How to Succeed as a Male Porn Star
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEAN CAPTURE
When people think of their favorite porn stars, often a famous woman comes to mind. Ladies dominate the sex industry, and they typically make more money than men, a rare accomplishment in a patriarchal society. But that doesn’t mean guys can’t thrive in the XXX world, and for those who do, they may well have the greatest job ever. Male performers get paid to fuck hot women. Awesome, right? So why aren’t more guys signing up for the gig? Turns out that making the XXX fantasy a reality can be hard work. From getting booked with no referrals to ejaculating on demand while a crew is watching, few men can handle the demands of being a cock cowboy. What does it truly take to make it as a working stiff? We talked to five popular male performers in the industry to find out: How did they get started in porn and rise through the ranks to the top? Read on.
WILL POUNDER
Will Pounder, 37, doesn’t just have one of the funniest stage names in porn; he’s also one of the most prolific male performers, shooting one to three scenes a day, almost every day, for six years. In 2020, he won the AVN Award for Best Male Newcomer, and he now has numerous award-winning scenes under his belt…so to speak.
HUSTLER: You’re originally from the Midwest. How did you end up doing porn in Los Angeles?
WILL POUNDER: I never intended on doing porn. In fact, I have a degree in business and project management and worked in the corporate world.
I dabbled in mainstream acting and ended up on a military TV show, where I was pranking everyone on set every day and posting the results on social media. There was a porn star on set as a guest for an episode, and she wanted to shoot a scene with me. I declined because it would mess with my acting career, but we made a bet, and I lost. I agreed to shoot a scene.
