ATTENTION: This list has a 2019 update with radically different rankings — HERE!
Generally speaking, it's thought that women probably emotionalize sex a bit too much for their own good. But if that's true, then men definitely mythologize it too much for our own good. We can sometimes treat our partners like crap while still
holding our heads up high, yet can wax nostalgic about unbelievably satisfying sexual encounters, revering them as if they were religious experiences.
For gay men, with no societal instruction on what happens when two guys fall in love or even just lust, pornography was for decades the primary means by which we could find those answers.
Perhaps those two observations help to explain why we take our porn so very seriously, why we could probably talk for hours about specific scenes that opened our eyes to new activities we'd previously never dreamed of and why we are so madly in love with certain familiar faces (and other parts) who seemed to teach us how to do "it" and gave us permission to stop worrying our parents would find out so we could simply enjoy being pigs—at least on occasion.
With all of that out of the way, what follows is my list of History's 125 Hottest Gay-Porn stars...note the hyphen, because I have no way of knowing which of these guys were/are gay-for-pay stars, I just know I've seen them in at least one in at least one dirty movie targeted to gay men, and that they did something primal for me.
Many of them are dead—not many from the Golden Age of gay adult films (let's say the '70s through 1990?) didn't contract HIV since they were working condom-free both on and often off the screen. Many others have succumbed to vices perhaps more common among guys who sell sex than among the general population. That's another thing to think about, how porn is a lot like America—obsessed with sex but too ashamed of it to deal with our interest in it, or to deal with the very real issues that pop up among those who make the porn we order but who are often shunned in practice while being venerated in theory.
Speaking of the dead, I've attempted to include their years of birth and death (along with the cause) so that there would be some kind of minimal info on each guy.
If you are any of these guys, have information on any of these guys' birth dates, death dates, what they were like in person (if you met them), where they may be now or any other tidbits—or if you would like to scream and holler at me for leaving someone out or including someone—please do comment. I look forward to it.
And finally, check out my lists of History's 100 Hottest Movie Actors, History's 100 Hottest TV Actors, History's 150 Best TV Theme Songs, the 150 Gayest Songs EVER and RE: Runs—20 TV Shows That Were Gone Too Soon.
ENJOY THIS LIST...
**********
#125 Mark Dalton (Jeremy James Sons, 1980—)
He's a bit of a stick-in-the-mud for avoiding having actual sex in his work (he's the king of solo pleasuring while other men have group fun around him), but this married bodybuilder—who's been convicted for possessing drugs and spent time in jail after assaulting a female acquaintance—is still quite the looker. Or rather, on-looker.
Entertainingly, he once appeared on Jenny Jones to confront a high school bully of his:
**********
He is big, it's the dirty pictures that got small
#124 Chad Hunt (1973—)
You don't have to hunt too hard for Chad's calling card, which at 11" might as well just be slung over his shoulder or thrown around his neck and worn like a scarf. He did dozens of movies in the '90s as a daunting top before bottoming in 2008, the same year he left the biz. In person, he's completely nice and not at all intimidating. He's a single dad, too, something we often forget about our pornstars—their money shots sometimes hit the jackpot.
**********
You should see Foster's banana
#123 Devyn Foster (19?—)
Compact top man of the '90s who could always be counted on to prepare the landing pad with his beautiful-lipped mouth. Had the ultimate Leo DiCaprio Titanic "swooped" hair. A mini-Greek god.
**********
#122 Scott O'Hara aka Spunk (John R. Scott, 1961—1998/AIDS)
The guy with "the biggest d*** in San Francisco" (he won a contest and everything!) did about two dozen flicks in the '80s and early '90s, including the classics The Other Side of Aspen 2 (1985) and In Your Wildest Dreams (1987). But his true claim to fame was as a writer—his Autopornography (which plays on his ability to fellate himself) is a must-read for anyone interested in the genre. Is it me, or did he seem to be performing alone even when with a partner? He just always struck me as a singular figure, one whose sex-on-film work was part of a larger art project.
**********
#121 Colton Ford (1962—)
This man's man was only in the biz for 10 months, but made a big enough impression to jump start a singing career. How many of your fave popstars can take a fist in the out door? Last year, Ford had this to say about his film career:
"I had moments that I enjoyed, I had moments where it was work, but all in all, I think I was able to keep it in perspective. That isn't always easy to do. Think about it. All of the [sic] sudden you're thrust into the public eye, feeling validated and desired on put on a pedestal, just for the way you look. If you don't know who you are, it can really fuck with your head. Just as in mainstream entertainment, but on a smaller level, celebrity and fame can become a drug that you need and want more of."
So can Colton Ford sex movies...but we're just going to have to make do with what we have.
**********
#120 Aiden Shaw (1966—)
A pornographic renaissance man, British performer Aiden Shaw was renowned for his perfect, and perfectly enormous, member, but has lately been making his mark more for his writing ability. Starting in 1996, he began publishing poetry and fiction. He's written two autobiographies honest enough to cover his life as a hustler and drug addict coming to terms with being HIV+, and has also sung and modeled. He's one of the field's luminaries (he retired in 1999 and after resurfacing in 2003 did so again in 2004), a man with a movie star's presence and a model's artful elegance.
**********
He can do anything you can do better
#119 Leo Giamani (1978—)
From 2008 to 2010, this Italian sexual handyman (he could take care of anything) burned brightly in movies for everyone from Jake Cruise to Falcon and Randy Blue. He also escorted, knocking down good money for his rock-hard muscles. An Italian god whose career was all too fleeting.
**********
#118 Martin Valko aka Serkej Petronov (19?—)
Martin Valko, a Bel Ami superstar, was in the seminal classics Lukas' Story (1995) and The Plowboys (1995). With a perfect body (and the face to back it up), he was gloriously versatile and, as with most Bel Ami lads, exuded an innocent sexuality that reminded me of Germany before WWII. Unfortunately, he was in a terrible car accident in '97 (he survived and is rumored to be fine now) and faded from view.
**********
#117 Anthony Gallo aka Antonio Morais (19?—)
This friendly, furry, Brazilian tough guy (he once stuck a screwdriver up a co-star...who does that???) is sort of the anti-prettyboy pornstar, one who started churning out a huge variety of scenes beginning in the '90s. Gallo has an evident bodybuilding past and is beloved for his lean build and devilish expression. It's been about 10 years since he made a movie, in case you wanted to feel old.
**********
#116 Johnny Hazzard (Frankie Valenti, 1977—)
Johnny Hazzard has been active in the industry from the mid-2000s, doing gay and bi scenes. He's been a musician simultaneously and starred on TV in The Lair under his real name. Best in Detention (2003), Deceived (2004) and maybe Take a Load Off (2011), the latter of which is a title that really should have been used before 2011.
**********
#115 Jim Bentley (1960—?)
As ubiquitous in the business as someone's face covered in the stuff of life, Nordic blond Bentley worked for at least 20 years, starting in 1983 as a scrupulously versatile performer. Perhaps most famous for the various Splash Shots (1985) installments, he's known as a hearty presence in every scene. He's also an open book, having written the memoir Last Time I Drew a Crowd. In 2008, he addressed a Yahoo! group devoted to his fabulousness thusly:
"I am alive and well and living in California. I am really looking forward to hearing from all of you. I am single and still gorgeous."
Considering the fate of so many of his contemporaries, bitch had a right to be braggadocious.
**********
#114 Colby Keller (1980—)
Is he a porn actor? A performance artist? Colby Keller came to us via Sean Cody but has worked for various studios since. He's handsome but hardly the perfect ideal, which makes him all the hotter. He'd be very popular on Scruff even if he weren't nasty-famous. As Frontiers4men once pointed out, he comes off as rather intellectual. He's also pretty funny, saying that the biggest misconception about him would be:
"That just because I do porn, I can't handle a big conversation as easily as I handle a big c***."
His blog is a must-read.
**********
For Blake & Colton Ford, making movies was a real boyfriend experience
#113 Blake Harper (1968—)
This hot-as-hell staple of turn-of-the-millennium flicks was once the partner of Colton Ford, who he brought into the biz. He retired in 2006 and went back to nursing in his native Canada. That same year, he said of his movie career:
"The most positive thing resulting from my porn career is recognizing and understanding what ego is and how to keep that in a healthy perspective...The best part about being in porn was the ability to fulfill a fantasy. The worst part was having to be 'on' sexually, even when I didn't want to be."
He also suggests that people who want to get into the field should just make their own at home, which is a great way to bring the studios, rather than the performers, to their knees.
**********
#112 Kyle McKenna (Russell Charles McCoy, 1968—2000/suicide)
This hungry bottom—appealingly collegiate and clean-cut, yet quite the pig—first came to my attention via his role in Balls in Play (1993), a better-than-most baseball-themed movie. Loved his looks and his performance. He ground out movies over the next several years, making them like there was no tomorrow. In 2000, he committed suicide via drug overdose, ending what had apparently been an unhappy, short existence.
As with many of his peers, information regarding McKenna on the 'Net may or may not be true and is hard to verify; for example, it's repeated everywhere that he had been abused by his dad and an older brother and that his mom wouldn't claim his body when he died, and yet a credible-sounding guy who grew up around McKenna refutes at least some of that information in this interesting eulogy.
**********
If he's gay for pay, I'm buyin'!
#111 Reese Rideout (1982—)
Reese Rideout is somewhat controversial in the field because he's an unapologetically gay-for-pay performer, one who has no problem submitting to (squirmy, on our part) interviews with his wife. But for my money, if you're good at it, that's what counts—he's not vying to be head of the HRC, he's hammering rumps on video. And he's versatile, for good measure.
**********
#110 Dano Sulik (1975—)
This Bel Ami babe was active for over 10 years, most prominently in the Personal Trainers series (2001—2005). He perfectly sums up the casual vibe in every Bel Ami production, telling Manshots several years ago that he never really has to think about whether he wants to top or bottom a guy he meets because:
"There is not a real answer to this because I prefer to be top, but I don't mind to be bottom either. It's just when I feel that somebody would like to f*** me, if I like him, I would let him."
If he likes you? Now that's what friends are for.
**********
#109 Anthony Romero (1991—)
As one half of the famous "Austony" (with Austin Wilde), Romero is built with a serious look that could make him a desirable top, but has a Bambi innocence (it ain't obliviousness—check out his Twitter) that feeds his inevitable bottoming scenes. (His ridiculous booty helps, too.) I'm not always a fan of how those crazy kids pierce or bod-mod their ears these days (aka, in the past two decades) but the look works on him. Cute as a button, but feisty—as here, talking about why he left his old studio:
"I wasn't happy being a mediocre performer in a studio of s*** models with a s*** owner...I don't know how long I will perform, but hopefully long enough to immortalize myself in this industry. I don't half-ass anything, so I'm not going out prematurely."
**********
#108 Dylan Roberts aka Dylan McLovin (19?—)
Calling himself a "shy, laid-back lover," Dylan Roberts is pretty active on Twitter, though not as active there as he's been in front of the camera. With an exceptional body, pepperoni nipples and a clean-cut, fresh-faced look, he retired (very) briefly in 2011, but returned better than ever.
Something inspiring about Dylan is that he used to be 100 pounds overweight and totally straight—both of which he overcame with lots of hard work.
My favorite quote (Work Unfriendly) from this talented bottom man is regarding how he readies himself for a big, big movie, such as Police Academy Gangbang (2010):
"To sum it up, lots of lube and big dildos did the trick."
But my favorite thing he ever did was get an internal massage from Trace Michaels. Shudders.
**********
#107 Rob Cryston aka Robbie Roberts (1971—)
I feel like it's proveable, the theory that Rob Cryston was in every film made in the '90s. According to Wikipedia, he's done over 200. I'm not sure I've had sex over 200 times. Cryston has lost himself in many roles, but he seems best at being a pig bottom. Which is not something that works on the average person's résumé, but in his business, it's a selling point.
**********
#106 Christopher Lance (Robert Lance Slacke, 1966—1994/murder)
I remember this '80s twink most for his spirited portrayal of "Steve Harrington" in the Dynasty spoof Dynastud (1986), but he made quite a few slutty appearances—two holes, no waiting. He topped and bottomed in films by the best in the biz (William Higgins and Matt Sterling) before being stabbed to death by a roommate.
**********
#105 Bruno (19?—?)
Hulking Cuban weightlifer who entered movies in the '70s, going on to become one of Colt's most beloved shaggy models. For years, his mustachioed look would have been laughed at as hopelessly dated, and yet it's definitely back in vogue now.
**********
#104 Hal Rockland (1975—)
This '90s top entered the business after his (real-life) brother Vince and before their (real-life) brother Shane. They were like the Jonas Brothers, except with geographical semi-incest. His videos were major events, especially Flashpoint: Hot as Hell (1994) and By Invitation Only (1994). Also like the Jonases, the Rocklands had been born into a religious family—and Hal exited the business after finding (relocating?) God, getting married and becoming a father. He is said to work in construction somewhere.
**********
#103 Kris Evans (1986—)
This 6'4", muscular Bel Ami model first tried out with the thriving company at the tender age of 18. His ridiculous body is his calling card; it's served him well in scenes with fellow Bel Ami buddies like Lukas Ridgeston. As has happened with several others, Evans was scandalously revealed to be in this disreputable line of work while simultaneously serving as a cop in Eastern Europe, leading him to have to step down. But it's okay—he's pretty good at switching positions.
**********
#102 Chad Knight (1970—)
A gay-for-pay actor (he was married before entering the industry in his early twenties and went on to have kids), Knight is nonetheless best known as a bottom on film, and one who was in about 50 movies the first three years he worked. Don't Kiss Me, I'm Straight (1991) and Knight Moves (1991) are two I remember as among his best, but how to you pick a best from a guy who'se been in something like 100 movies? He retired in 2004 to—wait for it—spend more time with his family.
**********
#101 Chase Hunter (19?—)
The mustache that launched a thousand rides, this cowboy type has been a fairly constant presence since 1993, though never doing the 20 movies a year that some lesser actors have been compelled to do. Just absolute perfection in the Basic Plumbing (1993—2007) series.
**********
Getting to the bottom of things
#100 Jeremy Penn (19?—)
This mostly top of the late '90s always seemed to be in a singlet or some other kind of jockish, form-fitting gear, and never flinched from any task that was demanded him. I'm not sure he was ever better than in his debut, The Freshmen (1997), but his career-finale bottoming scene was as good a way to say good-bye as any.
**********
More hair on his head than on the entire rest of my body
#99 Cody Foster (1970—2007/liver cancer)
If someone's gonna be gay-for-pay, it's at least polite to bottom—and bodybuilder Cody Foster did that all over town. Was great at being orally prepared for that as well, which is a subtle art, to be sure. Loved his giant hairdos, which were erotic because he wore them without irony. A quintessential perf was in Malibu Pool Boys (1991).
**********
#98 Bill Harrison aka Ken Harrison aka Big Bill aka Ronnie Shark (William Kennedy Harrison, 1947—1991/AIDS)
In possession of one of the biggest manhoods of all time, regular (but hot) guy Harrison got his start in early '70s loops, was the straight construction dude who finds his way into a magical sex den in Wakefield Poole's hypnotic Bijou (1972) and later directed for Tyger/Fox Studios. His penis certainly livened up the shower scene from Too Big for His Britches (1988), though it could be argued the title should've been the other way around when it came to Harrison.
**********
He was (porn) movie-star handsome
#97 Ryder Scott (19?—?)
I fell for this incredible looker (and slight Bill Henson type) upon seeing him in the '90s flick Rear-Ended (1995), in which he co-starred with a pre-impossibly pumped up Rip Stone. A strapping brunet who's good with his mouth—what more can you ask for? Also great in To the Hilt (1997) from the same period. Disappeared off my radar, so I'm not sure what he's up to now.
**********
#96 John Rocklin (19?—?)
Easily one of the most stunningly good-looking men to ever set foot in porn, Rocklin was versatile on film and built like an Olympic gymnast. He is immortal for his scene in Big Guns (1987), in which one guy teaches another how to please his girlfriend in the most hands-on of ways.
**********
#95 Vladimir Correa (19?—)
Correa was a Brazilian bodybuiler who brought a perfectly proportioned body and a stoic, pile-driving top's mentality to the few gay roles I personally saw him in—but he sure looked great in the magazines. One choice vid was Inside Vladimir Correa (1991), which was completely mistitled! But I loved him in Out of Bounds (1988) with Chris Williams (also on this list). According to IMDb, he later did bi and then straight roles, working until 1997's Hunks. I don't have further information on this, but I do know he is alive.
**********
#94 Rod Barry aka Rod Berry aka Rod aka Rod deBaer (19?—)
Here's a regular dude with an irregular sex drive whose emergence on the scene in 1996, after he left the Marines, was like the making of a new eff buddy—he has that casual air about him that says, "Anything is okay. Boundaries are lame." (He's done transsexual and bi movies, too.) He was active when I worked in the magazine side of the business, so I saw a lot of him in those pages and on video. He was outstanding in A Lesson Learned (1998) and, later, in the scandalously titled White Trash (2003). According to a commenter, he apparently is not retired.
**********
#93 Lon Flexx (David Lee Anderson, 1965—1995/AIDS)
This late '80s player was a very focused performer, kinda the Anthony Perkins of the genre—cute but intense. Like Perkins, he died of AIDS, but not before appearing in noteworthy fare like Davey and the Cruisers (1989) and More of a Man (1991).
**********
Chris me, beneath the milky twilight ...
#92 Chris Thompson (19?—)
This striking porn god had a romance-novel look that served him well when he crossed over into bi porn. He really heated things up in Never Big Enough (1984) and Campus Jocks (1986). He eventually retired, but as of 2017 is alive and well.
**********
#91 Paul Barresi (1949—)
This old-school performer was a Colt Model thanks to his beefy body and authentically straight air before he appeared in the gay classic L.A. Tool & Die (1979). He made gay and straight films, acted legitimately (and so close to Paul Lynde he was among those who discovered the camp icon's body when he died), produced and directed. However, he's probably most well known for telling National Enquirer in 1990 that he'd banged John Travolta for two years. One of the industry's most colorful personalities.
It wasn't the monkey he was spanking
**********
#90 Tom Steele (1966—)
I have to admit that he was far more appealing early on, when he was fresh on the scene. He never lost his membership in the Giant Schlong of the Month Club (he's one of the few who about whom it's said he had 10 inches and about whom that seemed to be true), but his handsome face lost ground later in his career (he started in the '80s then made a surprise return in the late '90s). I loved him as a jock, but I don't recall ever seeing a snake like that in a locker room. Granted, I tend to dress at home and wear a shirt while swimming, but...sheesh.
Update: A reader let me know Tom is alive and well—"happy and healthy."
**********
#89 Travis Wade (1972—)
Such a sorely missed Falcon-stable stud of the late '90s and early '00s, Wade made waves in fare like The Freshmen (1997) and Hardline (1997) before retiring, thus depriving the planet of his aw-shucks cuteness (if you could overlook that Dumb and Dumber 'do he sported early on) and spot-on body. But the topman did offer a parting gift when he parted his legs and bottomed in The Crush (2000). If that was meant to be a good-bye to porn, it was the best-bye ever!
**********
#88 Adam Hart aka Jake Ryan (1969—)
I think I most appreciated the earliest phase of this bisexual porn staple—the wholesome bodybuilder who didn't look like he would be in this line of work—more so than phases two and three (goateed thirtysomething and superbuilt blond daddy, respectively), but there's no denying his impact in the field, which lasted from the early '90s until about 10 years ago before he moved on to straight movies. Great in Take Down (1992) and Hart Throb (1993).
**********
#87 Marc Dylan aka Chris Gabriel (1984—)
Currently power-bottoming his way to the top, Marc Dylan deserves an award for sheer enthusiasm. There's something appealingly unlikely about his ability to be so mercilessly pounded while looking like a straight wrestler who wouldn't even be tolerant of flirtatious come-ons. Does everything from mild to wild, but seems more engaged the more unhinged things get. Was probably 2011's most memorable newcomer.
**********
#86 Lee Ryder (Darras Robert Pryon, 1959—1991/AIDS)
This early-'80s stunner was already retired by the time I saw my first adult movie, but whenever I caught a glimpse of him in one of his amazing appearances—Huge (1982), A Few Good Men (1982), Spokes (1983), The Biggest One I Ever Saw (1984)—he definitely made his mark. It's incredible to think he only made a dozen or so appearances.
**********
I hear the curriculum is a ball-buster at SMU
#85 Dick Fisk (19?—1983/car crash)
This guy was not my usual type, but there was just something so appealingly sleazy about him with that then-hopelessly retro 'stache (this was before the phrase "porn 'stache," before the ironic wearing of the porn 'stache and before the return of the 'stache in general). Just hugely endowed and not afraid to use it.
**********
#84 Bobby Blake (Edgar Gaines, 1957—)
I know what you're thinking: You're thinking Bobby and I would make a darling couple. He may not be my usual type, but after coming across [blushes, looks away] multiple videos of this stud punishing a series of tiny white guys with bottomless pits, I have to say he made me a fan. He doesn't appear to be acting, nor do they, when they beg for mercy. He's one of the only actors I can think of who published his own autobiography (which has this review on Amazon: "This was one of the most remarkableist book I have ever read."). Calling himself the "most successful African-American in gay adult film" may seem cocky, but let's face it—he is legend. Unfortunately, he's a Bible-thumper as well as a rump-thumper, and is anti-marriage equality. Hm. It's okay to drill guys into unconsciousness, but not okay for two guys to get married? Well, maybe not—he's even spoken out against porn in his retirement. You might, too, if, as a black man, you'd appeared in something called Niggas' Revenge (2001).
**********
#83 Jude Collin (1986—)
I bet his mama (who once walked in on him having sex with a dude, so he now loves being "caught") thinks he's the handsomest thing on God's green earth. And she just might be right. I love this full-time top/part-time bottom (he works overtime) with the hypnotic blue eyes. He's been in the biz for six or seven years already, long enough to have had his caboose invaded the "natural" way by Jake Cruise. That disappointment aside, Collin is an eager beaver, loves public sex and seems genuinely turned on in his too-hard-to-keep-track-of output. I've said before that making all these "hot guy" lists has revealed to me what a sucker I am for brunets with blue eyes, and he's no exception.
**********
#82 Paul Carrigan (Manning Tillman, 1966—)
I feel like Paul Carrigan was in porn so long he was directed by Edison. I don't remember a time when he wasn't in the dirty movies (he actually started around the mid-'90s and retired in 2006), I just remember spotting him and finding his thick, meaty build unique in mainstream, high-profile flicks. He looks like someone's overzealous dad at a Little League game who gets ejected for cursing out the umpire, or like a somewhat past-his-prime football player who's still knocking down more trim than guys half his age. And yet in movies, Carrigan—who is married in real life and an actual dad—is usually an absolute hog for it. That has to be his appeal. He's actually quite handsome, but I think it has more to do with his anything-goes air. Interestingly enough, he did many bi and straight films, too, and directs—he's now successful behind the camera on non-sexual movies like a little indie called Avatar (2009). He may be one of porn's greatest success stories.
**********
#81 Damien Crosse (1982—)
What sold me on this modern Cuban adonis is his work in, and then out of, a business suit. Despite his penetrating stare, Damien Cross really just looks like what would happen if one of your gay pals sprouted a drop-dead body and then went around sharing it with people for money. Which is to say he's hot and yet seems approachable. Now a married man, he's still cranking out porn, though more on his own terms—he and hubby Francesco D'Macho run Stag Homme Studios.
**********
He's delightful, delicious, delovely, DiMarco
#80 Dino DiMarco (1966—)
Big, hunky face-man Italian who has a fleshy body and who often indulged in leathergear. Always loved his immaculately groomed hair (the stuff on his head) and his expression, a mixture of a glare and a pout. He was like, "What if 'Joey Tribbiani' did porn?"Probably at his best in Night Walk: A Bedtime Story (1995). I don't believe he's made more than one movie this millennium.
**********
Here is the north part of Dcota
#79 DCota (19?—?)
This dreamy little number made under 10 movies from 1990 to 1992 and then, as one blogger fan of his states, "completely dropped out of sight." He seems to have been a sneaky sort, never doing any interviews, doing very few movies and then taking off. Maybe he was a student who graduated or someone who needed money badly for a specific debt who paid it. Many of his co-stars, like Steve Fox and Matt Gunther—are dead, so no other info seems to be forthcoming about what ever happened to DCota. I remember him from Steven Scarborough's Compulsion: He's Gotta Have It (1991).
**********
There'd be no stopping me if I looked like this—consider yourself lucky
#78 Brent Everett (Dustin Germaine, 1984—)
This boyish (can you believe he's nearing 30?) top (well, most of the time) has worked with the biggest names of his era, starting with Brent Corrigan. A regular in nudie magazines (remember those?) he also was one of the most mainstream stars I noticed, early on, to do barebacking in major productions, albeit often with his main squeeze. Of all the stars currently working, he is one of the most charismatic and seems to be enjoying his notoriety the most.
**********
He's on the Hunt, he's after you
#77 Brad Hunt (19?—)
This impossibly handsome Chicago-area artist made a dozen or so flicks from 1993 to 1995, including the classic Flashpoint: Hot as Hell (1994) and one close to my heart called Rear-Ended (1995), then dropped out of sight. He had body hair at a time when that was out of vogue.
**********
#76 Antonio Biaggi (John Melecio, 1978—)
This Puerto Rican top is no stranger to controversy, whether it's working in bareback films or calling out fellow pornstars for their public drug use on his popular blog. But while personae are important in porn, personalities aren't always; even some who might find him abrasive would have to admit he's one of the most mind-boggling tops of the era, due in part to length and in part to unbridled energy. He's fine in the mildest of mild but seems increasingly engaged the wilder the wild. He tells me he does not consider himself a "star" or "legend"—but that's why we make and read these lists and he appears on them.
**********
#75 Chris Stone (1968—)
This Latin swallowfire worked from the late '80s until the mid-2000s, always giving good face as well as the other. I remember him for the films that played up his Costa Rican roots (and root), like Los Hombres (1991) or Latin Attraction (1997), but he must've made 100 features, both as the main course and as a side dish. He had a member as long as his illustrious career and his presence was always a sign that the video would have at least one sincere scene.
**********
#74 Tex Anthony (1960—1992/AIDS)
This lanky bad boy would be a porn immortal if only for The New Breed (1983) and/or The Young and the Hung (1985). Good thing, because he really didn't make that many other movies that I know of, but along with topping and bottoming apparently did scenes with women as well. Really a stunner.
**********
#73 Frank Evans (19?—?)
This insanely hot guy-next-door strongly reminds me of Miley Cyrus's ex, Justin Gaston. Regardless, I think he made a big mistake not becoming what, back in my innocent Michigan days, I would have called a high-fashion model. Just a perfect look. I think he did loops in the 1970s more than actual, full-length movies. I haven't found any personal info about him. Anyone?
**********
Why can't he be Alec's brother instead of...any of the others?
#72 Scott Baldwin (1971—)
I always thought this '90s hottie looked like a nice Jewish boy you'd meet at a respectable gay birthday party at a Mexican restaurant, one you'd flirt with, exchange e-mails with (okay, phone numbers back then) and eventually properly date. I may not have been far off, considering what he told Mickey Skee in Bad Boys on Video: Interviews with Gay Adult Stars about his start in the biz:
"I was a virgin. The first time I sucked was on film. The first time I got f***ed was on film."
At any rate, he must've rehearsed a lot off-camera, because by the time he was helping to make several '90s classics, he knew what he was doing. Cute as a dimple on a baby's knee.
**********
Ben Andrews? When did pornstars start naming themselves from the phone book?
#71 Ben Andrews (1985—)
One of porn's most anatomically gifted members, Andrews gained infamy in a who's-bigger? battle between himself and Chad Hunt. No matter—the term "horse-hung" is thrown around a lot (well, in certain quarters), but since it applies to both, what's the fuss? The best he ever did? How about 2007's The Intern, in which he's geeked up to play "Ugly Benny?"
**********
#70 AJ Irons aka Fabian aka Alonzo (1981—)
I have an unfortunate crush on pint-sized AJ Irons, who burst onto the scene a few years ago as a purported bicurious jock. Well, he's had his curiosity satisfied in every hole in his body many times over by now, and yet he still exhibits signs of not really having whatever answer he's looking for. He's small, but only vertically, and has a flawless little gymnast's build, but his biggest selling point for me is his mischievous grin. His portfolio is quite diversified, having appeared in bi movies, as a cuckold and escorting to boot. He gives as good as he gets, making him full-service. Don't miss the outdoor massage he once got from Trace Michaels.
**********
#69 Rafael Alencar (1978—)
This Brazilian bombshell has made movies for the past 10 years, and seems to get better-looking as he goes along. His most famous attribute might be his suspiciously gravity-defying buns, and yet his specialty is merciless pile-driving, as is most famously illustrated by his prison-shower schtupping of Johnny Rapid (who Timmy should stay away from to avoid falling down that well). He's shorter in real life than you'd think, but stands head-and-shoulders above most when lying on his back.
**********
#68 Kurt Stefano (1972—)
This guy always had such a sexy, rough-hewn look, and would've looked even better with some body hair. I recall when I worked at the adult mags, a colleague interviewed him and asked what his turn-ons were. After a pause, he blankly said, "I like to get beat." Okay, then! Now we know how our next Valentine's Day will play out. I think he falls into one of my favorite categories, which is "insatiable bottoms who don't look like insatiable bottoms." And yet he also was said to be gay-for-pay. I'm not sure if you can pay someone enough to fake it that often and that well, but he was pretty great in his late '90s movies.
**********
Does anyone get to enter the Dragon?
#67 Justin Dragon (1976—)
"Dang" seems to what one should say when one spies a guy who looks like Dragon. Beginning with The Violation (2000), this frequent Falcon exclusive bored a hole into the...let's go with hearts of his many fans courtesy of his sensual performances. Dashing, and in possession of one of porn's best backsides, one that until his recent comeback in a scene with Dylan Reece was not being put to good use.
**********
#66 Jake Deckard (Jake Zorax, 1972—)
This stud-next-door seems to be one of porn's favorite leading men, a hard-driving versatile performer who has transitioned successfully from actor to actor/director. Mr. Deckard is humble, too, saying in 2007 of his best physical feature:
"I am amazed that people look at anything on me. I guess I would have to say my legs."
**********
#65 Jason Ridge aka Jake Lavelle (1974—)
This prolific pornstar (over 50 films) and massive Madonna fan was memorable in A Matter of Size 2 (2005) and Unzipped (2005) among many others, before starting his own production company in 2007. His flip-flopping scene in his debut, Nasty Nasty (2003), led him to say:
"The whole sexual act...it's a job. Of course, you enjoy doing it."
I respect his process.
**********
#64 Brad Mitchell (19?—?)
Who says pornstars always have clever names? Brad Mitchell, whose name sounds like one you'd find in your high school yearbook, could have been named Millicent Fenwick and still have been arousing. God, his clefted chin! He was a well-endowed Falcon regular who flip-flopped in his scenes in films like The Pledge Masters (1989) and Deep in Hot Water (1989), working for about five years with some of the, er, biggest names in the industry.
**********
#63 Derek Cameron aka Brett Vickers (Lee McKinney, 1972—)
This ridiculously hot, compact bottom—and he was a bottom like Orson Welles enjoyed a good meal—worked on and off throughout the '90s, but could always be counted on to perform like he was doing it for free. One of his flicks was called Sex Psycho, and he fits that bill—just a very engaged weiner magnet, as in Manhandlers (1997).
**********
The best little boy in the (adult) world
#62 Brian Estevez aka Mike Raymond aka Michael Wayne (19?—?)
The reason for his inclusion starts and stops with his scene under Tony Stefano in Inch by Inch (1985). But Estevez was also famed for no-handed squirting—how very pre-Kristen Bjorn! He always had such a fresh look, like he was doing dirty movies while on spring break and really counting on his parents never finding out. I wonder if they ever did, or at least whatever became of him?
**********
Czech-Czech-Czech-Czech it out!
#61 Pavel Novotný aka Max Orloff aka Jan Dvorak aka Jakub Moltin aka Jaros aka Jarosl (Jaroslav Jirík, 1977—)
Sensationally good-looking Czech model has more fake names than Lady Gaga's Twitter followers—but no matter, he's unforgettable in his Bel Ami (2001's Coverboys) and William Higgins (2000's Prague Buddies) work, and pretty terrific in his other work, too (1999's Czech Point). But to me, he looks more like the quintessential Kristen Bjorn boy, no?
Does anyone else remember when he got into a ruckus in Cuba and was arrested, but received aid from George Michael?
**********
You're the bottom—you're the inspiration...
#60 Danny Sommers (19?—)
This all-American twink spent the 1990s bottoming for every top in the biz, and with a smile. I'm not sure I could pick a single role of his that sticks out for me (though I think he bed-battled with Jon Vincent, with both coming out the victor), but I recall him being in every dirty magazine I looked at or worked on in the 1990s and never losing his cuteness. Rumor has it that he went back to school (for what?) after leaving the biz.
**********
It was fun to view Quinn's cummings
#59 Jeff Quinn aka Rhett Routley (1957—?)
Looking like he should've been a Bruce Weber model—with that quintessentially '80s piece-of-A look—Quinn, like Kurt Marshall, appeared in a small number of movies, but only in movies that made a big impact, including The Switch is On (1985), Inch by Inch (1985), Hot Rods: Young & Hung II (1986) and the best ever, Big Guns (1986). Despite bottoming in most of his movies at a time when HIV was all over the industry, I have found no info that he got sick—he seems to have made his money and disappeared.
**********
How did they not do a parody called Brian's Schlong?
#58 Brian Maxon (19?—?)
This wildly slutty brunet-cum-blond of the '80s livened up everything he was in, even though he was apparently gay-for-pay, but nothing more so than his work with Mike Henson in the classic Two Handfuls (1986). For that scene alone, he's a legend, but his predilection for wrecking rears also helps.
**********
He was kinda like the Dennis Quaid of XXX
#57 Jeff Converse (19?—?)
The absolute coolest coach ever in Spring Break (1985), at the end of which two of his players get to use him like a human Fleshjac, Converse was a solid guy whose pecs were his calling card (note advertising piece above) along with his ability to make other men's privates vanish for extended periods of time. I don't think he did very many movies, but he worked for about seven years and was memorable in both Powertool (1986) and its sequel (1992). No idea whatever became of him.
**********
#56 Rod Garetto aka Rod Garretto aka Rod Garreto aka R. Lucky aka Rod Gasretto aka Rod Guerra (1966—)
One of the field's most prolific performers, this Mexican superstud always looked justifiably proud of what he carried below the waist. On his driver's license, where it asks about anatomical gifts, his probably said, "Hell, yeah!" After his 1987 debut, he made easily 100 films, calling it quits...actually, he has films up until 2011 under his name. Is this like that episode of The Twilight Zone where Ann Blyth plays a movie star who turns out to be not just a look-alike of a star from 30 years earlier, but the same star, an ageless, undying vampire who could even be Cleopatra? More power to ya, Rod.
**********
#55 Johnny Harden aka Johnny Hardin aka Johnny Hardon aka Ricky Bradley Gene Carrier (Gene Carrier?, 1956—?)
As a kid, I got in trouble once when my mom found doodles I'd done of enormously hung men and enormously chesty women. Thank God my perverted pencil was bisexual, or I might've outed myself at age 10 instead of the far more manageable 18. But the kind of crazy, out-of-proportion members I was drawing were no match for what Johnny Harden had swinging between his legs. Yes, he called himself Harden. Get it? Get it? Still, that was a sight better than his queasy-making Playgirl nom de rod—Gene Carrier. Sounds about as sexy as Huntington's Chorea.
Still, we're not talking about the name, but the guy behind it, and again, it was hard to beat his big one. (I'm sure for him, as well!) He always seemed so tickled to have it, and cultivated a great bush, too.
Loved him in Cruisin' the Castro (1981). He was also the first guy I ever saw swallow himself, let alone the first who could penetrate himself. Himself.
**********
#54 Tom Chase (1965—)
Starting out as a smooth, pistoning stud top, Chase transitioned into being a thicker, hairier versatile (though he rarely bottomed) man. His bottoming scene for Mike Branson in 1998 (California Kings) is the stuff(ing) that legends are made of. He has worked on and off since his debut over 15 years ago. I would say he is mostly a bear at this point, one with many, many fans who would gladly ignore those signs in the zoo that beg patrons not to feed the growling inhabitants.
**********
#53 Melchor Diaz aka Melchor Agular (19?—1995/AIDS)
This Puerto Rican devil was a familiar face (and booty) in movies throughout the '80s and into the early '90s, before he became too ill to work. He was sexually voracious but also had a playfulness that I always find welcome in adult movies. Got great reviews from co-stars and was an integral part of both Night Flight (1984) and Dynastud (1986).
**********
#52 Joe Cade (19?—)
For all the dish on this porn legend, hustle over here (Work Unfriendly)—he had quite the juicy love life behind-the-scenes as well as on-camera—he married Tom Chase!. Despite the fact that the similarly named Justin Cade has since come forward to assert that he and Joe were not cousins or brothers, their scenes together in the '80s were probably intensified thanks to their off-screen, two-year affair. Joe had these amazing, beefy Italian looks and a relaxed approach to all of his scenes, be they hips or lips, and was equally comfortable giving or receiving. Look him up in Cruisin': Men on the Make (1988). As for today, he apparently lives in Canada and works as a kickboxing trainer.
**********
#51 Cole Carpenter (John Erickson, 1957—)
This fuzzy blond god was a highly sought after top of the '80s with a John James pout and a giant personality. I remember he did bottom once, demanding a condom—which was one of the first times I saw a condom used in a gay porno. But then he turned around and topped the guy without wearing one himself, which was a confusing message—especially 25 years ago.
**********
What is it with guys named Henson?
#50 Steve Henson (19?—?)
This serious-looking preppie twink had a seriously cute butt and no compunction about putting it to use in a string of indelible films in the last half of the '80s: Like a Horse (1984) was one and The Pizza Boy: He Delivers (1985) was an even better one, but Inch by Inch (1985) was the ultimate.
**********
#49 Rex Chandler (Paul Fow?, 1966—?)
One of the first stars I became aware of who was gay-for-pay, Chandler entered the field at the very end of the '80s and starred successfully in a series of top-only roles, notably Heat in the Night (1989) and A View to a Thrill (1990). In 1996, sexy Rexy made news by touring in the play Making Porn by Ronnie Larsen, which was art imitating life. He also showed up in Gregg Araki's arthouse film The Doom Generation.
**********
"Hey, wanna make a few bucks?"
#48 Kip Noll (Thomas Earl Hagen?, c. 1957 or 1958—2001?)
He's been called the first-ever "twink star," and that sounds about right...who else, in the '70s, did the jailbait thing as prominently as Noll? He goes so far back he was in the silents—silent porn loops, that is. And with his William Higgins films, he helped popularize the trend of branding a last name so that newcomers could be introduced as a star's brother or cousin, hence Scott, Bob, Jeff Noll. He was memorable in Grease Monkeys (1979), Room Mates (1980), Brothers Should Do It (1981) and Class of 84 (1984). Note that there was some info on the 'Net about his real name and about dying of a heart attack in 2001, but there is considerable confusion as to whether this was the same person as Noll.
**********
#47 Matt Gunther aka Seth (Steven Matthew Lang, 1963—1997/AIDS)
This pretty, icy Mexican-American mostly-top had a bit of a sneer about his looks, which would have been perfect for a Patrick Nagel painting, and that sneer seems to match his personality—he was legendarily hard to work with...in the bad way. But his work on film is what we're talking about here, and he was outstanding in Deep Inside Jon Vincent (1990) and Big Bang (1990). Even did bondage in Abduction (1991). Stories about the last year of his life are miserably sad—he wound up ill with AIDS in a wheelchair and would have died in hospice care but was removed from the facility for acting out. There's a movie in there somewhere, and not the naked kind.
#46 Trace Michaels aka Trace Hunter (19?—)
If you're not familiar with this incredibly hot, hairy, hunky, sex-crazed performer's specialty videos—in which he massages some of the sexiest men alive—you must get thee to the Google. It's insane how long he can prolong the inevitable, whether that means him stuffing his massage victim or getting his client so hot and bothered he has to provide the opposite service. He does it all well and with relish, plus his dirty talk and his acting are top-notch. Somehow, he is currently single, or so says his Twitter. And somehow, he offers an incredibly low rate on Rentboy (in Florida). So even if you add in a ticket from NYC, the cost is—oh, uh, forget I said that.
**********
#45 Lou Cass (1966—)
I always found 6'3" Lou Cass to be irresistible—he had that fluffy '80s hair and looked so frickin' innocent, but could be a single-minded top, including with Joey Stefano in his last porn movie before moving on to bigger (impossible!) and better things—working as an actor and musician. Music? Yep—his "Rated X" is considered the first song by a former gay adult actor to hit Billboard. I interacted with Lou a few years ago when I was editing a magazine because, as it turns out, he's a huge Britney Spears fanatic. In fact, this guy who could probably find a lot of his old fans looking for his autograph shares my passion for in-person encounters with celebs. He's a fan of/friends with everyone from E.G. Daily to Tori Spelling. Follow the now older but actually even hotter Lou Cass on Twitter here.
American knows a good drag queen and a good pornstar when we see them
**********
#44 Mike Branson (19?—)
One of the biggest superstars of the 1990s, Branson was renowned as a top not only for his ability to always be hard at work but to always have something nasty to say to whomever was on the receiving end of his claim to fame. Mountainous and manly and as good-looking as they come, he's burned into many a brain from his appearances in The Freshmen (1997), The Chosen (1997), Manhandlers (1997), Hardline (1997), California Kings (1997) and especially Basic Plumbing II (1998). Rumors abound as to what he's been up to for the past 14 years—an engineer, a lawyer, an environmental activist, a...circuit judge? (maybe a judge at a circuit-party wet teabag contest), suggesting he may be one of the most sought after whatever-became-ofs in porn.
**********
He got his stage name from River Phoenix
#43 Dean Phoenix (Curtis Dean Hutchinson, 1974—)
This Mexican-born wonder is just plain cute. He started in the biz in 1998, including a 2004 comeback that featured his first time bottoming (on film) and a much briefer 2009 comeback that he indulged in only to experience the process after having kicked booze. His reason for doing porn is unique:
"Porn is so addicting. I knew I'd never date; being a pornstar meant I was promiscuous, not to be trusted and unable to connect. I got to have sex without being in a real relationship, and I got the fame."
Since retiring, he's been a bartender and, covering all the bases, a drug and alcohol counselor.
**********
I am an amateur Bilding inspector
#42 Jeremy Bilding aka Ryan Driller (Adam Cuculich, 1982—)
I'm unashamedly in love with this gay-for-pay top man, even after watching him make butt-love to Jake Cruise with no condom on. He has a single-minded determination in doing what he does, used to be a fat slob and transformed himself, isn't afraid to do to men what "Elaine Benes"'s sax-playing boyfriend had to be pressured to add to his repertoire for her and...I like his butt. Sadly, he gave up on gay porn two years ago. He does, however, still model expensive sportswear and undies. Take it where you can get it!
**********
Gay pornstars have often been treated like pinups
#41 Julian Adams aka Julien Adams (19?—?)
I realize I've say several times on this list that someone is "one of the best-looking" in history, but would I be lying to repeat this regarding Julian Adams? He's so precociously model-hot in every photo—and knows it. His era was the early to mid-'80s, culiminating with his appearance in Dynastud (1986). No one did tan lines quite like him.
**********
One of porn's best builds, even his hair has excellent body
#40 Peter North aka Matt Ramsey (Alden Brown, 1957—)
Here's an adult-film survivor—the great Peter North, one of the best-looking dudes in the biz when he entered it, was himself entered (under the name Matt Ramsey) by Rick "Humongous" Donovan in a deliciously classless classroom scene from the classic The Bigger the Better (1984) and appeared in a fair number of other gay flicks despite now being better known for his straight work. He's alive, kicking, directing/producing porn and looking pretty good, judging by this interview from a couple of years ago.
**********
The perfect fit for a hungry Warhol
#39 Chad Johnson (1960—)
Not to be confused with the wide receiver (he only received in 1984's Pipeline, and later called it "rape"), this shaggy top man made movies in fits from then on, including a late '80s comeback when he needed to make a car payment and a 2000s comeback after a decade-long relationship with co-star Dane Ford ended. In 2002, director Gino Colbert said of the self-professed odd man out of porn:
"Chad is truly one of the great, genuine guys in the business and he has only gotten more handsome with time."
**********
#38 Buster (Jeffrey Wayne Cole, 1956—1991/congenital heart failure & AIDS)
If Buster had never done anything else but accept pilot O.G. Johnson's johnson in Night Flight (1986), that would've been enough. But this clean-cut, dirty-minded power bottom worked steadily in the '80s, and not always nekkid—he ran for a city council seat in California in 1988 (but lost).
**********
#37 Erik Rhodes (James Elliott Naughtin, 1982—2012/heart attack)
We like our porn stars to successfully pretend to be losing themselves in the moment, but Rhodes wasn't pretending—from the beginning of his career in 2004, nobody came off as more lost in a series of moments. He topped and bottomed, eventually bottoming out in 2012 after steroid abuse and recreational drug use probably led to a heart attack in his sleep.
Upon his death, he was the rare star who received a lengthy New York Times obituary, albeit one entitled: "An Early Death but Perhaps Not a Surprise."
**********
#36 Tim Kruger (1981—)
One of the current stars most likely to be turning up on lists like these 20 years from now is redheaded German Tim Kruger, who wisely runs his own site and controls his own destiny in front of the camera. Seems to have a good head on his broad shoulders (and, of course, a cartoonishly huge p.p.), telling Kaltblut Magazine (Work Unfriendly):
"I never did regret my decision to start porn. Porn made things possible for me that I always dreamed about. I travel a lot, meet a lot of great guys (sometimes not-so-great guys, but that's normal), my sex life is absolutely fulfilled and I can live from what I do."
A far cry from the old days, when guys made $200 and got sick. I often think of the guys of the '70s and '80s as if they were like the Motown singers who were cheated out of their rightful rewards, and while performers today still have to struggle, there's a far greater chance of making a living instead of making a dying.
**********
#35 Jon Vincent aka John St. Vincent aka Dave Phillips (Jeffrey James Vickers, 1962—2000/heroin O.D.)
If you like 'em manly, by whatever definition, Vincent was your man. A hulking, aggressive top, it has been said that working with him was a challenge for even the most experienced taker. He sizzled in dozens of films, most memorably Deep Inside Jon Vincent (1990), Bi Intruder (1991) and Every Incha a Man (1998). Was rumored to have dated Joey Stefano. Imagine that match-up. His bio was A Thousand and One Night Stands by H. A. Carson.
**********
#34 François Sagat aka Azzedine (1979—)
Known for his distinctive scalp tattoo—which is the hard way to avoid being bald—Sagat was a fashion-industry casualty before turning to porn, but he's never abandoned those roots. Even though he tops and bottoms (and does bondage) with the best of 'em, Sagat is just as likely to pop up in your Facebook feed as part of some current fashion line or high-end photo shoot.
Sagat also blogs (irregularly) and has starred in non-porn movies. He may have left fashion after feeling it rejected him, but he's done an amazing job of becoming a style icon in his own right, so that fashion is now coming after him.
**********
A Stryking Force in the porn biz
#33 Steve Hammond aka Darren Culmar (19?—?)
I'm not the only one wondering whatever became of Steve Hammond, the impassive, Nordic-blond top man who pretended to get drilled by Jeff Stryker in Stryker Force (1986)—check out this plea from Fleshbot for any info. Considering he never really bottomed (so far as we know), there's a decent shot he's alive somewhere. Hell, I didn't even know that he made a movie in 1998 as this blog taught me, so anything's possible. And truth be told, I didn't know he was faking it in Stryker Force until reading that piece—my heart is broken. Beautiful hunk of man with a ridiculous butt who was at his best in The Pledgemasters (1989).
Let's play Pledgemaster & servant
**********
#32 Austin Wilde (1983—)
One of the most popular of today's actors has to be this biracial beauty. What makes Austin Wilde so special? He has the ability to be a hard-driving top, enough passivity to be a willing bottom, a preppy vibe that suggests you could bring him home to meet your mom, is ethnic, is not so ethnic that he turns off those guys who swear they aren't attracted to anyone with one drop of black blood in them—he's the full package.* Asked about whether there is a "color line" in adult movies, he said:
"Until just recently, I've never dealt with casting, so, like anyone, I can speculate but I can't say for sure. So, maybe I got lucky? I can say that my personality has probably gotten me pretty far. A positive. and outgoing, personality in this industry will usually do you good (take notes new guys that think you're God's gift to porn). Oh, and my d***."
Despite the bravado, I can report he's very nice in person.
Austin's work with Cocky Boys will likely be his calling card, especially all the stuff he does with real-life partner/sex partner Anthony Romero. He's also entrepreneurial, working on GuysInSweatpants.com.
*On Twitter, pornstar Chase Coxxx took exception to this sentence. His point was that it sounded as if I were praising Austin Wilde for being light-skinned enough to attract non-black gay men who say they are not into black gay men. Nothing could be further from my intention. My intention was not to laundry list positive attributes that make him sexy to me, but—and I felt it was clear—to explain what makes him so "special" that he has such a broad following. (For example, saying someone is versatile might explain why he does more movies than others, but it wouldn't necessarily mean being sexually versatile was better than being exclusively top or bottom.) I feel my characterization of guys who don't like men with "one drop" of black blood in them should make it clear that I find that abhorrent. Look, sexuality is not politically correct and there are no quotas when it comes to making a list of what turns on your dick. But I do find it racist if someone says, "I don't like black guys" or, "I don't like Asian guys" or, "I don't like white guys" because the range of men within those categories is so vast. That said, I did want to clarify because I would not want anyone else to take from my words what Mr. Coxxx did, and in spite of some comments from him with which I strongly disagree, I do thank him for his input and for pointing out what he felt was insensitive.
**********
#31 Kevin Wiles (19?—)
Great actor! Kevin Wiles was so believable stammering his way through an encounter with Chad Douglas, a neighbor with a trick robe (loved him rasping for Chad to slow down in order to avoid a premature money shot) in Big Guns (1987), and somewhat more assertively directing himself (not literally) in scenes like a three-way with other boys of the moment in Spring Break (1988). A bottom, he was really cute and preppy but able to accomodate anything and everything. I feel like he should be higher on more "greatest porn actors of all time" lists, but there seems to be only so much love for the receivers.
Around 2007, Wiles (who retired to Oregon) posted to his own Yahoo! fan group:
"I have periodically checked this site and have been kept apprised of some of the commentary by friends who have made them selves known to the group as being my friends. For a period of time I will be more than happy to jump into the conversations as they occur... I will not likely be posting a pic, have to give it some serious thought as one of your members made me aware of the can off worms that would potentially be opened by doing so...By the way thanks gents. I have enjoyed seeing what you have written about over the last months. I will say it has been like eavesdropping on conversations about ones self and it sat strange with me to do so prior to my now joining in. Being simultaneously public and private has a type of discordant tension that does not go away. Having done what most would consider a private act voluntarily in public requires one to have either postured for the results before or after the act. I would say I took the latter approach, deciding as the films started to become widely known how to consider myself as being known as Kevin...Well, I don't want to get on too psycho cerebral a note right out the gate but I appreciate the chance to introduce myself and some of where I am comming [sic] from as we start some conversations. Bottoms up.."
Kevin, if you're out there, I'd love to hear from you and find out what's been up with you. If nothing else, I need to know how you maintained your perfect '80s hair throughout all of your sexcapades!
**********
#30 Vinnie Marino aka Ray Acosta aka Rafael Acosta (19?—)
Vinnie was one of those incredible William Higgins boys, but was one who stood out to me because of the two basketballs he carried around in the backseat of his jeans, which were usually off anyway. These were the days before fake butts existed, so his endowment was particularly noteworthy. He got his the old-fashioned way, by working out; in fact, Marino had been a prize-winning bodybuilder. He definitely did wonders for my own body, none of which lasted but all of which are repeatable. He seems to still be doing solo videos almost 25 years later.
A rare star from the '80s who's still alive 'n' kicking
**********
#29 Eric Ryan (1954—1993/lymphoma & AIDS)
When I became aware of adult movies, Ryan had already appeared in countless examples of them, a masculine, sex-addicted presence who could've passed for a randy soap star or the handsomest trucker alive. I loved that his hair was thinning on top—it added to his realness. He was especially "on" in Leo & Lance (1983), but had been in grittier movies since the '70s.
**********
#28 Dean Monroe (1972—)
"Dean Monroe" has good taste in icons as well as a good hear for what works—hey, he could've wound up being called "Mineo Van Doren." This painfully handsome gay British boy already has over 10 years worth of films under his belt, in which he's been particularly effective in and out of a business suit and/or on the receiving end of innumerable gang-bangs. He's streamlined his body over time, losing his softness but winding up pretty close to just about anyone's ideal. He also sings and acts in non-porn. They say you could listen to a great singer sing the phone book. I could watch him screw it.
**********
#27 Tom Brock (19?—)
I will never forget him for his scene in In Your Wildest Dreams (1989) where Kevin Williams is making a late dinner of his behind when Eric Manchester inserts himself into the situation. But really, in many films, this impassive statue of a man was just shudder-inducing. I always saw a bit of Jack Scalia in his face, but that body was more likely pulled from Muscle Beach. Matt Sterling, his main director, says he was gay for pay. I've never had a problem with that—who am I to discriminate? No sign of him after Bigger Than Life (1991).
**********
#26 Kris Lord aka Kris Kayman (19?—)
It blows me away to realize Lord started making porn over 20 years ago. I wish YouTube had existed; a viral video could've been made of reaction shots based on how gay guys' faces looked when they first got a load of Lord's what-a-man!hood. In flicks like Grapplin' (1992), it was always fun watching his bottom co-stars struggling to do their duties. Didn't make that many movies, believe it or not. I'd have sworn he made dozens before researching this (14,500-word???) post.
**********
As a Bel Ami manager, he came with hands-on experience
#25 Johan Paulik (1975—)
In the '90s, Paulik and scene mate Lukas Ridgeston were the sensations of the industry, bringing pure, boyish, unspoiled good looks, giant prongs and dirty sex to a whole new level. Having starred in some of Bel Ami's most fondly remembered titles—Lukas' Story (1994), Sauna Paradiso (1994), An American in Prague (1997)—he retired 10 years ago and became Bel Ami's GM.
**********
#24 Tony Stefano (19?—?)
He was absolutely killer in Delivery Boys (1985), seeming to take deep pleasure from ordering his scene mate to worship his muscles: "Gonna finally gimme what I been wantin'?" I mean, who would say no to that? But when he forced two different voyeurs (Steve Henson and Mike Raymond) to lick him all over and then submit, back to back, to his impressive front in Inch by Inch (1985), he really created a porn classic, a scene that still pops up on free sites today. His mumbly, Italian-stallion delivery is authetic until it hurts—which, incidentally, it appears to do.
**********
#23 Brent Corrigan (Sean Paul Lockhart, 1986—)
Aw, shucks, how could I not include the world's most famous bottom of the past decade? Corrigan got an ignominious start when the first producer he worked with—in bareback productions—was brutally murdered by another actor and an accomplice and Corrigan wound up being involved in getting the culprits on the record all but admitting to their crime. And yet Corrigan bloomed after that, moving into safe-sex-only productions, marketing himself relentlessly and then transitioning to legit acting in Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild! (2008) and Judas Kiss (2011). He's articulate and seems devoid of the defensiveness that plagued earlier stars, unless you count denying (Work Unfriendly) that he's advertised his wares on Rentboy. With a high-profile Andrew Christian gig, this one has a shot at crossing over to mainstream entertainment completely if he plays his cards right.
**********
#22 Diesel Washington (1976—)
One of my favorite current sex stars has to be this guy, who is a spirited, uninhibited top I've watched demolish many a comer. It's like when you see those cocky cowboys who think they can handle the wildest steer at the rodeo—most wind up on their asses.
**********
#21 Chris Williams (Todd Dunning Bart, 1967—1991/AIDS)
You can tell I came of age in the late '80s from many of the men on this list, none more so than Williams. This two-toned, bleached-blond preppie type was on fire with Vladimir Correa in Out of Bounds (1987) and in other spurt epics, especially his swan song Young Cadets (1989). A bit too solid to be a total twink, but along with Kevin Williams a blond bottom extraordinare of his era in spite of appearing in only nine movies and two magazine spreads. While researching him, I dug up this court case which seems to show that at 14 he had sex with an adult who was later charged with and convicted for the act. This led me to a far more intensive bio on Williams's underage activities and eventual "naming of names" in order to avoid prison.
**********
#20 Ryan Idol (Marc Anthony Donais, 1966—)
Considering the number of stars who've been arrested for everything from rape (Tim Barnett) to murder (Sean Cody's Addison, many others), you'd think the title of "ultimate bad boy" would be hard to pin down. But former Playgirl model and gay-household name Ryan Idol walks away with this one for a long series of bad behavior, culminating with his September 2012 sentencing to 12 years in prison fo attempting to murder his girlfriend. Not well liked on the sets of the few flicks he made (less than 10, most with his last name in the title), it was a perhaps unsurprising outcome for a man who it could be argued is one of the best-looking men of the entire genre.
Hard to picture this trying to kill you with a toilet lid, but there you have it
He seemed unstoppable when he debuted in the early '90s, back when more consumers seemed satisfied just to see great-looking guys in sexual situations, no matter whether they might be 100% gay in their private lives. He never bottomed and took a while to warm up to other things, too, but he sure made uncomfortable looking pretty.
**********
#19 Ken Ryker (Gary James Pokorney, 1972—)
When this monumental Texan stud, the son of a Baptist preacher, hit porn, it was an event. Everyone went nuts for him, he was a major star on impact and his appearance in The Other Side of Aspen IV: The Rescue (1995), Falcon's 100th release, remains one of the most rented (remember when we used to rent porn videos?) of all time. Ryker identifies as bisexual but seems to be with women more than men and caused some controversy when he seemed to get religion, sounding off about his porn past in a way that led people to believe he was disowning it. He worked for a decade but it's been nearly that long since he made his last film. The book The Films of Ken Ryker by Mickey Skee regularly changes hands for over $100 on eBay.
**********
#18 Lukas Ridgeston (1974—)
The face that launched a thousand Bel Ami videos, Bratislava-born Mr. Perfect Lukas Ridgeston was a sensation from his first release in the early '90s (where he had his first sex with a man—Johan Paulik—on a movie set), headlining many of the company's high-profile videos. His boyish looks, piercing blue eyes, giant endowment and sweet aura have made him a worldwide fan fave, yet one who retired in 2005 and who showed no signs of coming back until the announcement less than two months ago that he would return in 2013 (Work Unfriendly). He also does still work behind the scenes at Bel Ami, as is the norm for that company.
**********
He should've been on the cover of Feet
#17 Joe Simmons (Thomas Williams, 1959—1995/AIDS)
One of the industry's best-built and most artistically beautiful men (he posed for Robert Mapplethorpe), Simmons was versatile in every sense of the word—aside from the adult stuff, he acted in plays and modeled. But also, he was a jack-off-of-all-trades in sex films, topping, bottoming and doing both vanilla and fetish flicks. I would argue he's the ultimate black icon of the business—or am I slighting someone else?
**********
#16 Rick Donovan aka Dirk Moon (Roy Michael Artley, 1963—)
I'm not sure, but I think 10-1/2" was a part of his Christian name. If not, he would've had no trouble persuading the state to change it legally. Donovan was noted for his mind-boggling, rectum-toggling wang. Unlike some later size men, he was pretty good-looking, too, though I've always been a fan of a strong brow. Good at silently smoldering, he was gay porn's Lauren Bacall. Or not. But he sure gave straightish actor Peter North something to think about in The Bigger, the Better (1984). His work stretched from the late '70s until 1994.
Internet reports suggest he worked as a bartender in San Diego up until a few years ago.
**********
#15 Kurt Marshall (James Allen Rideout Jr., 1965—1988/kidney failure due to drug abuse & AIDS)
"Die young, stay pretty" never applied more than to blond boytoy/struggling college kid James Rideout, who worked in the biz as Kurt Marshall. Only on the scene for a handful of films in the '80s, he died of AIDS less than four years—and only four films—after his debut in Sizing Up (1984). His other appearances were in The Other Side of Aspen II (1984), Splash Shots (1984) and Night Flight (1984). His legend lives on because, due to an accident of fate and to his own sexual talents, he only appeared in A-plus productions, all of which survive prominently in our memories.
Marshall was a troubled but thoughtful young man. According to Unnatural Quotations by Leigh W. Rutledge, he once said:
"I think to be gay is to be blessed. We have so much freedom, so many choices. This isn't our moment to party or to think we're going to stay young forever..."
Alas, he did both.
**********
As a singer, he could've released a 12" and really meant it!
#14 Jeff Stryker (Charles Casper Peyton, 1962—)
Truth be told, I'm not wildly turned on by Jeff Stryker, even though he is inarguably the most famous gay pornstar who's ever lived. But his fabled kickstand is hard to deny and he's been in movies in which he's been surrounded by such primo tail it's impossible not to include him—he's the sun, which you need if you're interested in the rest of the galaxy. Stryker is the ultimate brand, too—his movies were events the likes of which the industry had never seen and his lifelike dildo is the best-selling of its kind. Even though he's done bi and straight films and won't commit to being called "gay," I think he's basically on our side. After all, he was such a team player in Stryker Force (1987). Probably his greatest was Powertool (1986), though if you like the ladies, Jamie Loves Jeff (1988) might fill the bill.
I met him at Outfest a few years ago and he was polite. I doubt that back then, even the cast of Brokeback Mountain would have caused the same ruckus as he did amongst the lavender-lens looky-loos. If you've got $1,000, you, too, can meet him!
**********
Nothing came between him and his Calvins except for two fistfuls of manhood
#13 Leo Ford (1957—1991/motorcycle crash)
I'm a particular fan of brunets, and yet Leo Ford had a blown-out blond look that was pretty undeniable. Lean, lanky and a sex machine, he appeared in two movies that anyone would be hard-pressed to deny as being among the Top 10 in their genre of all time: Leo & Lance (1983) and Blonds Do It Best (1985), both by William Higgins and both co-starring Leo. He apparently dated drag star Divine???
**********
If you're thinking of taking a seat, this Davenport would be the place
#12 John Davenport aka Jon Davenport (19?—?)
Now we're cookin'. This guy has a supersexy late '70s/early 80s look about him and what amounts to a third leg, not to mention a coupla jumbo-sized eggs on him. He was always a stunning top, never more so than in Big Guns (1987), when he angrily brushes off his partner's plea to take it easy so his girlfriend won't see any marks on his butt. He did bottom once, in Bad Boys Club (1988). Rumor has it that he got married (to a woman) after he did some bi roles and then retired from porn completely.
**********
Not sure if all blonds do it best, but this one sure did
#11 Lance (David Alan Reis, 1962—1991/suicide due to AIDS)
Where do you begin with Lance? He was the gay-porn Madonna—one name only, please! This lumbering blond surfer came off as young, dumb and full of come-hither looks that he would happily consummate at length and with gusto. He definitely had a big one and always seemed thrilled to share it. I think what I liked best about him was the contrast of the blond hair and the brown bush. These days, the fact that he had a bush at all would be looked at with about as much appreciation as a dog with wheels for hind legs.
**********
#10 Casey Donovan (John Calvin Culver, 1943—1987/AIDS)
A sexual libertine and part-time actor-slash-model, Donovan became not just a but the gay pornstar by virtue of his starring role in the seminal gay flick Boys in the Sand (1971), directed by Wakefield Poole. Donovan wanted to cross over—how many aspiring actors or models have thought, wrongly, that porn would be a good method of doing so?—but never did, in spite of working in quite a few plays of a non-sexual variety. He was said to have had affairs with Disney actor Tom Tryon and even Superman's Christopher Reeve.
By the time I saw anything with Donovan, he was long dead. But I think his appearance in The Other Side of Aspen (1983) alone would have made him a legend even if Boys in the Sand hadn't already. For fans of camp, don't miss him in Ginger (1971) or Score (1973).
**********
#9 Kevin Williams (1965—)
This blond superbottom of the '80s (and beyond!) has been entered more times that the front door. I loved his wooden delivery, which never failed to deliver wood because it was like he had no idea that what he was doing on film was nasty. The contrast between him and most of his leading men was pretty stark, whether it be rough-and-tumble Eric Manchester or beefy god Tom Brock or slick professional Jeff Stryker; Williams just always came off as an innocent, albeit one with a perfect butt that could swallow more than Jonah's whale. I mean, he made quite industrious use of that lazy susan in Hot Rods: Young & Hung 2 (1986)—that was the first time I saw two men take advantage of a single man's asset at the same time. When he made a comeback in '98 and worked through the early '00s, I was shocked to discover he'd survived! A pre-condom bottom pornstar of the '80s that is alive today is pretty rare. I can only think of him and Kevin Wiles who seem to have made it.
**********
Margaret Whiting's favorite J.O. rag
#8 Jack Wrangler (John Robert Stillman, 1946—2009/emphysema)
This macho blond adonis is one industry figure about which a lot is known, primarily because he survived long enough to leave the industry and move into other fields—as well as moving into a much-gossiped-about relationship with legendary chanteuse Margaret Whiting, who was 20 years older than he and, well, a dame.
Born into an entertainment family in Beverly Hills, Wrangler was a child actor in an early TV series but by young adulthood had transitioned into other forms of entertainment: he was a go-go dancer and a stage actor all too eager to strip naked as the part required. This led to his being recruited into guy/guy movies in 1970, when making it was not something desperate straight boys commonly did for easy money, but was also a political statement. He went on to make dozens of gay and straight hardcore flicks—maybe his most famous being Kansas City Trucking Co. (1976), though I always liked a dirty mag I found showing him as a bottoming cowboy—before retiring and working with his life partner, Whiting, on her own career. I saw Dream (1997), a production he created for her around Johnny Mercer's music—did you?
The best way to learn more about him is to see the 2008 documentary Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon. I saw it and loved it and will always regret that by then he'd already become too ill to attend. He had a Marlboro Man machismo and, as I've said before, Jack Wrangler had one of the industry's best-ever danglers.
**********
A bottom who crossed over, slightly, into the mainstream
#7 Joey Stefano (Nicholas Anthony Iacona Jr., 1968—1994/O.D.)
A hugely popular bottom in late '80s and eary '90s films, Stefano became one of the most famous gay adult stars who ever lived, even inspiring a full-length bio after his untimely death due to a drug overdose. I vividly remember the hubbub surrounding him, and recall watching him for the first time and being wowed by his relationship with the camera (not to mention his co-starring penis).
Stefano became even more widely known for admitting to having sex with then-closeted mogul David Geffen, something he referred to while doing an appearance on Robin Byrd's NYC-based cable-access show, and for posing in Madonna's Sex book. His best? More of a Man (1991).
**********
This bottom was at the top of his game
#6 Jon King (John Nelson Gaines, 1963—1995/AIDS)
King was a voracious bottom on film, one of the first exclusive bottoms to become a major star. He started out at 18 doing in movies what he was reputed to be very good at and preoccupied with doing off-screen anyway. The pleasure he takes from the act is palpable in all of his movies, including those in the '90s when he'd come out of retirement. I remember seeing stills from those and finding them even hotter because it felt like he'd had to return to porn just because he craved that kind of sex again. (When he probably was more interested in making a living and getting his kicks as a fringe benefit.) An excellent overview of King's life (including a stint in prison) is here, with comments from a couple of guys who had sex with and got to know him. He seems to be as sweet as he was in his movies, where he missed the memo that gay sex stars are supposed to be tough, edgy and pseudo-macho.
**********
#5 Al Parker (Andrew "Drew" Okun, 1952—1992/AIDS)
The word "icon" gets tossed about fairly lightly, but if anyone on this list deserves it, it's Parker. The ultimate star for fans of guys with facial hair, this butch, denim-clad Colt Man—the consummate "clone"—made loops and became the face of the popular Surge Studios films. His biographer, Roger Edmonson, says:
"Al was a gay everyman, someone guys could identify with, not just stand back and gape at it awed silence. With his cropped hair, neat beard and taut but far-from overdeveloped frame, he looked like them. The look he embodied was one that could be copied by a majority of the men who were making the new gay social and sexual scene."
As well as Inches (1979) and A Few Good Men (1983), Parker was central to the unforgettable The Other Side of Aspen (1983).
**********
A porn legend who couldn't overcome his demons
#4 Mike Henson (Kenneth Seymour, 1963—2002/heroin overdose)
Henson wasn't prolific in the adult world, but most of the titles he appeared in were classics thanks in no small part to his very large part. In particular, who can ever forget him in Big Guns (1987), one of the best—if not the best—gay sex flicks ever made, or his 1986 scene with Brian Maxon in Two Handfuls? Henson had drug problems that precipitated his death at 38, and knowing he had HIV was no help. The best obituary for him—and one of the only obits on the 'Net for any porn star of the '90s and earlier—is this one, by his former roommate.
**********
Making Porn: Manchester (left), Leo Ford (center) & John Rocklin (right) in a rare snap
#3 Eric Manchester (1960—)
You don't need to know much more about my sexuality beyond my fixation on this Italian stallion, who made a huge mark on the movies of the mid to late '80s despite appearing in very few of them compared to his forebears. I can't get enough of him in Spokes II: The Graduation (1988) or, of course, In Your Wildest Dreams (1989).
He did his work aggressively, leaving no bone unturned, with an intensity that was just this side of scary. He had the kind of handsome looks that boys from the wrong side of the tracks have when they're young, which is when they use them to get away with enough to last them though their golden years.
An adult star with a mullet gives new meaning to "business up front, party in the back"
I've heard he got married and became a father, but I also recall seeing (and have it somewhere) an escort ad he placed in one of NYC's gay rags probably 15 years ago. It was tempting.
**********
#2 Chad Douglas (Martin R. Cox, 1957—1999/AIDS)
This enormous talent is one I'd have been embarrassed for my friends to know I was lusting after back in college. He was already so much older, from a whole different generation, the generation of handlebar mustaches, rings for more than just your finger and, yes, AIDS. If there was (or is) a gay caste, any fun I'd have had with Douglas would've been star-crossed for sure. Yet in spite of the fact that he wasn't my usual type, there was a startling amount of star quality and also sincerity in every scene he filmed, whether it involved a dated leather vest or just him, his third leg and some babbling twink on a couch having second thoughts about agreeing to do this until such time that he would begin having second thoughts about agreeing to let Chad stop when it was over.
I remember him most fondly for, er, challenging the Kevins—Williams and Wiles, don't you? Giant Splash Shots II (1986), Big Guns (1987), Too Big for His Britches (1988)...the hits kept cummin'.
One of the most fascinating pieces I've ever read about a former adult star was a story by a girl who used to be babysat (pictured) by "Uncle Chad," a Vice piece (now gone) that shed some light on what pornstars of the past did for day jobs. He was described as a "cool and wonderful" babysitter, and one the kid never knew had sex for cash until after he was dead.
Something else I found interesting about Douglas was the rumor that he had to be taught how to be the ruthless top he was (by superbottom Chris Burns, who lost more than one chair by sitting down) because in life he was much more of a bottom. All the attention to the mystique—the chasm between who pornstars really are and really aren't—gives one pause.
**********
#1 Bill Henson (19?—1990?/AIDS)
This one is my all-time favorite. Why? For starters, he was A-list-model beautiful, had a casual masculinity, had a perfect body that wasn't too ruthlessly worked out and did not look like a bottom while being exactly that, notably for directors William Higgins in Sailor in the Wild (1983) and Matt Sterling in A Matter of Size (1983). His robotic delivery (he was said to be a marine sergeant shy about having gay sex in front of the camera) only made him all the more erotic. Never has a pornstar been so disconnected from his work while simultaneously burning up the screen. His disappearance has spawned lots of rumors, but I've never bought into the one where he retired and is alive and well somewhere with a family, or the one where he got AIDS and gave it to his wife and future child. Though there is no hard evidence for whatever became of Henson, the most likely explanation is the most reasonable: that he died of AIDS over 20 years ago. Higgins told me in 2010:
"The only information that I have is that I heard, several years ago, that Bill Henson had died of AIDS. I haven't been able to corroborate this information though, so please don't take it as an absolute fact."
I'm not sure where the death year of 1990 came from, either, it's just floating out there on the 'Net. The mystery of who he was and what happened to him only increases his mystique. I'd do just about anything to figure out his real name and find out definitively whatever became of him.
COMMENTS