The XCritic Interview: Charlie Forde

Last week, I came across a starlet I was unaware of. That's not uncommon in the adult biz as there are thousands of ladies that are either just entering the biz, or in Charlie Forde's case, are producing content on not only the other side of the planet but also in the Southern hemisphere. Whatever. This lady grabbed my attention from the first minute and I immediately got in contact with her and her publicist, Erika Icon, who is always my first go-to person when I need to contact someone in the industry. Luckily, in this case, she does the PR for Charlie so it was easy to set up an interview. I had about 400 things I wanted to ask Charlie about but I usually narrow it down to 12. I pushed that boundary by just a smidge this time and I want to share with you the answers she gave me below.

Hi Charlie,

I'm so glad I came across your work thanks to Erika Icon's post on our newswire. Your interview on the Adult Empire Podcast reeled me in from the moment I clicked play. You immediately came off as likable, and extremely down to earth. You also seem to have a definite plan for your time in this business, which in this day and age is absolutely necessary. So, let's talk about a few things.

1. For those who don't know yet, can you tell us where you are from? And can you explain to the Americans and others who aren't familiar with the Land Down Under a little bit about that area?

I’m from sunny Brisbane, which is more north and very well known for the beaches on either end of it. I moved to Melbourne about two years ago and haven’t looked back! Melbourne was a bit of a change; its best places are very hidden in alleys and speakeasy bars, and it has a very strong sex positive undercurrent. I found Melbourne to be very clicky when I first moved there. But over time, I found an incredible bunch of friends and I’m very settled now. 

2. North America is currently experiencing a massive heatwave, leading to all kinds of issues from fires to hospital visits but you're on the opposite side of the planet, so you are in mid-winter. Is that correct? How cold does it get where you are at?

It’s currently about 10 degrees Celsius or 50 Fahrenheit, so yes it’s pretty cold! At night, we’re hitting about 40 Fahrenheit. For all that Australia is known for its heat and beaches, we definitely still get a decent winter. I do love snuggling up under a thick double doona at night, so it’s fine. Our summers also get pretty brutal, so I feel so sorry for you guys! If anyone understands how difficult a heatwave is, it’s Australia. 

3. Here in Arizona, where I live, we deal with things like scorpions and snakes, and a couple of venomous spiders but my understanding is that Australia has many more venomous creatures than we do...so how often does the average Aussie have to deal with them? Are there dangers lurking everywhere waiting to strike, or is that just all a myth?

I’ve run into many dangerous animals in Australia, but the number one rule with wildlife is if you leave it alone, they leave you alone. I used to live in a house that had regular redback spiders. I also lived in the country in Queensland for eight years, where poisonous brown snakes are very common. Oddly enough, it doesn’t bother me. It’s all I’ve ever known, and I’ve never had an issue with any animals. I did have a friend that was bit by a redback spider though. She had to have surgery to have the skin of her hand split so it wouldn’t explode itself from the swelling or cut off circulation. So, let’s say I have a healthy respect for our animals, from the spiders to the kangaroos. 

Okay, enough small talk about all that. Let's get to know you a bit.

4. You mentioned somewhere that you were either working on your 2nd degree or had just finished it. We at XCritic are fully aware that many adult performers have advanced schooling and degrees. We've talked to many that come from a medical background or are headed to one, or they were/are a research scientist, or have degrees in finance among many other things? What's your story?

I was originally a physiotherapist and decided to go back to uni to complete a different degree I’d wanted to do since I was three years old. I worked incredibly hard for five years, graduated, and have continued to work for the last three years in that field. But, I don’t tell people what specific job I do, because I still work in the area and it’s a very niche industry. It’s nice to keep that little section of my life private (for now). I ran out of money during my degree and dabbled in the adult industry to pay my way through school. It paid off because I adore both of my jobs and continue to work both, but I know it’s not forever. I can’t keep up with two full time jobs, and I’m often very exhausted. I do it because I love them both, but there will be a point in the future where Charlie Forde will become my sole focus. I can always come back to the other work if I want to. 

5. Many people we have talked with count their pets as family members and it's not just cats and dogs. We know many some who keep things like snakes, or lizards, or centipedes and spiders. What's going on in your household animal-wise, if anything?

All my closest fans probably feel like they also own my little puppies, Tammy and Lola. They mean everything to me, and they have seen me through some full-on times. When I say puppies though, they’re turning nine this year, so they’re little old ladies now. 

6. How about books and movies? Are you an avid media consumer of one sort or another? Do you have shelves upon shelves of favorite books and movies or do you prefer to stream everything nowadays and download books and magazines to a device? And how large is your personal porn stash?

I am a massive book fan. It took me a long time to buy a Kindle. For the longest, I didn’t want to give up the feel and smell of pages, but it means I can carry hundreds with me at the drop of a hat. I’m about to start reading a memoir written by a fellow sex worker and comedian, Bella Green, that I am so pumped for.

I’m also a gaming fanatic—I definitely collect video games and play with my fans a lot. 

I don’t keep a heap of personal porn stash on me because I just don’t have the room in my house. My company’s porn takes up enough space as it is! I like to sign up for memberships instead and enjoy different companies for a few months, before trying a different style. I do have a few Holly Randall feature movies saved somewhere.  

7. What's your playlist like? Is it very focused or if you hit play does random music just fill the air and even you're surprised as to what the next track might be?

My music taste is so varied and eccentric. I LIVE for music. If you put my playlist on shuffle, it’ll swap from slow calm music to heavy rap to ALT Indie. There’s not much I don’t like. I particularly love when someone takes a well-known song and flips it on its head until you don’t even recognize it, except for the lyrics and scattered subtle nods to the original. Yesterday, I was listening to a new cover of one of my favorite songs by Gang of Youths called “The Deepest of Sighs the Frankest of Shadows”. Do yourself a favor and look up Triple J’s like a version sung by Greta Ray. You won’t regret it. 

8. What's a typical day like for you? Is it wake up, grab some coffee, and then plan out a day of shooting? Or is it more of a let's see what happens kind of flow? Are you a morning person or a night owl?

I used to be a morning person, but working shift work for two to three years has turned me into a night owl. I usually roll out of bed, grab a coffee, walk the doggoes, and get to work. Half the week, I’m off to work my alternative job. The other half, I’m hunting for locations and new performers, working on my marketing. and plotting taking over the world. ;)

9. So what's the situation with weed over there? Google tells me it's not legal anywhere except the ACT. Is that correct? For such a large country, does that seem odd to the residents? What are your views on the medicinal and recreational uses of it?

Yes, weed is technically illegal in a lot of Australia now. But, a lot of people smoke it and there is a push to legalize it in a lot of states. I think it will be legalized soon. It’s available for medicinal use for people in Australia. I haven’t smoked it much to be honest. The first time I smoked was with my best friend and I was very giggly. I have personal reasons why I don’t really dabble too much in recreational drugs, even as simple as weed, but I get why people love weed. That night, I smoked for the first time with my best mate was one of the best nights of my life. 

10. Foster's Beer. Yay or Nay? It's really the only readily available Australian beer in the states but is it actually popular there?

Yay when overseas, nay in Australia. I’ve drunk it in multiple countries, and I SWEAR it’s better overseas. I think they must export their best batches. 

Okay, let's get a couple of the industry questions covered because after all, you are now an award-winning pornstar.

I still find that crazy! It really humbles me. 

11. I understand there aren't a lot of "big studios" over there and some of the content we have seen from Australia is from some of the larger ones but most of it seems to be created by the performers themselves. Is that pretty much the norm? Do you see that changing in one direction or another? How did Covid affect it? Also, I have gathered that sex work is decriminalized in much of Australia. Does that make shooting a bit easier at all?

Australia is very unique in that we have every possible legal framework here. It stands from decriminalization in Sydney and the Northern Territory, to legalization (which we feel is a form of criminalization) in every other state except South Australia where it is sadly criminalized to this day. Victoria is currently going through a huge review of the laws and our hope is that it will be decriminalized early next year. This doesn’t affect porn too much though because those laws revolve around other forms of sex work. Porn sits in its own category in a sense, as although it is legal to shoot porn you must be very savvy around how you distribute porn because of our antiquated classification laws. These are also currently about to be reviewed.

There aren’t many companies here you are correct. So yes Australian porn is mainly created by the performers themselves. It makes for some authentic, honest porn because the performers have total creative control. The companies are aware of this and definitely have latched onto the idea of allowing performers to navigate the creative side of shoots to a degree. There were some self-shot categories of porn that were very well known pre COVID, and this made it easier for performers to survive during our many lockdowns by making shoots from home. 

12. Do you lean toward more g/g scenes or b/g scenes for yourself? Obviously, there are one hundred dynamics in play on both fronts, so does one get your motor running more than the other?

I love both for different reasons—there are very different energies given off from men compared to women, and each give a totally different vibe to a shoot. I adore both equally. 

13. You mentioned that you're smart enough to know your limits when it comes to production and that you hired a videographer to worry about that aspect of filming. Do they then hand it off to you to edit, or do you trust others with all the production details?

I deal with the production side of shooting, which includes performers, locations, money, marketing, and liaison with other companies. My videographer films and edits, and if he thinks something will work best on the day whether it be a change to the script or an angle, I welcome advice and direction. My films are very much my babies, but I value input from all the people around me, as I have been doing this for less than a year on my own and the people I hire have been in the industry for years or decades. I value experience. 

14. My understanding is you write all of your scripts. Is that something that comes naturally and is an easy process or do you scrutinize every detail and have 1000 notes jotted down that you refer to?

As a writer, I find each task is its own beast. Some projects flow naturally and others I find myself spending more time thinking about them and taking notes than actually writing. I write 90% of my scripts, but again I’m more than happy for my team to come to me with an idea. One of my favorite videos came about because my friend and occasional shoot assistant came to me with an idea for a kink/BDSM-inspired birthday video. We shot it the same week as my birthday and I sploshed to my hearts content, ate icing off a cock, and was fucked over a balloon. It was so much fun!

I definitely have a big list of shoots that I want to create, and then I slowly chip away at the logistics to make those videos look their best. Often my barriers are locations and money, so I just wait until I find the perfect solution to make it as good as possible, and then go for it. At any point in time, I usually have about six shoots in solid, finished planning stages. 

15. How much of your time is devoted to creating content overall and will that be increasing now that the world is reopening again to a degree?
About half of my week is devoted to creating content. Although from an actual shoot perspective, I try to cram a month’s worth of content into a weekend. This will be definitely changing soon for personal reasons, and we’ll definitely be shooting more very soon. 

Bonus Question: Do you or anyone in your household cook? We have a column called XCooking where industry members can share their favorite recipes. Do you have a homemade dish that is a day-to-day go-to or a special occasion meal for you? Or do you just prefer to pick up the phone and order something or make reservations?

I am a free bird and so I am the only person in my household and the only person cooking. I adore cooking, although when I’m very busy I just don’t have the time to be as creative as I used to. My go to recipe is a chocolate pavlova that I serve with cream and berries—it’s so delicious!

Thanks for your time, Charlie. Feel free to expound on any answers, or toss in some facts I may have not mentioned. Tell the fans what they can look forward to in the near future if you can.

I expect my website charlieforde.com.au will be launching to allow memberships and VOD very, very soon, so keep your eyes peeled to my socials to see when you can finally jump on board and support me there! In the meantime, you can find all of my videos available on Just For Fans justfor.fans/charlsforde, Adult Empire adultempire.com/96165/studio/charlie-forde-studios.html, Hot Movies hotmovies.com/studio/6130/Charlie-Forde, Pornhub Premium pornhub.com/pornstar/charlie-forde, X Videos xvideos.com/model-channels/charlie_forde and some are also available on Erika Lust store.erikalust.com/producers/charlie-forde.

Well, there you have it guys and gals. 15 questions and answers from the 2021 Best Female Newcomer Pornstar in Australia.  Keep your eyes and ears on this lovely lady! You can also trust XCritic has reviews and more coming as we delve deeper into this lady and her accomplishments.

~cyber5

July 2021

Update Agust 27, 2021 Charlieforde.com is now live! Go see what you've been missing!