The XCritic Interview: Casey Calvert

For the longest time, we have known that there is more to Casey Calvert than we will EVER know. She is the modern-day adult superstar who has allowed so many of us to wear our love for fetish on our sleeve with pride. Casey is as beautiful in mind as she is in body. That is a fact that would make the engineer of the Kingda Ka roller coaster go bat shit crazy, just from following her curves. Beauty and mind power that will be remembered forever, and in more places than just the adult entertainment world. Behind the scenes, Casey is known as a passionate soul. She is a performer who is always willing to show new talent the ropes, and this was happening long before she became a writer/director. You can talk about companies who collect charity to help performers in distress all you like, yet none can compare with the wonder this woman has had with her fellow performers. Then … she met Erika Lust, and it was akin to a match made in Heaven. The pair brought to life a new way of thinking when it comes to making adult films. These ladies want you to buy a ticket to their show. They want you to enjoy the before and after, and not just the climax, or pretty pictures. Both seasons of Primary are the perfect example of what happens when porn people make porn. Plain and simple, it is the story brought to life in the mind of a superstar adult entertainer, and financially backed by a company that wants to change the world in ways that showcase the beauty, and not the vulgarity of sex. I am pleased to sit down with the director of Primary, Season Two … Casey Calvert.

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Don Juan: Well, good afternoon, madam, how are you?

Casey Calvert: I am doing well, how are you?

Don Juan: I am well, it is just so good to hear from you. 

Casey Calvert: Same here.

Don Juan: So, correct me if I am wrong here madam. Were both films/series of Primary made during this damn COVID-19 pandemic?

Casey Calvert: No, not season one. Season one was pre-COVID. It was released during the start of the pandemic, but we shot all of it before the pandemic. 

Don Juan: Ahh, thank you for jarring my memory. Woman, I am telling you, just the fact that we are still in this damn pandemic, and this series is getting so many rave reviews, it is inspiring and so much more to behold from my standpoint. 

Casey Calvert: I know, and yes, it is great. 

Don Juan: The first season, it brings up my first question, which is more of accolades to be honest. How proud were you to see Kira Noir get that award for acting? 

Casey Calvert: That was one of the highlights of my ENTIRE career! I was at a friend's house during the awards show. This friend, who is a civilian, was excited to be watching the awards show at the same time I was, since the show was virtual. This friend made the event really special for me. Then, Kira won, and she called me almost immediately. She was just screaming and crying. She was at the AVN office because she was hosting the virtual show. I could see and hear all these people around her in the room screaming and cheering for her. It is one of those incredible moments in life that I will never forget. It is a true once in a lifetime experience. 

Don Juan: Oh, yeah! Those are the stories I love to tell my friend. Woman, the character you made, see, I am going to get carried away here. (Shared laugh) The character you made with Kira Noir; it was real. The performance she set forth was raw, and true. The emotions she evoked within me; I am still in awe! 

Casey Calvert: Thank you. The credit, it very much goes to Kira. She is an incredibly talented, dedicated, actor. I am very lucky that she wanted to play in this scene with me. 

Don Juan: I have thought that she is the most amazing performer as well. Oh, before I forget. I wanted to tell you that I think your press release for the series is just freaking amazing. I love that you put so many of the finer details about who she is in that release. She is a hard person to land an interview with, and learning about who she is, where she comes from, it was so fascinating. I know that she is a very private person, so that was really awesome. To learn that she is from Nashville was so cool!

Casey Calvert: Yeah! One of the cool little Easter eggs in Primary is that Kira’s character is actually from Nashville. Meanwhile, Victoria Voxxx’s character is from Denver. 

Don Juan: You fucking rock woman. I was just about to say, those little things, they make such a difference when it comes to the presentation of a film, and having an audience fall in love with it. In the future, when we look back at this series, those are the things that people are going to remember. 

Casey Calvert: Yeah, I hope so. 

Don Juan: I know that is what is going to happen. Part two of this question, and I mean this, coming from a critic and writer. You putting in people who “matter” does matter! What I mean by that is, you cast people who love this industry, people who take this job seriously. That Girl/Girl scene, and I said it from the moment I reviewed it, was absolutely real. It was powerful, and was a scene made by women who really love women. (Casey laughs with an enchanting delight.)

Casey Calvert: Yes, that is something that is just so incredibly important to me. I would much rather have on set, someone who may not be the most experienced actor or performer, but who wants to be there and is excited to be there. That is one of the most important things to me, not just as a performer myself, but as a director. 

Don Juan: There is something more, that we are not talking about enough in this industry, and it is being able to have performers play roles that they would want to play. 

Casey Calvert: Yes, yes. Absolutely. Which is just so wonderful! 

Don Juan: The day and age of people making the porn that they want to make is upon us. 

Casey Calvert: I know, I know. It is fantastic. 

Don Juan: Now, let’s get into the second season of Primary. I remember you telling me the story of meeting Erika Lust in our first interview. I am dying to know, what did that meeting look like, when you were trying to make the second season with Erika?

Casey Calvert: It is actually a great question. I do not know if I have nearly as interesting of an answer for you, but it is very anticlimactic, and went something like this. I said, “Hey Erika, can I do season two of Primary?” She said, “Yes!” (We share a lovely high-pitched laugh.)

Don Juan: You know darlin’, I knew that was going to be the response to that question. I mean that. All fun aside my friend, you have earned that in this business, with all your hard work. You are a woman who deserves that from any producer in this business. Whenever you ask anything, there is no producer who should say anything except, “Here you go madam.” You have earned that with every single film and scene that you have made. 

Casey Calvert: Thank you for that. I mean Erika, she is just so incredible. I have so much love and respect for her, and her entire team. The way that they showcase and support me, I feel like the luckiest person in this industry. You have no idea how wonderful it is to not have to fight for things when it comes to making a film. No matter what it is that we are doing, even these press packets you talked so admirably about, we worked together to create everything. It is a union that works and fits very well. 

Don Juan: I love it. Casey, I must say, the story within this second series is even more powerful than the first. Have I ever told you how much I love the fact that there are always books within your films?

Casey Calvert: Yes, yes you have. (We share another chuckle amongst good peeps. Just as cheesy as you could imagine.)

Don Juan: The depth that is within every single one of these characters. You can tell that you had peace of mind when you were creating this year's story. Every single episode darlin’, it is a trip into a world never seen before in porn. 

Casey Calvert: Thank you so much. 

Don Juan: I want to talk about the creative process. How long did it take you to come up with this script woman? Because again, it is a fucking masterpiece. 

Casey Calvert: Well, I had plenty of time because of COVID. We originally started talking about doing season two of Primary in March of 2020, right when things really started going to shit. The conversation was quick, and went a little something like this, “Are we going to do Primary Season Two?” “Yes, we are.” That is how it should have been. But then, it went to, “Hold on! Pump the brakes, there is a pandemic going on!” So, I had a lot of time to come up with this story. I had a lot of time to figure out what I wanted to do. But, when it came time for me to actually sit down and write it, there was about a month of work that I put into writing. In the original draft of the script, there were three storylines, and I just couldn’t make it work. I could not interweave all the stories. I could not add the style that I wanted to everything with three storylines. Things were becoming diluted, and I did not have enough screen time for each story to be told the right way. So, I cut an entire storyline from the film. 

Don Juan: Oh, wow! You know what Casey? I think you made the right choice. Each character, it seems like they have the perfect amount of screen time for the depth you gave them. That is why I wrote that question because there is nothing overdone with this second season of Primary. 

Casey Calvert: It is so important to me, to have these characters feel like real people, and if each character only gets fifteen minutes of screen time, sex scene excluded, it is not enough to have an actual story arch. So, it was definitely the right decision. I do not regret it. I am glad that I made the decision to focus on these starlets, in the way that I did with each scene. 

Don Juan: Casey, I cannot tell you how long it has been since I watched an adult feature, and at the end of the sexual encounter, was still curious, and enthralled to see what happens next in the story. The brilliance you put on the screen is something that we critics are not privy to every day in this business. Sometimes, not even in a year. That is what stands out the most about Primary, Season Two. 

Casey Calvert: That is good. The last thing I ever want to do is make a movie where people watch the sex scene, and they are like, “Great, turn it off!”

Don Juan: Darlin’ you have completed something that so many have attempted over the years in the history of XXX with that statement. I am just so glad that it is a performer who is creating these types of groundbreaking films. This brings us right to my favorite question of the bunch because I love this little lady. 

Casey Calvert: OK, great!

Don Juan: I would love to hear the story about how you met Victoria Voxxx. 

Casey Calvert: Ooooooh, what a great question. I am worried that I am going to tell this story wrong. I can picture her reading this interview and saying, “That was not the first time we met!” If I get this wrong. Victoria, I feel like I have known her forever now, but I believe that we met through our mutual friend, John Paul, the Pope. I remember him telling me about her, and that she was amazing. From there, we got introduced somehow. Was it when we were shooting content? Maybe? Did I perhaps hire her for a Girlsway scene that I was directing at the time? Probably, maybe. I honestly don’t remember exactly how we met. Now, what I do know is that I consider her to be such a great friend. 

Don Juan: She is just the fucking best!

Casey Calvert: Yes!

Don Juan: I love that you brought up the fetish world, with John Paul, with that being how you all met. I interviewed her when she first got into the industry. Our first conversation was this two-hour long tangent about fetish, and we have been friends ever since. Victoria was the perfect person to cast as Olivia, I am telling you, woman!

Casey Calvert: I wrote Olivia for Victoria. I did not write Olivia and then tried to find someone who could become the character. I wrote Olivia with Victoria in mind the entire time. 

Don Juan: Casey, there are few things in this world that rival getting to see Victoria play that guitar in episode one. It is here that her character grabs hold of the audience, and never lets go, no matter what their opinion is of her up until that point. 

Casey Calvert: She is such an incredible musician. There was no way that I could not put that part of who she is in the film. Especially after I had touched on music a little bit in season one. I felt like I had to incorporate music into season two. Victoria was game to write original music for the film. That day we shot her in that little coffee shop. We sat her down and we put a microphone on her. I remember thinking that she had to be nervous. This was the first time we shot of her for the entire series, and yeah, she was so nervous. I told her, “Just play like you are at another gig.” She said, “OK, I can do that!”

Don Juan: Damn, I wish I could have been there. Especially after seeing what the end result was. 

Casey Calvert: Everyone was speechless. There was no one in that room who could take their eyes off her. I could have just let her sing, and play guitar for five minutes, and been perfectly happy. She has that ability where you will just get lost within her music. I am serious, that is what Victoria can do. 

Don Juan: That is such a cool story. Because Victoria is so down to earth, and so real. I can only imagine what that was like as the director. Once again, you are the perfect person to help bring out that magic when it comes to the relationship and actor, and it’s something a director must have. 

Casey Calvert: She crushed it! She crushed it! Throughout that whole movie, she simply “crushed it” in so many ways. In so many scenes. I so badly want her to get that best actor award. I want Victoria to get the recognition that she deserves, for all the hard work that she did on Primary, Season Two. 

Don Juan: I agree, she deserves to be an award winner on the grandest stage. I think there is something else that you will agree with me on. She is that actor, and it does not matter what type of production she is starring in, you never forget her, because of what she brings to the table, and how dedicated she is. 

Casey Calvert: Yes, yes! Absolutely! 

Don Juan: Like you my dear, she is a brilliant interview, and that is because you are both women who are in this business for the right reasons. It is the ladies like you and Victoria who are really going to take us into a new era of the industry, within the digital age of entertainment. 

Casey Calvert: Well, thank you. I hope so. 

Don Juan: Please, make more movies together! You two are just so amazing!

Casey Calvert: Well, you can have this exclusive information. My next film, which begins shooting in December, will have Victoria starring in that as well. 

Don Juan: Hell, fucking yeah! I have known Victoria since she began, and like you said, her talents as a musician are beyond what most fans, or even industry members, are able to comprehend. I have been waiting a long time for someone to put those talents into a film. I know that you thought what I thought, and that is, when you put that music in a film, it will just hypnotize an audience. 

Casey Calvert: Her musical abilities… it adds more depth to the person that she is playing. It makes that character become someone you just don’t talk about. You actually see her and hear her being a musician. 

Don Juan: Yes! You also explore the emotions of the character through music. It is something that is truly beautiful. I know I throw that word around a lot, being the writer and person that I am, but Casey, I mean this, you all did one amazing job.

Casey Calvert: Well, thank you!

Don Juan: My dear, the other part of this film we must talk about is the fluidity of the film. You and I have spoken about this before, and I hope we can talk about its importance in this film. I love how you showcased sexuality in a whole other light with this season. You showed the character’s struggle. Oh, my goodness, Cam Damage? I was blown away, and when I read that this was the first mainstream gig that Cam was a part of? I was blown the fuck away! Where do you find these diamonds, in the sea of diamonds that is our industry?

Casey Calvert: Cam has been a friend for many, many years. We first met at a fetish convention in Florida, I do believe. Cam has been a very successful indie performer for as long as I can remember. I have always seen so much talent within what Cam does on screen. I invited Cam to audition for Primary. The end result is what you see in the series. 

Don Juan: I remember telling you this last year. You are going to make people see so many of their own friends, their own loves, and their own lives within this production. Cam is one of those characters that will do that to people. The way that you had Victoria and Cam interact with one another. You took me back to my teenage years. That is what you truly call movie magic. I think many fans will relate like I did. 

Casey Calvert: Thank you, I think so too. (We share this laugh of pure joy.)

Don Juan: Now, to cover some basic logistics of the film, if you do not mind doing so. How long did it take you to shoot this season? 

Casey Calvert: We shot this season in fourteen days. 

Don Juan: Was this year's shoot easier to complete than season one?

Casey Calvert: Oh, it was way easier. No, wait. Let me take that back. I will say that some things were easier, and some things were much more complicated. What was easier you ask? Since directing season one of Primary, I have directed a bunch of films. I have become a much more confident director. It felt a lot easier for me to make decisions on set, and still be able to communicate the things that I want to my cast and crew. Now, in terms of production logistics, COVID is a thing that you have to work with. We did a lot of COVID testing, we had a lot on our plate when figuring out how to make the shoot locations work as well. I will say this for example. Because of COVID, that coffee shop that we shot in, the same where Victoria played her amazing song. They were available at a rate that we could afford, because of COVID-19. This coffee shop was literally still closed because of the pandemic. That is how that space became available for us. There were a few things that worked out in our favor because of COVID. For the most part, logistics were just “tricky.” We had to have Cam drive all the way down from Seattle. Having to do almost everything on the fly travel wise. It made things a bit more tricky with the production. 

Don Juan: Oh, I bet! Casey, I must tell you this, and I think you already know this, with the natural jealousy that working in the field of entertainment brings. People who don’t know, but they assume, and they like to think they know who Casey Calvert the director is. You know what? I think none of them have a fucking clue, especially those nay-sayers who will never be at your level but think that they already are. I will make a long story short. Last year, there was someone who was in the running with you neck and neck when it came to awards season. I spoke with many performers who worked for you and this other director. What the performers said when I asked them to compare the two sets was this every time. They said that your sets were precise, clean, and well run. You had your crew being your crew, and it always turned out to be something grand, not just great. I think a performer's words speak the most on an occasion like this when we are talking about who is the best in the business. 

Casey Calvert: That is what we try to create, a mainstream environment for everyone. 

Don Juan: Oh, I have even more respect for you now my dear. The three shoots that I have now taken part in, they have been so difficult, and that is just from a producer’s standpoint. I can only imagine what it is like from the director’s eyes. 

We again shared another massive laugh. Casey, she is as brilliant and down-to-earth as they come in this industry. The laughter we shared… it is something that I consider a privilege. So many think that all that comes with making an adult picture is big boobs, cocks, and egos. Oh, how I wish that were true. Adversity is something that this megastar performer and director deals directly with in the best way, with kindness, and hard work. I think the 2022 awards season will prove just how true that is. The things you don’t hear about in this industry, and what Casey is speaking of, is how a director works to give a production a “mainstream” feel. That is what once elevated this industry into the households and places we never thought possible once upon a time. Imagine what the future holds for Casey Calvert and Lust Cinema?

Don Juan: To be able to make an idea go from written words to video is something so incredibly difficult. Performers who have worked for you, and this unnamed director whom I referenced, have told me, “Casey’s sets are something I enjoy. I have no complaints, and no backlash.” Comments like that speak volumes in this industry.

Casey Calvert: That is great Don. I love to hear that. 

Don Juan: You keep it up Casey. You are going to change this world woman. Like I have told you so many times before. So, with all this we have spoken about, I would love to know what the feedback has been with the fans? Are you getting positive feedback? Because the critics are going ga-ga over Primary Season Two. 

Casey Calvert: Yes, I am definitely getting good feedback from the fans. It has been really interesting, and it has been indicative of the business, especially over the past ten years, where there has been such a focus on gonzo. I understand there have been a few “big budget” features that I have seen over the last many years as a performer, but for the most part, it has been smaller, two- or three-day features and gonzo, and that has been all that fans have had to choose from for the most part. A lot of my personal fans are very heavy gonzo fans. Still, I have found through directing, and both seasons of Primary, that we have this other group of fans who are looking for story, and substance in a way they may not have been able to find, for quite a while, in our industry. To be a part of this is just really cool to me. 

Don Juan: Once again, I will share this with you, even though this is something an interviewer does not always share with their subject. Last year, I was pitching you hard to anyone and everyone who would listen. I wanted people to see your work, and I think that people are more aware of what it is now, and I’m especially excited to see what you have in store with year number two at Lust Cinema. I think that your writing and direction have opened a lot of people’s eyes. I won’t tell you who, but there are people with both XBIZ, and AVN, when this one came out, I told them, “Get your ass in gear, and check things out.” This year, they were already ahead of me, and had told me that they had already watched a few episodes. You have truly changed the minds of writers in this industry, whom I have never seen change like that. 

Casey Calvert: I will say this– the standard porn critic is sometimes a very tough audience to please. That is especially true when you are trying to do new things. Still, I think you know how important it is for me to make the films that I am making. So, I could not be happier having that great feedback from the critics. 

Don Juan: You are just a psychic woman! Those are the exact people that I am talking about. Not just the veteran writers of the business, but the legends, who have long worked for magazines since before I even knew what Playboy was. Damn, now that is a long time ago. They are people who have reviewed thousands of films, and just like any other person who has been in this business a long time, it is natural to make your style and way about speed. With everything here, here, here!

Casey Calvert: Yes!

Don Juan: Those are the people I am talking about, and one thing I know about all of them, is that we are all film lovers, and they are all in awe of Primary Season Two. I just thought I would share that with you. I have love for so many different flavors of people in this industry, and your film has touched each, and every one of them. 

Casey Calvert: Well, that is awesome. Thank you!

Don Juan: As we close with the last two questions, I simply must tell you that the music of this series is simply unforgettable. In the press kit, and I want to make sure that I am reading this right, the music credits go to songs that Victoria wrote, but also, there was another one… Nicolas Lara, I believe it was. 

Casey Calvert: He is just amazing! He did the music for season one as well, and he is simply my guy for Primary. I went to a Skinny Bridges show, pre-COVID of course, even pre-Primary season one, at this little venue in Orange County. I think there were a little over a thousand people. It was a very little venue and was just before she was famous. Anyhow, he messaged me on Instagram, asking me if it was me that he had seen at the show that night. He told me that he does music, and if I had ever needed anyone to do music, to let him know. I get stuff like that all the time, so I of course, did not respond to him at the time. A little after, I checked out his profile and looked him up on Spotify. I sat and listened and was like, “Oh, shit!” It was the same vibe of music I was looking for with Primary. From there, we DM’d each other a couple of times, and since then, he has been incredibly gracious with his music. He gets me whatever it is that I need for the film, which is valuable beyond what I think fans will know, and I mean anything! If I need lyrics printed out, or I need to have him go back and forth with me to find the matching tone with me for a scene, he can do it. I am so incredibly grateful for that. 

Don Juan: I love what the music does in this series. It is something that takes the audience in and out of each story. The way that chapters two and three ended, I was floating on air with that music. I was feeling a fucking buzz, I shit you not woman! Then, a new chapter begins, and this hypnotic melody takes you away again. The only way I can describe it is that it’s different, but the same each time. What a job you all did there! Those are the artistic strokes that complete a true film. 

Casey Calvert: That comment really means so much to me. 

Don Juan: You know Casey, I have always been a man who loves music, and I have friends in the music business. I have always thought, “Why can we not get this type of music and melody in adult films?” It is mesmerizing to see that a director is thinking the same exact thing, and now, has done it! Bravo!

Casey Calvert: Thank you, thank you! I feel like the score, and the soundtrack, are such an incredibly important part of storytelling. You know this– we do not have the budget for composers in porn. We just don’t have the means to create that essential, original music. So, being able to work with the people that I have, it has been so incredible. Nicolas Lara is a musician who is excited to be a part of this project. 

Don Juan: Those are the little things that make a film, a story, and entertainment! I cannot tell you how much that scene with the video games brought me to my knees. It made me think of one of the great loves of my life, her name is Laura. She and I are movie, and video game chums. We can sit, talk about our lives, be loving and intimate with one another, and I am talking about sharing one's soul. Those are the dates we go on. You created that reality in film. 

Casey Calvert: I want to share a funny story with you about that video game scene. We did not have an actual XBOX. Instead, we only had the controllers. For the movie, we tried to get the controllers to turn on, and stay lit up, just the same way they would be as if we were really playing video games, and we could not get them to turn on. We had rigged up a machine to give us power, but we just could not get it. I have gotten so much shit because the video game controller was not turned on, and it has come from everywhere! I had fans from Instagram telling me, “Those controllers are not on, you are not actually playing!” I had to tell so many people, “Thank you, thank you, I KNOW! It is a movie, sorry! A lot of things are not real. You gotta do what you gotta do!” The way I see it Don is if the worst feedback I get from this film is about video game controllers not turning on, during a minute-long scene, I will survive!

Don Juan: Do you know what else that says? That says that they are watching post-sexual encounters. That means it is a mission accomplished in the filmmaking department, my friend. Plus, you have hit a new demographic, the video game crowd! 

Casey Calvert: Yes, exactly! I have hit the video game crowd. They are quite particular, but in a good way. 

Don Juan: Casey, as always, we can wrap up and accomplish in thirty minutes what usually takes two hours with other performers and directors. You are a blessing my dear. Please, in closing, and I want you to close this article… that is what you, and this film mean to me. What do you want to tell the fans, the voters, the critics, and your fellow industry members about what this means to you?

Casey Calvert: That is such a tough question. You always do this. I want to first say, thank you for your support. If people were not watching my film, I would not get the opportunity to make more. I want to tell you, I had a call with Erika and her team, and we are renewing my contract for next year, and that means I get to keep doing what I love, and I am so grateful for that. I could not do that without all the support from everyone you just mentioned. So again, thank you everyone!

I lied. I could not let Casey close this grand article. It is not every day a director speaks to a writer/critic and says what she said to me in private. I will not reveal exactly what was spoken, but I can say that Casey Calvert is everything that the future will be in this industry. The AVN and XBIZ award nominations are so plentiful and speak for themselves when it comes to the hard work that this woman puts in. Casey is the performer who is not afraid to be bold and is not afraid to show another side of sexuality. All of this, in a world that likes to paint, and type-cast itself into a corner at times. That is the nature of adult entertainment. Do not be surprised to see Casey Calvert hoisting a few trophies over her head the next couple of days, during this, the first week of 2022, and mark my words, it will not be the last time she does so. She is forever the storyteller’s champion, Casey Calvert!

Read the XCritic reviews for the first two episodes of Primary, Season Two:

• https://www.xcritic.com/review/45509/primary-season-2---episode-1/

• https://www.xcritic.com/review/45561/primary-season-2---episode-2/

Follow Casey across social media:

Twitter: @caseycalvertxxx

Instagram: caseycalvert

OnlyFans: https://onlyfans.com/caseycalvertxxx

Special thanks to Erika Lust, and Lust Cinema. On a personal note, thank you Casey, for always having the faith in my writing and ways that you have since day one. Pictures provided by Casey Calvert, and Lust Cinema.