{{short description|American pornographic actress and director}} {{Use American English|date=April 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Dana Vespoli | image = Dana Vespoli 2014.jpg | caption = Vespoli at the 2014 AVN Awards | birth_name = <!--See WP:BLPPRIVACY before adding birth names/dates--> | birth_date = <!--See WP:BLPPRIVACY before adding birth names/dates--> | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = {{marriage|Manuel Ferrara|2005|2012|end=divorced}} | children = 3 | alias = | alma_mater = Mills College | website = }} '''Dana Vespoli''' is an American pornographic actress and film director.
==Early life== Vespoli graduated from Mills College at Northeastern University<ref name="Mills College">{{cite web |title=Alumnae in the News Archive |url=https://www.alumnae.mills.edu/s/1244/3col.aspx?sid=1244&gid=1&sitebuilder=1&pgid=1744 |publisher=Mills College |access-date=July 17, 2019}}</ref>{{Nonspecific|date=June 2025}} with a Bachelor of Arts degree in comparative literature.{{r|Alff 2013}}<ref name="Warren 2004">{{cite web |url=http://www.avninsider.com/stories/danavespoli021304.shtml |title=Fresh Off The Bus: Dana Vespoli |access-date=September 29, 2014 |first1=Peter |last1=Warren |first2=Heidi |last2=Pike-Johnson |date=February 13, 2004 |website=AVN Insider |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040409122102/http://www.avninsider.com/stories/danavespoli021304.shtml |archive-date=April 9, 2004}}</ref> During college, she rowed crew of which she took her stage name from the Vespoli brand.<ref name="Alff 2013">{{cite web |type=interview |url=http://cltampa.com/dailyloaf/archives/2013/03/04/getting-inside-dana-vespoli#.UeWDx42W-So |title=Getting inside Dana Vespoli |first=Shawn |last=Alff |date=March 4, 2013 |website=Creative Loafing |location=Tampa, Fla.}}{{Primary inline|date=June 2025|reason=Interviews are primary sources}}</ref>
==Career== Vespoli began performing at age 31 after being a stripper at the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre in San Francisco.<ref name="Way 2015">{{cite news |last=Way |first=Mish Barber |title=After James Deen Rape Allegations, Porn Companies Debate the Issue of Consent |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/after-james-deen-rape-allegations-porn-companies-debate-the-issue-of-consent/ |work=Vice |date=December 21, 2015}}</ref> She entered the adult film industry in 2003,<ref name="AVN 2013">{{cite magazine |url=http://business.avn.com/articles/video/Evil-Angel-Adds-Dana-Vespoli-to-Roster-499634.html |title=Evil Angel Adds Dana Vespoli to Roster |access-date=July 16, 2013 |date=January 10, 2013 |magazine=AVN |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225231324/https://avn.com/business/articles/video/evil-angel-adds-dana-vespoli-to-roster-499634.html%20 |url-status=dead}}</ref> first as a performer, and then as a director and producer.<ref name="Snow 2018">{{cite news |last=Snow |first=Aurora |title=Inside the Porn Star Housing Crisis: 'People Have Sex in Houses All the Time' |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-the-porn-star-housing-crisis-people-have-sex-in-houses-all-the-time |work=The Daily Beast |date=May 5, 2018 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
In April 2006, Vespoli began directing for Digital Sin.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://business.avn.com/articles/video/Dana-Vespoli-to-Direct-for-Digital-Sin-43079.html |title=Dana Vespoli to Direct for Digital Sin |access-date=July 16, 2013 |first=Thomas J. |last=Stanton |date=April 7, 2006 |magazine=AVN |archive-date=September 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910201452/http://business.avn.com/articles/video/Dana-Vespoli-to-Direct-for-Digital-Sin-43079.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> She has directed for Sweetheart Video and Evil Angel.<ref name="Alff 2013"/><ref name="AVN 2013"/><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://business.avn.com/articles/video/Dana-Vespoli-Makes-Sweetheart-Video-Directorial-Debut-478096.html |title=Dana Vespoli Makes Sweetheart Video Directorial Debut |access-date=July 16, 2013 |date=June 6, 2012 |magazine=AVN |archive-date=August 30, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130830075038/http://business.avn.com/articles/video/Dana-Vespoli-Makes-Sweetheart-Video-Directorial-Debut-478096.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> She has received award nominations from ''AVN'' and Xbiz mostly for films she has directed for Evil Angel.<ref name="Morris 2016">{{cite news |last=Morris |first=Chris |title=The Dirty Dozen: Porn's biggest stars |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/16/the-dirty-dozen-porns-biggest-stars.html |publisher=CNBC |date=January 19, 2016}}</ref> Her directing work has focused mainly on lesbian scenes.{{r|Way 2015}}
In 2011, ''Complex'' ranked her thirteenth on their list of "The Top 50 Hottest Asian Porn Stars of All Time".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.complex.com/girls/2011/09/the-top-50-hottest-asian-porn-stars-of-all-time/dana-vespoli |title=The Top 50 Hottest Asian Porn Stars of All Time |access-date=August 2, 2013 |first=Gabriel |last=Alvarez |date=September 19, 2011 |magazine=Complex |archive-date=December 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229175328/http://www.complex.com/girls/2011/09/the-top-50-hottest-asian-porn-stars-of-all-time/dana-vespoli |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2014, ''Break.com'' ranked her 31st on their list of "40 Best Asian Porn Stars Today".<ref>{{cite web |website=Break.com |url=http://www.break.com/pictures/31-dana-vespoli-2750689 |url-status=dead |title=Ranked: 40 Best Asian Porn Stars Today |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826165521/http://www.break.com/pictures/31-dana-vespoli-2750689 |archive-date=August 26, 2014 |date=August 23, 2014 |access-date=March 25, 2015}}</ref> She was also placed on CNBC's list of "The Dirty Dozen: Porn's Biggest Stars" in 2015<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morris |first=Chris |date=January 16, 2015 |title=The Dirty Dozen: Porn's biggest stars |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/13/the-dirty-dozen-porns-biggest-stars.html |access-date=August 17, 2023 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref> and 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morris |first=Chris |date=January 19, 2016 |title=The Dirty Dozen: Porn's biggest stars |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/16/the-dirty-dozen-porns-biggest-stars.html |access-date=August 17, 2023 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref> Vespoli was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2016.<ref name="Adult Video News 2015">{{cite magazine |title=Class of 2016: The AVN Hall of Fame Inductees |url=http://business.avn.com/articles/video/Class-of-2016-The-AVN-Hall-of-Fame-Inductees-615710.html |magazine=Adult Video News |date=December 18, 2015 |access-date=January 4, 2016 |archive-date=February 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160210090726/http://business.avn.com/articles/video/Class-of-2016-The-AVN-Hall-of-Fame-Inductees-615710.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Personal life== Vespoli married pornographic actor Manuel Ferrara in January 2005 and has three children with him. The couple divorced seven years later.<ref name="Alff 2013"/>
==Awards== * 2007 AFWG Award – Directrix Of The Year<ref>{{cite web |url=http://business.avn.com/articles/video/i-Adam-Film-World-i-Announces-Annual-Award-Winners-30580.html |title=Adam Film World Announces Annual Award Winners |author=Nelson X |date=March 29, 2007 |work=Adult Video News |accessdate=April 30, 2013 |archive-date=July 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707022059/http://business.avn.com/articles/video/i-Adam-Film-World-i-Announces-Annual-Award-Winners-30580.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> * 2013 ''AVN'' – Game Changer<ref name="Blocks 2013">{{cite news |last1=Blocks |first1=Iris |title=Game Changers: 30 Women Power Players in the Adult Industry |url=https://avn.com/news/video/game-changers-30-women-power-players-in-the-adult-industry-133707 |access-date=22 June 2025 |work=AVN |date=September 3, 2013}}</ref> * 2013 NightMoves Award – Best Director, Non-Parody (Editor's Choice)<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=October 14, 2013 |title=NightMoves 2013 Award Winners Announced |url=https://www.xbiz.com/news/170020/nightmoves-2013-award-winners-announced |access-date=August 17, 2023 |publisher=XBIZ |language=en}}</ref> * 2014 XBIZ Award – Director of the Year, Non-Feature Release – ''Girl/Boy''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.xbiz.com/news/173901 |title=2014 XBIZ Award Winners Announced |accessdate=January 25, 2014 |first=Dan |last=Miller |date=January 24, 2014 |publisher=XBIZ}}</ref> * 2014 NightMoves Award – Best Transsexual Release (Editor's Choice) – ''TS, I Love You''<ref>{{cite web |title=Dana Vespoli Wins NightMoves' 'Best Transsexual Release' Award |date=October 14, 2014 |url=http://www.xbiz.com/news/186327}}</ref> * 2015 AVN Award – Best Transsexual Sex Scene {{small|(with Venus Lux)}} – ''TS, I Love You''<ref>{{Cite web |title=AVN Announces the Winners of the 2015 AVN Awards AVN |url=https://avn.com/business/articles/video/avn-announces-the-winners-of-the-2015-avn-awards-585973.html |access-date=August 17, 2023 |website=AVN}}</ref> * 2015 Inked Award – Girl/Girl Scene of the Year {{small|(with Bonnie Rotten)}} – ''Twisted Lesbian Anal Spit Play''<ref name="AVN 2015">{{Cite web |title=Winners Of 2015 Inked Awards Announced AVN |url=https://avn.com/business/press-release/video/winners-of-2015-inked-awards-announced-613259.html |access-date=August 17, 2023 |website=AVN}}</ref> * 2015 Inked Award – Bill Snyder Achievement Award<ref name="AVN 2015"/> * 2016 AVN Hall of Fame<ref name="Adult Video News 2015"/> * 2016 Spank Bank Award – Most Magnificent MILF<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 2016 Spank Bank Award Winners |url=https://blog.iafd.com/2016/03/05/the-2016-spank-bank-award-winners/ |access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> * 2017 XBIZ Award – Best Actress, All-Girl Release – ''Lefty''<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=January 13, 2017 |title=2017 XBIZ Awards Winners Announced |url=https://www.xbiz.com/news/216216/2017-xbiz-awards-winners-announced |access-date=August 17, 2023 |publisher=XBIZ |language=en}}</ref> * 2018 XBIZ Award – Trans Director of the Year<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=January 19, 2018 |title=2018 XBIZ Awards Winners Announced |url=https://www.xbiz.com/news/233053/2018-xbiz-awards-winners-announced |access-date=August 17, 2023 |publisher=XBIZ |language=en}}</ref> * 2018 NightMoves Award – Best Transsexual Director (Fan's Choice)<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=NightMoves Awards Announces Winners of 2018 Show AVN |url=https://avn.com/business/articles/video/the-26th-annual-nightmoves-awards-was-biggest-best-ever-802699.html |access-date=August 17, 2023 |website=AVN}}</ref> * 2019 NightMoves AWard – Best Transsexual Director (Fan's Choice)<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Winners Announced Of 27th Annual NightMoves Awards AVN |url=https://avn.com/business/articles/video/winners-announced-of-27th-annual-nightmoves-awards-849603.html |access-date=August 17, 2023 |website=AVN}}</ref> * 2022 XCritic Award – Best Director, Non-Feature – ''I Am Aubrey''<ref>{{Cite web |last= |last2= |date=January 1, 2022 |title=XCritic Award Winners - 2021 |url=https://fleshbot.com/xcpost/xcritic-award-winners-2021/ |access-date=August 17, 2023 |website=Fleshbot |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * {{cite news |last=Isador |first=Graham |title=Porn Stars Tell Us Why Representation Gets Everyone Off |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/porn-stars-tell-us-why-representation-gets-everyone-off/ |work=Vice |date=April 19, 2018}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Dana Vespoli}}
* {{IMDb name|1500794|Dana Vespoli}} * {{Twitter}} * {{iafd name|id=danavespoli|gender=female|name=Dana Vespoli}} * {{afdb name|id=30746|gender=female|name=Dana Vespoli}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Vespoli, Dana}} Category:American pornographic film actresses Category:American pornographic film directors Category:Living people Category:Mills College alumni Category:Women pornographic film directors Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:21st-century American women