title Role Notes
1994–1996 The Bold and the Beautiful Jessica Forrester Recurring role (129 episodes)
1997 Killing Mr. Griffin Candice Lee Television film (NBC)
1998 USA High Tina Episode: "Buddies"
1998 Home Improvement Christy Episode: "The Old College Try"
1998–2000 Boy Meets World Rachel McGuire Main cast (45 episodes)
1999 A Bold Affair Eleanor
2000 Dish Dogs Molly Feature film; direct-to-video
2002 Boston Public Rachel Newman Episode: "Chapter 43"
2004 White Chicks Brittany Wilson
2005 Out of Practice Staci Episode: "Pilot"
2007 Rules of Engagement Dani Episode: "Young and the Restless"

Adult films[edit]

Year Title Studio Notes
2019 Cosplay Queen VR Bangers
Unprofessional Blacked
Wet And Wild Brazzers
Order of Termination VR Bangers
Drive Deeper Series
Black and Red Blacked Series
When Superstars Collide Lesbian X
Raw 38 Jules Jordan Series
Lesbian Superstars Lesbian X Series
We All Do It, Too Blacked
2019–2020 Mistress Maitland Deeper Series
2020 Poolside Affairs Brazzers Series
Being Shared Deeper
Showgirl VR Bangers
Intimates: Maitland Ward Intimates
At Last Deeper
Muse Series
Fertile Blacked
2021 Stars 2 Series
Mistress Maitland 2 Deeper Series
Muse 2 Series
2022 Sex Without Love
Poetics for Tramps Series
Drift Series
Stars 4 Blacked Series

Awards and nominations[edit]

  • Soap Opera Digest Awards
    • 1995: Nominated, Outstanding Female Newcomer – The Bold and the Beautiful
  • Young Artist Awards
  • AVN Awards
    • 2020: Won, Best Supporting Actress – Drive
    • 2020: Won, Best Three-Way Sex Scene (G/G/B) – Drive
    • 2020: Won, Fan Award - Favorite Camming Cosplayer
    • 2021: Won, Best Actress – Muse
    • 2021: Won, Best Boy/Girl Sex Scene – Higher Power
    • 2023: Won, Best Leading Actress – Drift
    • 2023: Won, Mainstream Venture of the Year
    • 2024: Won, Best Actress - Featurette – My DP 6, Casting Couch
  • XBIZ Awards
    • 2020: Won, Crossover Star of the Year
    • 2020: Won, Best Actress - Feature Movie – Drive
    • 2020: Won, Best Sex Scene - Feature Movie – Drive
    • 2020: Nominated, Best New Starlet
    • 2021: Won, Best Acting - Lead – Muse
    • 2021: Won, Best Sex Scene - Feature Movie – Muse
    • 2022: Won, Performer of the Year
    • 2022: Won, Best Acting - Lead – Muse 2
    • 2023: Won, Best Sex Scene - Feature Movie – Drift
  • NightMoves Awards
    • 2020: Won, Best Actress (Editor's Choice)
  • XRCO Awards
    • 2021: Won, Best Actress – Muse
    • 2022: Won, Best Actress – Muse 2
    • 2023: Won, Best Actress – Drift
  • XCritic Awards
    • 2021: Won, Best Actress – Muse
    • 2022: Won, Best Actress – Muse 2

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Maitland Ward, Terry Baxter". The New York Times. October 22, 2006. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Maitland Ward: 5 Things to Know About Former 'Boy Meets World' Star Who's Now Doing Porn". October 3, 2019.
  3. ^ "Maitland Ward: Movies, Photos, Videos, News, Biography & Birthday | eTimes". The Times of India.
  4. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes: Movies | TV Shows | Movie Trailers | Reviews - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.
  5. ^ "Maitland Ward". Society 15. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d "From 'Boy Meets World' to Adult Films: Inside Maitland Ward's 'Authentic Journey' Into Porn". intouchweekly.com. September 30, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d Savitsky, Sasha (October 6, 2019). "'Boy Meets World' star Maitland Ward says porn brings new opportunities, promises 'more taboo stuff to come'". Fox News. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  8. ^ "We're Having A LIVE Boy Meets World Cast Reunion on OKMagazine.com NOW!". October 23, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  9. ^ "An Interview with 'Boy Meets World' Star, Maitland Ward — How to Be a Redhead". How to be a Redhead. July 29, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  10. ^ Wha'anda, Sam. "5 pics from White Chick star's porn-style 'High-Voltage' photoshoot". pulse.ng. pulse.ng. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  11. ^ a b Ed Gross (August 4, 2017). "15 Questions with (and Sexy Photos of) Maitland Ward (Exclusive)". FHM. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  12. ^ "Cosplay Models Can Make 6 Figures A Year In Their Craft". monkeysfightingrobots.com. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  13. ^ a b c "Maitland Ward Is Snapchat's Resident Sex Symbol". MEL Magazine. October 5, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  14. ^ "Galleries Archive". Egotastic All Stars. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  15. ^ Adams, JC (July 12, 2019). "Mainstream Actress Maitland Ward Signs With Society 15". XBIZ. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  16. ^ "'Boy Meets World' actress is now a porn star: 'I need to do this'". sports.yahoo.com. October 3, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  17. ^ "Maitland Ward Interview (Exclusive): Embracing Change And Challenging Norms Across Acting Careers". December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  18. ^ "'Boy Meets World' Maitland Ward Doing Porn Won't Ruin My Career!!!". TMZ. October 6, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  19. ^ Ward, Maitland (July 23, 2023). "How 'Boy Meets World' Star Maitland Ward Found Her Sexuality in Porn". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  20. ^ "ExclusiveHappy Holidays! Maitland Ward Creating Video of Her 'Making Thanksgiving With My Feet' for Fans". Life & Style. November 19, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  21. ^ Halbur, Petra (July 1, 2013). "Maitland Ward of 'Boy Meets World' Believes That "Friendship, Trust and Laughter" Make for a Strong Relationship". cupidspulse.com. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  22. ^ "Maitland Ward: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". heavy.com. October 3, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.

External links[edit]

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