Fresh Faces: Aila Donovan

This spotlight appeared in the August issue of AVN magazine. Click here for the digital edition. LOS ANGELES—Aila Donovan (Pronounced Ay-la) almost went with A-Y-L-A for her stage name but "lists always go alphabetical so you want to go a little higher." She got started as a performer because a close friend of hers and his husband are big in the gay porn industry. "We talked about it and I thought 'Why am I not doing this?'" she recalls. She went with them to AVN Adult Entertainment Expo and "met a ton of people in the industry. Performers, you name it. It was such a great experience. I fell in love with the whole industry, and the vibe. You can make your own schedule, and it's a great income. You get to make people happy. I thought it was a great thing to dive into, so I did." Donovan grew up in "a little Podunk town in Northern California" and says "I was in the bar and restaurant industry for way too long." She moved south and worked as a bartender at Coachella and in San Diego before recently moving to Orange County. A friend recommended her to agent Mark Spiegler. "She called me, I talked to her, she came out here and I met her," Spiegler told AVN. "She's what I look for in a client: a good-looking girl, reliable and intelligent. She shot four days in a row for MindGeek brands, and I had her booked but before she could start working on those, the COVID shutdown occurred. We're looking forward to great things from her." Of the four scenes she shot before the COVID shutdown, Donovan says her best was with Keiran Lee for Brazzers: "There was massage, with oil, and I think those are super fun. You get to slide around. Keiran Lee is great fun to work with, the crew was joking all the time. It was a fun experience. I had a blast." In the future, Donovan says, "I'm looking forward to Expo. I love the AVN Expo experience, and seeing all the people in the industry." On camera, "I love orgy scenes. I love hosting them, I think it would be super, super fun to do." With anybody in particular? "There's a whole list. [laughter]"