# Manuel Ferrara
**Manuel Ferrara** is the stage name of Manuel Jeannin (born 1975), a French pornographic film actor and director who has worked in the American industry since the mid-2000s and holds the record for AVN Male Performer of the Year wins, with six.[1](https://pornstarranked.com/tallest-pornstars/) He entered the industry in France in 1997, moved permanently to the United States in 2004, and built a parallel career as a director and producer for his own label, distributed by Evil Angel.[2](https://www.canalplus.com/articles/le-journal-du-hard/manuel-ferrara-la-ferrari-des-acteurs-x)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Manuel Jeannin, born 1975 in Le Raincy, France; raised in nearby Gagny[3](https://www.manuelferraraweb.com/about.html) |
| Career start | First hardcore scene in 1997, while a student, after answering a magazine casting ad[4](https://www.manuelferraraweb.com/experience.html) |
| Signature record | Six AVN Male Performer of the Year wins, the all-time total for the category, spread from 2005 to 2019[1](https://pornstarranked.com/tallest-pornstars/) |
| Hall of Fame | AVN Hall of Fame, 2013[2](https://www.canalplus.com/articles/le-journal-du-hard/manuel-ferrara-la-ferrari-des-acteurs-x) |
| Output | 1,659 acting credits and 280 directing credits on IMDb; 53 wins and 135 nominations[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1279296/?showAllCredits=true) |
| Own label | Production company distributed exclusively by Evil Angel; series include "Slutty & Sluttier," "Raw," "Evil Anal," and "Phat Bottom Girls"[6](https://www.xbiz.com/features/169249/born-to-perform-manuel-ferrara-discusses-career-under-the-lights) |
| Marriages | Dana Vespoli (married 2005, divorced 2012, three children); Kayden Kross (married 2013, one child)[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1279296/bio/) |
## Early life
Ferrara was born Manuel Jeannin in Le Raincy, a suburb of Paris, and grew up in Gagny in the [Seine-Saint-Denis](https://www.edgepedia.org/seine-saint-denis) department. His father was an electrician and his mother, originally from Spain, worked as a cleaner; his father died when Ferrara was 17.[3](https://www.manuelferraraweb.com/about.html) • [4](https://www.manuelferraraweb.com/experience.html) He studied to become a physical education teacher and was still in college when he entered the adult industry.[6](https://www.xbiz.com/features/169249/born-to-perform-manuel-ferrara-discusses-career-under-the-lights)
The entry itself came from a dare. In 1997 a friend challenged him to answer a casting notice in a French magazine for an amateur series titled *Pourquoi pas vous ?* ("Why not you?"); he sent a letter and a photo expecting no reply, filmed his first scene that year, and continued in small French amateur productions while finishing his studies.[8](https://www.letribunaldunet.fr/insolite/tes-pas-cap-manuel-ferrara-raconte-comment-un-simple-pari-a-fait-de-lui-une-star-mondiale-du-x.html)
## Career
**From France to the United States.** Ferrara's early work was in French and European productions. His career turned when he connected with the established French performer [Rocco Siffredi](https://www.edgepedia.org/rocco-siffredi), who encouraged him to work professionally and helped open doors in the United States; Ferrara dates his own decision to turn professional to meeting Siffredi right after graduating.[4](https://www.manuelferraraweb.com/experience.html) • [6](https://www.xbiz.com/features/169249/born-to-perform-manuel-ferrara-discusses-career-under-the-lights) His American debut came in [John Stagliano](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-stagliano)'s *Fashionistas*, and he settled permanently in the United States in 2004.[4](https://www.manuelferraraweb.com/experience.html) • [2](https://www.canalplus.com/articles/le-journal-du-hard/manuel-ferrara-la-ferrari-des-acteurs-x)
**Performing record.** By 2013, in his sixteenth year in the industry, trade press credited him with more than 1,200 movie credits as a performer and around 120 as a director, along with what XBIZ described as a couple dozen industry awards from every major organization.[6](https://www.xbiz.com/features/169249/born-to-perform-manuel-ferrara-discusses-career-under-the-lights) • [9](https://www.xbiz.com/news/165615/xbiz-tv-manuel-ferrara-discusses-porn-career) Current IMDb listings count 1,659 acting credits and 280 directing credits, with 53 wins and 135 nominations overall.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1279296/?showAllCredits=true) His six AVN Male Performer of the Year wins are spread across fourteen years, from 2005 to 2019, rather than clustered in a short peak; one older biographical source gives the figure as five wins, and the discrepancy reflects different snapshot dates of a record that continued to grow.[1](https://pornstarranked.com/tallest-pornstars/) • [10](https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Manuel_Ferrara) He was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2013.[2](https://www.canalplus.com/articles/le-journal-du-hard/manuel-ferrara-la-ferrari-des-acteurs-x)
**Directing and the Raw series.** Ferrara produces and directs for his namesake production company, distributed exclusively by Evil Angel, which releases one new title per month from series including "Slutty & Sluttier," "Evil Anal," "Phat Bottom Girls," and the reality-style gonzo line "Raw."[6](https://www.xbiz.com/features/169249/born-to-perform-manuel-ferrara-discusses-career-under-the-lights) He has described intimacy as central to his approach, calling "Raw" his favorite series to shoot.[9](https://www.xbiz.com/news/165615/xbiz-tv-manuel-ferrara-discusses-porn-career) In "Raw" he films handheld in a hotel room with a deliberately minimal setup, an aesthetic close to a sex tape; the series ran to 38 chapters by 2021 and featured performers including [Abella Danger](https://www.edgepedia.org/abella-danger), Liza del Sierra, Nikita Bellucci, Anissa Kate, and Ivana Sugar.[2](https://www.canalplus.com/articles/le-journal-du-hard/manuel-ferrara-la-ferrari-des-acteurs-x) At the 40th [AVN Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/avn-awards) in January 2023, the fourteenth volume of "Manuel's Fucking POV," his series at Jules Jordan Video, won the award for best POV sex scene, shared with [Anna Claire Clouds](https://www.edgepedia.org/anna-claire-clouds).[11](https://sexorado.fr/modeles/manuelferrara/)
## Beyond performing
Ferrara has maintained a public presence outside film. In 2016 he took up professional gaming and grew his internet following; by early 2017 his Twitch channel, Manuel Ferrara TV, had more than 50,000 followers, with sponsorships from a headphone brand, a vodka brand, and [Fleshlight](https://www.edgepedia.org/fleshlight), and planned shows on MMA, anime, and sex.[2](https://www.canalplus.com/articles/le-journal-du-hard/manuel-ferrara-la-ferrari-des-acteurs-x) • [12](https://www.lavoixdux.com/2017/02/09/ferrara-langue-de-bois/) He has said he has been a gamer since childhood, playing FIFA, Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat, and [Street Fighter](https://www.edgepedia.org/street-fighter).[13](https://manuelferrara.tv/)
He remains active as both performer and director. Recent credits include scenes for Jules Jordan Video and Vixen Media Group imprints, and OnlyFans collaborations with performers such as [Angela White](https://www.edgepedia.org/angela-white) and Abigaiil Morris.[14](https://www.xbiz.com/p/manuel-ferrara) An iFANN profile ranks him among the most famous people in adult entertainment and estimates his net worth at approximately $6 million, a figure no major outlet has confirmed and which he has never publicly disclosed.[15](https://ifann.net/wiki/manuel-ferrara)
## Personal life
Ferrara married the performer and director [Dana Vespoli](https://www.edgepedia.org/dana-vespoli) in January 2005; the marriage ended in divorce in 2012 and produced three children. He married the performer and director [Kayden Kross](https://www.edgepedia.org/kayden-kross) in September 2013, and they have one child.[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1279296/bio/) He stands 1.83 m (6 ft) tall.[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1279296/bio/)
## References
1. [Tallest Pornstars: 16 Ranked by Height & Record (2026), Pornstar Ranked](https://pornstarranked.com/tallest-pornstars/)
2. [Manuel Ferrara, la Ferrari des acteurs X, CANAL+ Le Journal du Hard (2021)](https://www.canalplus.com/articles/le-journal-du-hard/manuel-ferrara-la-ferrari-des-acteurs-x)
3. [About, ManuelFerraraWeb.com](https://www.manuelferraraweb.com/about.html)
4. [Career, ManuelFerraraWeb.com](https://www.manuelferraraweb.com/experience.html)
5. [Manuel Ferrara (I), IMDb credits](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1279296/?showAllCredits=true)
6. [Born to Perform: Manuel Ferrara Discusses Career Under the Lights, XBIZ (2013)](https://www.xbiz.com/features/169249/born-to-perform-manuel-ferrara-discusses-career-under-the-lights)
7. [Manuel Ferrara, IMDb Biography](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1279296/bio/)
8. [« T'es pas cap ? » : Manuel Ferrara raconte comment un simple pari a fait de lui une star mondiale du X, Le Tribunal du Net (2026)](https://www.letribunaldunet.fr/insolite/tes-pas-cap-manuel-ferrara-raconte-comment-un-simple-pari-a-fait-de-lui-une-star-mondiale-du-x.html)
9. [XBIZ TV: Manuel Ferrara Discusses Porn Career, XBIZ (2013)](https://www.xbiz.com/news/165615/xbiz-tv-manuel-ferrara-discusses-porn-career)
10. [Biography of Manuel Ferrara, Astrotheme](https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Manuel_Ferrara)
11. [Manuel Ferrara 2026 : 6 titres AVN, bio et comptes officiels, Sexorado](https://sexorado.fr/modeles/manuelferrara/)
12. [Ferrara sans langue de bois, La Voix du X (2017)](https://www.lavoixdux.com/2017/02/09/ferrara-langue-de-bois/)
13. [Manuel Ferrara TV](https://manuelferrara.tv/)
14. [Manuel Ferrara, XBIZ.com profile](https://www.xbiz.com/p/manuel-ferrara)
15. [Manuel Ferrara | Wiki, Net Worth, Awards & iFAMOUS Rankings (2026), iFANN](https://ifann.net/wiki/manuel-ferrara)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Adult film performers › American performers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license