World's number one adult star explains reality of being on a movie set

One of the most famous stars in the adult industry has opened up about what it's like to film an X-rated movie, and the surprising reality of what goes into the behind the scenes of it all.

Angela White is regularly voted as the number one most popular star, topping the chart for Pornhub's most searched for actress in 2024.

She's also previously been dubbed the 'Meryl Streep of porn' thanks to her success and her wide range of skills and types of film she makes.

After entering the industry at the age of just 18, Angela is now 40, so it's safe to say she's got a lot of experience working on an adult film set.

And it's not as simple as some people might think.

Angela has worked both in front of and behind the camera, and she is happy to lift the curtain about the secrets of adult work and what really goes on behind the scenes.

Angela White has spoken out the reality of adult work. (Instagram/@theangelawhite)

The Australian actress has opened up about the 'biggest mistake' she ever made and whether she's actually faking it in scenes or if her co-stars are just that good.

She also revealed what her parents think of her being a porn star... imagine that conversation!

But one of the most surprising revelations she's made is how the industry is actually very 'corporate' and there are a lot of rules and regulations to be followed.

Like most workplaces, Angela says there's constant 'paperwork' to be filled in.

She previously told news.com.au about the reality of life on set: "A lot of people still think it’s a shady industry, when in reality it is very corporate - there is so much compliance."

The preparation for a shoot actually starts weeks before, as they have to provide a clean sexual health test from within the last 14 days.

This means a lot of testing for Angela, because of how much work she does.

"So for me, because I work so much, I’m testing every 12 days - and that is a full sweep of STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV and trichomoniasis," she continued. "We’re doing throat swabs, vaginal swabs and anal swabs."

Once that has been sorted, and still before anyone gets down and dirty, Angela revealed that the name and age of each performer is checked and verified, and they have to show some identification on camera.

This is all to prevent exploitation.

Boundaries are important in any intimate relationship, whether personal or professional, and those same limits are respected in the adult acting world too, she says.

Angela White is largely considered to be the world's most recognisable porn star (Instagram/@theangelawhite)

Angela explained that each actor goes through a list of what they are happy to do, and what they refuse to do.

"We go through and say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or ask for clarification," the star confirmed.

It can take up to 30 minutes to plan out what they're okay with, and just what will happen in the film.

Sorry to say, all of those 'spontaneous' sexy scenes are actually the result of a lot of preparation and checking in with each other, even when two actors have worked together many times before.

Angela says this is because people can regularly change their mind about what they're comfortable with.

The star insists it's not the responsibility of porn actors to promote safe sex though, as she says their work is 'entertainment', not 'education'.

"You don’t watch Fast and Furious to learn how to drive," she joked.

She also explained how physically demanding the job can be: "It‘s not like regular at home sex, we’re constantly changing positions and we hold them for around five minutes."

Adult website Kink.com has recently shared their list of protocols and safety requirements they have for their stars, hoping it will encourage other production companies to do the same.

Alison Boden is the CEO of the company, says: "Kink has over twenty years’ experience in producing safe, consensual, hardcore material. We are not perfect. But from our mistakes, we’ve learned to build systems that better protect performer consent.

"We want the knowledge that we’ve accumulated to be accessible to the broader industry, so that producers understand how consent can function, and so that performers on every set can feel safer and more in control. We don’t believe that safer sets should be marketplace advantage."

She also stressed the importance of seeking consent and that it is their 'moral obligation' to protect their performers.