A natural man in a world of overpumped, over-inked, over-pierced and contrived bodies and personalities, Max Cameron stands out as one of the most normal, hardest-working and articulate sex stars in the industry. Cameron just won the San Francisco edition of the Hookies Awards at an event held at The Powerhouse Bar.
You can get even more interactive. Leave your inhibitions, cell phones and your attitudes behind and join him at The Nob Hill Theater's scandalous (and legendary) Circle Jerk with A Porn Star event February 19 in their notorious downstairs playroom.
The ever-active and constantly booked porn stud squeezed in a last-minute interview with the Bay Area Reporter, where we got the scoop!
Cornelius Washington: Is this your first time performing at The Nob Hill Theater? What are your expectations and/or fantasies?
Max Cameron: This will be my sixth time performing at NHT. I'm expecting a bunch of fun surprises in the form of friends/costars that will hopefully be making appearances!
What do you wear to dance that makes you feel your most powerful?
Nothing? Being nude I suppose if the most "liberating."
Do you see all-male live sex shows coming back in fashion, thanks to the success of the Magic Mike and La Bare films?
I'm not sure.
Describe your fitness regime.
I'm very active. I'm on a five-day split: Mondays are legs and abs, Tuesday is chest and cardio, Wednesdays are off, Thursdays are back and abs, Friday is shoulders/cardio, Saturday is arms/cardio. In addition to my gym routine, I practice soccer two days a week with games on Sundays.
What is the first adult film you ever viewed?
It has been so long ago that I don't remember the name of it. It belonged to my friend's brother and we all had a circle jerk when we watched it. It was pretty hot!
What inspired you to begin an adult film career?
I was kind of thrown into the fire, so to speak. My ex-boyfriend had been doing porn for some time and invited me along to a shoot, and things just went from there.
Is working in adult film a second "coming out" for you?
It definitely is a second coming out for me. I'm not one to really draw attention to myself in my private life, and thus really don't talk about porn outside of my closeknit group of friends. As far as my family is concerned, only my sister and brother-in-law know about my moonlighting as a performer. My mom would probably keel over and die if she knew, so in that sense, I am "closeted."
What's the best and worst advice about the industry you've ever received from someone in the industry?
The worst advice I got was to start in the industry with condomless porn (bareback). While most studios overlook that, there are a few who will not work with you under any circumstance if you have done condomless porn. So that is one regrettable piece of advice. The good advice came from the same person, however, warning me of the pitfalls of becoming exclusive with said company. As someone just starting out in the industry, I was offered exclusivity, but turned it down. I feel like I would have significantly decreased my opportunities with other studios, and am elated that I was able to work with so many great ones in just my first year.
Describe your first adult film experience, as a performer.
It was terrifying! I was tagging along on a shoot, and thought that I had been given the option to decide, on location if I wanted to participate. When we got there, the director was giving me all these instructions as to how he wanted the scene to play out, and told myself, "Well, here goes!" I was totally caught off guard, but it turned out to be a pretty hot scene.
So far, who's your favorite scene partner?
Hands down, Rocco Steele. We had this electrifying chemistry between the two of us, and our scene was so natural and real-feeling. He's a real sweet guy off-camera as well; just an all-around great guy �" and crazy sexy to boot!
Physically, what's the difference between film sex and real life sex?
Sex in my personal life is quite a bit different. For me, in my personal life, sex is much more sensual, personal, and intimate. But don't get me wrong, that intimacy and sensuality can culminate into crazy sessions! I feel like, on set, you need to constantly be aware of where the camera is, being conscious of angles, shadows, etc. There have definitely been times where I have completely forgotten about the lights, camera and production assistants, but those are few and far between. It is, after all, my (our) job to make the finished product the most polished, pleasing, and hot production we can, and often times that requires doing things that you naturally would not.
What's your favorite sexual position?
There are a lot of factors that go into that: penis contours/shape, top/bottom, etc. As a bottom, I like cowboy(girl), because I also love kissing and looking into my partner's eyes. As a top, probably doggy. To be honest, my ideal position would be "Lucky Pierre," sandwiched between two guys.
What do you bring to adult films that no one else does?
I try to bring an air of professionalism to anything I am part of, big or small. The finished product is ultimately a reflection of you, and I want that to be shown in the best light possible; oh, and my soccer butt.
What body part, other than the obvious, do you find yourself using more onscreen than in your real life?
My nipples are definitely used much more on-screen than off. Physically, I'm not hard-wired, and to be honest, nipple play does very little for me (sorry guys!), but it does look sexy as hell, which I think is the reason behind its use in my films.
Where do you see all-male adult film going in the 21st Century?
With the introduction of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), I think the adult entertainment industry has gained and incredibly powerful tool in HIV prevention. Its efficacy is over 99%, significantly more than a condom. Having said that, I think we will see a lot more studios going the condomless route. I think that is just a reflection of the paradigm shift of our personal lives (more people using alternative, more effective measures for safer sex).
Barebacking: pro or con?
As someone on PrEP for over two years, I personally prefer condomless (bareback) sex. It just feels better and, in my opinion, is more intimate. Professionally, having to bottom for hours on end with a condom can get very irritating and sore, physically. Some may say that we expose ourselves to other STIs, but the truth of the matter is that the rick increase is negligible, at best. Furthermore, those on PrEP are required to be tested every three months, much more frequently than most not on PrEP.
In your Deviant Otter scene, Starfucked, you not only flip-flopped numerous times, but, went from safe to bareback sex. Who created the scene's concept? How did you feel about doing it? Have there been any ramifications?
That scene was literally a year or more in the making. I quickly became friends with Bravo Delta and Devin Totter (independently of one another) and wanted to meet both. Devin finally invited me out to shoot a few scenes, and one night out, grabbed some drinks with Bravo, where we discussed finally shooting a scene together. Deviant Otter shoots mostly condomless scenes, and Bravo, being an ex-Cocky Boys exclusive, felt obligated to wear a condom (they are one of the companies who have a zero-tolerance policy with condomless sex), in addition to his own personal stance as he was not yet on PrEP. We thought we might convince him seeing as both Devin and I are on PrEP, but he was just more comfortable using a condom, which we obviously respected. It was really a non-issue. This, in a way, ties into how I think the industry might be changing in the future, allowing for more personal choice.
Following up, what's your opinion of "bottom stigma"?
Be proud to be a bottom! Look, there are times I feel like bottoming, and times I feel like topping the hell out of someone. I say, to each their own.
In your next scene scene, who would be your fantasy scene partner and director, and what would you do with the former?
Well, fortunately, I will be shooting with my dream scene partner and boyfriend, Jackson Fillmore in March with Lucas Entertainment. I can't wait! This will definitely be one of those scenes that will be so organic, and titillating! Definitely look out for more of him, too. As far as a non-boyfriend scene, I'd love to work with Nick Sterling, Eddy CeeTee, Aleks Buldocek or Tim Kruger, with the talented Mr. Pam behind the camera. Actually, can I have a big, group scene with them all? Mr. Pam?
Circle Jerk With a Porn Star features Max Cameron at the Nob Hill Theatre. $10. February 19, 9pm. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 397-6758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com Follow Max at https://twitter.com/xxxmaxcameron