Every once in a while, we discover a stud who knows what he wants, goes out and gets it and takes no prisoners along the way. The Nob Hill Theatre regularly brings interesting, provocative talent, but there's something special about Jack Vidra. Versatile in and out of the sheets, masculine, sexy, powerful, and unique, in the world of porn.
If you are looking for a man to perform for you in a live setting, where there's no holding back, go to the theatre this weekend. See Mr. Vidra and his stunning costar, Dylan Strokes (himself, no stranger to the provocative), do what they love to do for you.
Congratulations on your Nob Hill Theatre debut! What are most looking forward to in your performances?
This type of venue is new for me, and I'm excited to be in a space where the patrons can participate and be a part of the action. I am good friends with a few performers who have been here, and they had a great time.
Have you ever worked with your performance Dylan Strokes before? What will you bring to the NHT stage?
We actually have never met, but we have chatted and flirted online for some time, and are looking forward to having fun together. I think we can both get really into each other and enjoy putting on a good show.
Where did you grow up? How did your upbringing affect how you embraced your sexuality?
I grew up on a large farm on the East Coast. We had horses and cows and chickens; grew crops and had a beautiful garden. I had a fairly conservative upbringing, but I don't feel like my sexuality was a rebellion. I have three sisters and all of us are very sexual people. My parents are still together and always seemed to have a good physical relationship.
Your various careers require tremendous focus. To what do you owe your sense of direction?
An explanation of this might make for even more questions; I have always been very driven, and self-motivated. In high school, I was nearly the top of my class, and excelled at sports. I did a few semesters of PreMed in college, before deciding to join the US Marines. After the military, I worked in insurance claims and then law, before deciding to reinvent myself as a chef. I guess I have always been given the good example of hard work being rewarded, and I've always been stubborn and self-sufficient.
I love your Twitter food porn. At which restaurant(s) do you create your culinary masterpieces? What are your specialties?
Thank you! I have worked in many high-end restaurants in Chicago, but now I work for a specialized catering company for high-profile clients. I guess my specialty is healthier food, done simply and very well. I love mixing a rustic farm-to-table style with expert technique and presentation.
What's your favorite food show, and why?
I rarely watch them, at this point. I don't learn much from the reality-based shows, and I hate the drama. Let's just learn about food! I was interviewed several times to be on Food Network's Next Food Network Star, but they decided to pass me over. An insider said that I was "too butch to be the gay one."
How do your coworkers, customers and catering clients respond to your porn career?
I treat it like it isn't an issue, so they occasionally have questions about it, but nobody seems to care or be offended. Usually, people think it's cool.
When, how and why did you decide to become a porn model?
I think everyone wants to, on some level. It was never about needing the money or vanity for me. I ended a relationship where I was very repressed sexually, and I thought it was time to be proud and confident in my sexuality. Bruno Bond from Falcon Studios found me years prior, and asked if I'd be interested, but I wasn't ready at the time. We became friends, and visited a few times, when he and Steve Cruz came to Chicago. I had an open-ended offer, and when I decided I was ready, I quickly had a date scheduled.
Describe your feelings during your debut scene.
I was confident in my appearance, sexual ability and excited to work with my scene partner, Boomer Banks. I was really only nervous because I didn't want to be frustrating as the new guy.
Describe your relationship with director Chi Chi LaRue.
As she said it, 'I just met you, but I feel like I've known you forever.' Chi Chi and I bonded instantly, and we chat all the time, talking about life, relationships and food. We spent a lot of our free time together on our new movie, "A Night at The Ready," getting coffee and breakfast every morning, and a lot of time together in Chicago, when she came to visit. It's kind of fun to just be normal with someone who everybody perceives as intense all the time.
How has your porn career evolved your private sexuality?
Being involved in porn has definitely changed the way I view sex, in the sense that I am more relaxed about it. I feel validated to do whatever I feel, and make no apologies for it, but also in the sense that I can wait for a good thing. It has also definitely made me value sensuality and mental connection.
With your oral skills, you should give seminars! Please describe, as if it were a PSA, how to give a memorable BJ.
I guess with any job, you have to love doing it! (Laughs ) I really am aroused myself by giving great head. Sometimes, it's more about me wanting to do it than it is about getting them off. I'm sure you can train yourself to not have a gag reflex and breathe through your nose, etc., but I guess the best advice is to know the recipient, and what they respond to.
It's not just hand and mouth. Work one hand around the base and keep him hard, while you work the head and shaft with your mouth. Tug their nuts, play with their hole a little. Play with their nipples while you kiss them and they stroke. Stroke their inner thigh, their flanks. Put your pit in their face, so they can smell you. Pry their mouth open and spit in their mouth. And you really know you're a boss when you can deep-throat them during their entire orgasm.
What's the one sex act you used to avoid, but, now, you cannot wait to do?
(Laughs) Maybe, some more bandage play, and I'm really into public sex lately; bathrooms, stairwells, the boiler room in my building... (Laughs)
How has your porn career informed your view of men?
It's actually given me a calm self-confidence. I'm less judgmental of people, and of our gay culture, as a whole. Everybody has a type, and anyone can be beautiful, despite them not adhering to typical standards of masculinity or beauty. Some people are more attracted to a particular trait or fetish than to a great body. I'm not everyone's type, and I'm very comfortable with that. I'll never be perfect, and the things that I used to hate about myself as an adolescent, I now appreciate. I also have genuine compassion for my fellow porn actors, and our differences. I wish I could help instill this outlook in others, as well.
Many of our recent porn star interview subjects are versatile, to varying degrees, as are you in your work. What do you love most about being able to "change it up" sexually?
I think anyone would want to be more versatile, just to be able to experience everything. I have a lot of confidence bottoming, clearly. But I have bit of a fetish for making an alpha top love getting his ass pleased. I love to make a man feel comfortable and connected enough to make him lust after me and want to be fucked.
What type of men do you prefer when you top, bottom, or flip-flop?
I really don't have a type, age or race. Confidence and masculinity is very sexy to me; intelligence and humor. We all like big dicks and muscle butts, but I've had a pretty eclectic range of types in the men that I have dated. It's a little easier to get down with someone who is roughly my height, and I'm kinda short. But I can always be creative.
You are one of the few ginger men in the porn industry. Has that led to you being fetishized by studios and fans? If so, how does that make you feel?
I appreciate it. I think other redheads are hot, too. We're all here to support some sort of fantasy. I was actually in the same Titan movie with [redhead] Bennett Anthony, but we never got to meet.
What was it like to be nominated for a Grabby Award (Best Newcomer 2017)? You look like you had a helluva time at the ceremony!
It was an honor, and especially nice to have everyone in my hometown of Chicago! It was great to meet a lot of industry people and interact with them. I just quietly sipped a drink and took in the spectacle.
What are your ultimate porn and culinary career goals?
I am trying to determine if there is a way to bring them together. I have no desire to make porn with food. And I won't be making any videos where I cum in the cake batter or anything (Laughs ). I fantasize about having a show or setting where I cook with porn stars, directors, etc., and bring it all to the table; mix it up with regular people from our walks of life, and have them find common ground. Even entertainers need to learn how to entertain.
I also have a passion for nutrition and being able to satiate cravings. Most actors who have to adhere to strict diets for their fitness would appreciate being able to cook more for themselves.
Oh, and somebody gets to break something during the show, unannounced. I just giggle thinking of Chi Chi LaRue whipping a wine glass against the wall, while my mom is trying to make a salad.
Alright, I have to ask. How do you tan so beautifully, when so many other ginger men just... don't?
(Laughs) Well, I guess it's because of the Hungarian side of my family. Hence, why I came up with the name 'Vidra.' It is the Hungarian word for 'otter,' and my grandmother called me that, because I was always playing in the water. I have a beautiful redheaded sister who can't tan at all, and two sisters with dark hair and dark eyes.
You rock jock straps as if you and they have a deep, spiritual connection. What is it about that garment that does it for you?
I've always had a big butt and big legs, and I'd rather keep my cock and balls from moving, while letting my ass breathe, so, I wear them all the time; under my chef uniform, in jeans, in a suit, almost everywhere. I guess they just agree with me.
As a professional photographer, I notice that many people get selfies so wrong, while you get them so right. Please give my readers a tip on how to take a great selfie.
Well, I don't know if I can really teach that. Having great natural light and a really good cell phone helps. We were always having our pictures taken as children, as my mom was obsessed with photos. I learned to pose myself when I felt a camera present. If I'm caught off-guard, I'm probably making a stupid face, since I am very animated and expressive.
What are the parallels between food and sex, and how do you get both right?
One of the positives to being in food and porn is that everybody likes food, and everybody likes sex. One of the negatives is that both are industries where everybody seems to think what you do is free. No, you can't have the recipe.
Oh, and thank you for not asking me: "What's your favorite thing to make?" Chefs hate that (Laughs). But, the answer is: "I haven't made it yet."
Jack Vidra performs solo (8pm) and duo sex shows with local stud Dylan Strokes (10pm) at the famed strip club, the Nob Hill Theatre. $25. Fri & Sat Aug. 25 & 26. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 397-6758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/JackVidra
To see Cornelius Washington's erotic photography: https://www.cuirphoto.com