# Manuel Ferrara

Manuel Jeannin (French pronunciation:; born 1 November 1975), known professionally as Manuel Ferrara, is a French adult entertainer and director. One of the leading actors in the porn industry, Ferrara has won over 64 adult industry awards including six AVN Awards as Male Performer of the Year—the record for the accolade, and was inducted into the AVN and XRCO Halls of Fame.

## Early life

Ferrara was born in Le Raincy, France, and raised in nearby Gagny. He was born to a French father and a Spanish mother. His father was an electrician and his mother was a cleaning lady who had immigrated to France. His father died when Ferrara was 17. Manuel studied to become a P.E. teacher.

## Career

Ferrara shot his first hardcore scene in 1997 during his studies, after answering an ad in a French pornographic magazine. He then started a career as a professional porn actor, appearing in various French and European productions. He chose the stage name Manuel Ferrara because of his passing resemblance to boxer-turned-actor Stéphane Ferrara.
Ferrara became a protégé of Rocco Siffredi, who recommended him for a role in John Stagliano's Fashionistas in which he made his American debut. In 2002, he appeared in blockbuster hit Snoop Dogg's Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp. In 2003, he started directing gonzo pornography for Platinum X Pictures, a subsidiary of Red Light District Video. In 2004, he began directing for Red Light.
After working for Red Light District for the two years, Ferrara began directing for Evil Angel in May 2006. His first Evil Angel film was Evilution, starring Naomi, Melissa Lauren and featuring the comeback of Nici Sterling. Since then, he has directed several porn series, including Fucked on Sight, Slutty & Sluttier, Raw, Evil Anal, Battle of the Sluts, Anal Expedition, Teen Cum Squad, Bangin' Black Boxes, Ass Attack, I'm Your Slut, Mindfuck and New Whores on the Block.
On 23 December 2010, Ferrara appeared alongside Riley Steele in an episode of Manswers titled "Airplane Plane Hanger-On" to discuss their careers for the segment "How Can You Become A Porktastic Porn Star".
On 22 January 2012, he became the first actor in history to win AVN's Male Performer of the Year four times. He won AVN's Male Performer of the Year for a fifth time on 18 January 2014.
Ferrara performed in about 2,200 videos in his pornographic career.
In 2012, Ferrara appeared alongside pornographic actress Zoe Voss in an explicit sex scene for the mainstream film Starlet.

## Personal life

Ferrara was married to pornographic actress Dana Vespoli in January 2005. The couple divorced seven years later. They have three sons together. Ferrara has a daughter with his partner, American pornographic actress and director Kayden Kross.

## Awards and nominations

AVN Awards :
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Co-nominees | Result |
| 2004 | Male Foreign Performer of the Year | — | — | Won |
| 2004 | Best Group Sex Scene, Video | Back 2 Evil | Ashley Long, Julie Night and Nacho Vidal | Won |
| 2005 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — | Won |
| 2005 | Best Couples Sex Scene, Video | Stuntgirl | Venus | Won |
| 2006 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — | Won |
| 2006 | Best Anal Sex Scene (Video) | Cumshitters | Katsumi | Won |
| 2007 | Best Sex Scene Coupling (Film) | Emperor | Janine | Won |
| 2007 | Best Sex Scene Coupling (Video) | Slave Dolls 2 | Tiffany Mynx | Won |
| 2007 | Best Supporting Actor (Video) | She Bangs | — | Won |
| 2007 | Best Three-Way Sex Scene | Fuck Slaves | Sandra Romain and Sasha Grey | Won |
| 2008 | Best Couples Sex Scene, Video | Evil Anal 2 | Jenna Haze | Won |
| 2008 | Best POV Release | Fucked on Sight 2 | — | Won |
| 2008 | Best POV Series | Fucked on Sight | — | Won |
| 2009 | Best Anal Sex Scene | Big Wet Asses 13 | Sunny Lane | Won |
| 2009 | Best Three-Way Sex Scene | The Jenny Hendrix Anal Experience | Delilah Strong, Jenny Hendrix and Michael Stefano | Won |
| 2009 | Best Gonzo Series | Slutty and Sluttier | — | Won |
| 2009 | Best Anal-Themed Series | Evil Anal | — | Won |
| 2010 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — | Won |
| 2010 | Best Anal-Themed Series | Evil Anal | — | Won |
| 2011 | Best Couples Sex Scene | Kristina Rose Is Slutwoman | Kristina Rose | Won |
| 2011 | Best Anal Sex Scene | Asa Akira Is Insatiable | Asa Akira | Won |
| 2011 | Best Anal-Themed Series | Evil Anal | — | Won |
| 2011 | Best Gonzo Series | Slutty & Sluttier | — | Won |
| 2012 | Best Boy/Girl Scene | The Bombshells 3 | Lexi Belle | Won |
| 2012 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — | Won |
| 2012 | Hottest Sex Scene (Fan Award) | Babysitters 2 | BiBi Jones, Jesse Jane, Kayden Kross, Riley Steele and Stoya | Won |
| 2012 | Best Anal Series | Evil Anal | — | Won |
| 2012 | Best Big Butt Series | Phat Bottom Girls | — | Won |
| 2012 | Best Gonzo Series | | — | Won |
| 2013 | Best Anal Sex Scene | Oil Overload 7 | Brooklyn Lee | Won |
| 2013 | AVN Hall of Fame inductee | — | — | Won |
| 2013 | Best Continuing Series | Slutty & Sluttier | — | Won |
| 2013 | Best Vignette Release | Slutty & Sluttier 16 | — | Won |
| 2014 | Best Three-Way Sex Scene | Remy 2 | Remy LaCroix and Riley Reid | Won |
| 2014 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — | Won |
| 2014 | Best All-Sex Release | Slutty & Sluttier 18 | — | Won |
| 2014 | Best Anal Series | Evil Anal | — | Won |
| 2014 | Best Continuing Series | Slutty & Sluttier | — | Won |
| 2015 | Best Anal Sex Scene | Internal Damnation 8 | Adriana Chechik | Won |
| 2019 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — | Won |
| 2019 | Best Boy/Girl Sex Scene | Female of the Species | Evelyn Claire | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best Boy/Girl Sex Scene | Pretty Little Sluts 3 | Kenna James | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best Foreign-Shot Anal Sex Scene | Manuel's Euro Tour: Paris | Malena | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best Foreign-Shot Boy/Girl Sex Scene | Manuel's Euro Tour: Paris | Liya Silver | Won |
| 2021 | Best Gonzo/Wall-to-Wall Movie or Anthology | Raw 38 | — | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best Gonzo/Wall-to-Wall Series or Site | Dirty Talk | — | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best Ingénue Movie or Anthology | Pretty Little Sluts 3 | — | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best POV Sex Scene | Dirty Talk 8 | Jane Wilde | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best POV Sex Scene | Manuel's Fucking POV 13 | Gianna Dior | Nominated |
| 2021 | Director of the Year | — | — | Nominated |
| 2021 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — | Nominated |
XBIZ Awards :
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Co-nominees |
| 2009 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — |
| 2012 | Gonzo Series of the Year | Phat Bottom Girls | — |
| 2014 | Best Scene – Feature Movie | Code of Honor | Jesse Jane, Kayden Kross, Riley Steele, Selena Rose and Stoya |
| 2015 | Director of the Year – Non-Feature Release | Misha Cross Wide Open | Kayden Kross |
| 2017 | Best Sex Scene – Gonzo Release | Black Anal Asses | — |
XRCO Awards :
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Co-nominees |
| 2003 | New Stud | — | — |
| 2004 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — |
| 2004 | Sex Scene (Couple) | Babes in Pornland 14: Bubble Butt Babes | Jewel De'Nyle |
| 2004 | Best Threeway Sex Scene | Mason's Dirty Tricks | Julie Night and Steve Holmes |
| 2005 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — |
| 2006 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — |
| 2011 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — |
| 2011 | XRCO Hall of Fame inductee | — | — |
| 2012 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — |
| 2013 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — |
| 2013 | Best Gonzo Series | Raw | — |
NightMoves Awards :
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Co-nominees |
| 2006 | Best Actor (Editor's Choice) | — | — |
| 2013 | Best Male Performer (Fan's Choice) | — | — |
| 2013 | Best Ongoing Series (Fan's Choice) | RAW | — |
| 2014 | Best Director – Non-Feature (Fan's Choice) | — | — |
Hot d'Or Awards :
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Co-nominees | Ref(s) |
| 2009 | Best American Gonzo Director | Slutty and Sluttier | — | |
| 2009 | Best French Male Performer | — | — | |
Adam Film World Guide Awards :
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Co-nominees | Ref(s) |
| 2004 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — | |
| 2006 | Male Performer of the Year | — | — | |