Think you’ve got what it takes to be the next Rocco Siffredi or Lexington Steele?

Want to know how to become a male porn star?

Just about every man alive has watched porn. While some of us know that we don’t have what it takes to become a male porn star, there are plenty of guys who do want to give it a go.

But, even if you are naturally endowed with incredible stamina, an impressively big dick and the chiseled good looks and physique of Adonis… there is much more to making it in the adult movie industry.

Despite the importance of professionalism, industry knowledge, having the right attitude and a strong work ethic, the truth is that hitting the big time is as much about dumb luck as it is about having a massive dong.

But there are some things you should know which can help tip the scales in your favor.

In this guide, we discuss what it takes to break into the porn industry as a male performer.

From things to consider before you start, and whether you’ve got what it takes, to some practical advice on how to get started and maximize your earning potential.

What Does It Take To Become a Male Porn Star?

Traditionally, it has always been easier for the girls to break into the porn industry than it has been for guys.

Whilst this has changed a little over the last few decades, it is still more difficult for men than it is for women.

Unlike women, there is more of a demand on male porn stars to be able to ‘perform’.

Whilst women can act their way out of a scene where they just weren’t that turned on, guys simply cant do this.

As a result, studios and independent producers will often work with a small cast of male performers who are proven to be capable of performing on set and producing the goods on camera.

Most are reluctant to hire an unknown male performer as failure to get hard on demand or who gets performance shyness in front of a whole roomful of people could disrupt their filming schedule.

Productions are run on a tight budget and the longer the studio has to pay the whole crew to complete a shoot the less profit there is in the scene.

Put simply, if you can’t perform on demand then you won’t last long in this business. Yeah, sure, plenty of professionals have at least one or two experiences where they ‘failed’ a scene but with so much competition in this industry you wont get many chances.

So, other than being able to cope with having sex in front of a bunch of strangers, what basic skills or qualities do you need to possess in order to make it in the first place?

Age

Working in porn requires you to be at least 18 years of age with some studios requiring you to be 21 or over.

You will, of course, need to show proof of your age and copies of this documentation will be kept by the studio for as long as they are distributing content you are featuring in.

Size Matters

We’d be lying if we said that size didn’t matter but, in this industry, it really does.

Not only for the aesthetics but also for some practical reasons, size is important due to the mechanics of filming.

If you think about most hardcore scenes, the positions are rarely missionary but are instead a combination of more advanced techniques from doggy and spooning right through to the piledriver.

As the camera wants to see this action close up, a small cock just doesn’t allow for deep penetration in these positions to be visible.

Most men who work in the industry sport a dick that is over 7” long and anything above 9” is really only applicable if you want to get into the monster cock genre.

So, between 7” and 9” is the optimum length with girth not really being that big of a deal although a skinny pencil dick might be a problem.

Stamina

Far more important than size is your stamina for the work involved.

Most porn scenes aren’t shot in a single continuous sequence and those 20-minute clips you’ve enjoyed watching can actually take anywhere from 4-8 hours to film.

Yes, there might be plenty of breaks included in a day’s filming whilst cameramen and lighting guys mess about with their equipment but you will need to be able to get hard on cue, stay hard and fuck for as long as it takes until the scene is complete.

At the end of the day, porn is a performance based career and there is plenty of competition for that prime job banging the hottest names in the business so working hard is an absolute given.

But can you stay hard on demand?

A lot of male porn stars rely on drugs like Viagra or Cialis to enable them to power through a shoot whilst some guys even resort to getting injections(!) into their dick or even (in some extreme cases) having penile implants.

There are side effects to using drugs to promote an erection and the long term use of such interventions can have a negative affect on your ability to get hard naturally as well as potentially causing other health issues.

Shape

We don’t want to make you self-conscious over the state of your junk so this is the last we’ll say on the matter but the shape and look of your cock is also reasonably important.

And, whilst there are no set ‘standards’ for penis beauty, there are some obvious things that producers (and their audiences) don’t want to see including bends, bumps and growths.

Pubic Hair

The trend of hairlessness in pornography has been a progressive march over the last four or five decades.

From the 1970s when both the men and women sported a full and springy bush through to the 1990s when it was popular for men to trim and women to create ‘landing strips’, there is no consensus on exactly why it has become common practice for both genders to now be completely denuded in this area.

Some believe it helps with the aesthetics and allows an audience an uninterrupted view of the mechanics (or ‘ins and outs’) of sex whilst others believe it helps guys make their cocks look bigger.

A more popular theory is a general one relating to hygiene and the absence of pubic hair around the genitals just seems ‘cleaner’ to the current generation.

There is some evidence to suggest that pubic hair might be making a comeback in porn but, whatever your thoughts or feelings are on the subject, the bottom line is that pubic hair should at very least be well trimmed and groomed, if not completely gone.

Location

If you’ve done your research you’ll know that San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California is the porn capital of the world.

With many of the major American studios filming from this area, it stands to reason that they are hiring from the same region.

This doesn’t mean you have to up sticks and move but your chances of being cast are greatly improved by being located close to where the filming happens.

Some porn stars do commute to work but if you are just starting out and want to pick up on those opportunities of last minute casting calls and attend adult industry events then you might want to think about where you are located.

Other big hubs for the adult movie business in the United States include:

• New York City, New York
• Orlando, Tampa, and Miami, Florida
• San Diego and San Francisco, California
• Portland, Oregon

Over in Europe, the equivalent to San Fernando Valley is Prague in Czechia but there are some great studios and producers right across this area including:

• Hungary
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• United Kingdom
• Denmark
• Netherlands

Professionalism

Making a porn movie is a business and there is far more to filming than just pointing a few cameras at people having sex.

A shoot requires a full crew of sound and lighting engineers, cameramen as well as production assistants, costume, make-up, writers and, of course, the director.

And that’s not the half of it, specialist filming for VR might involve the hire of expensive technology and studios might also work on location.

Co-ordinating all of this equipment and people to be on set at the right time takes an enormous amount of effort so being on time is a super important asset to any wannabe male porn star.

Hold up a movie shoot and you will find your blacklisted by any studio worth their salt.

A single scene can take a full day to shoot and you will need to be patient and attentive, ready for action when required.

The process can mean shooting, re-shooting, posing and re-posing and all whilst remembering your lines. Yes, this is an acting job after all and though many people can be denigratory towards performers in the industry, you do have to deliver on this front.

Just like regular actors you will need to hit your placements and these are particularly important in porn as being in the wrong position makes a huge difference.

So, do you think you can find a piece of tape marked on the ground without looking at it whilst a hot naked woman distracts you and remember to act?

A Clean Bill of Sexual Health

As well as showing up on time and delivering the goods on camera, you will also need to attend every shoot with the right documentation.

For a new porn star this usually means bringing along ID and proof of age along with a clean certification of sexual health.

In the United States, the porn industry works with the FSC-PASS system and all performers need to have been tested for the full gamut of STIs within a 14-day window of any shoot they are involved in.

The rules on filming vary by country so if you perform outside of the U.S. then you will need to ensure that you comply with their legislation on health screening.

A typical test covers everything from HIV, gonorrhea and chlamydia to hepatitis B or C, syphilis and trichomoniasis.

Remember that though most work in the porn industry in the U.S. is shot without the use of condoms, your co-performers are all regularly screened.

As long as you practice safe sex outside of your job then the theory is that the whole industry stays clear.

Have a Screen Name

A pseudonym in the adult movie business isn’t just about protecting your identity but is also about creating a strong brand name for your work.

Let’s face it, most of aren’t born with a cool porno name so you’ll have to christen yourself with a new one.

A good porn name is easy to spell, commercially appealing and says something about the kind of performer you are.

You’ll need to research any potential names you shortlist to ensure you haven’t ‘stolen’ someone else’s identity plus you don’t to accidentally select a name which is Japanese for ‘turd’ or something.

Once you’ve chosen something suitable, let it sit for a while before you finally decide upon it. If you make it in porn then this name will follow you around forever.

How Can Guys Get Started in the Porn Industry?

As we’ve already mentioned, getting your big break in the porn industry is far harder for the guys than it is for the girls and, typically, most male adult performers have broken into porn by knowing someone else or by being ridiculously lucky.

That being said, there are some established routes into the world of adult film acting which can help newcomers.

Partner Up

One of the most common ways for guys to get their break in porn is because of the company they kept.

It’s no great secret that top male porn star, Small Hands, got into the industry because his wife (Joanna Angel) needed someone to partner up with.

The adult movie business is littered with double acts who made their names by exclusively filming together so, if you want to boost your chances of being discovered or being picked up by a studio then find yourself a gorgeous woman who wants to work in porn with you.

Even better if she will only work with you!

Check For Casting Calls

Despite the industry being a competitive one, there are still small studios and independent producers who reach out to amateurs and newcomers for casting calls.

They often do this for reasons of affordability or because they are too small for any well known performers to want to bother with. Sometimes they are located outside of the usual porn hubs which might make their shoot unappealing for other performers.

We’d recommend signing up on platforms like SexyJobs (mainly United States) or OutlineTalent (mainly Europe) and posting your resume online as well as being proactive and searching for any casting calls.

Though not porn work, you can also check out modelling agencies and adult forums to respond to any potential job opportunities.

Don’t Bother Cold Calling

Sending your details to adult film studios is a waste of time, according to XBiz Male Performer of the Year 2016 Ryan Driller.

Producers and directors get hundreds of emails from wannabe male porn stars every day and these just end up straight in the trash folder.

Instead, Driller suggests trying to get onto the books of an agency.

Find an Agency

Getting an in at a good agency is all about your approach and your professionalism so take your time to draft a formal letter of introduction but one that shows off your personality and ambition.

You should be able to include some professional body and head shots (see below) and if you have made any decent amateur content then include links to this too.

If they like your approach and your sample work then they will contact you to arrange representation.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of scam agencies out there who promise deals and ask for payment in return for representation. Often citing expenses for producing portfolios and hiring professional photographers, any reputable agency won’t ask you for money up front.

Though there are set-up costs involved, these should be deducted from your first contracted job.

You will have to pay your agency commission on all work they secure for you through them but the perks of getting more regular work and possibly becoming a preferred performer outweigh this.

Always check your contract with an agency before signing it and get some legal advice if you are unsure about the small print.

Professional Shots

Just as in any other movie business you will need some head and body shots but, as this is porn, you will need to have these both nude and clothed.

Four shots should cover everything and must be taken professionally in high resolution.

Working with a good photographer can help to show off your best assets so try to find someone who has experience in the industry.

Perhaps you have a great chest or butt, someone who works with nude models can make these parts of your body the real focus of a shot.

You should have a portfolio ready to offer to agencies and should include:

• One head shot
• A couple of nude shots
• One clothed shot

A common mistake when putting together a portfolio is to only have nude shots or to include a close up shot of your genitals.

Build a Network

As in most industries, getting your foot in the door isn’t always about what you know but about who you know. Unless you have a sister who runs a porn studio, building a network of useful contacts can take time and effort but is well worth your investment.

Attending as many adult industry events as possible is a given and try to hit up social events at these gigs.

We can’t do the smooth talking for you but we can recommend not jumping straight in with a copy of your latest show reel.

Instead, be relaxed, be yourself and try to work your way into conversations naturally. You never know but a night spent wisely at the bar during an Adult Expo in Las Vegas might just lead to a few good introductions.

Better yet, buddy up with that hot female partner of yours and you might find yourself opening more doors together.

Start at the Bottom

A lot of porn stars start out by making amateur porn or, at very least, by saying yes to low budget and independent movies.

It is highly unlikely that your first foray into porn will be for a big studio banging Valentina Nappi so be prepared to put your time in at the coal face first.

If you are producing your own amateur content then it is worth trying to make this look as professional as possible so you can use this as a show reel to demonstrate your skills to potential employers.

Many agencies and producers will ask for any URLs you can supply them with to show off your talent (see ‘Create Your Own Content’, below for more ways to max your earnings).

Nailing The Audition

With very few exceptions, you only get one shot at nailing your audition so you need to be ready to perform and to do this in a room full of strangers.

We don’t want to put your under pressure (and you need to get used to this kind of stress) but if you fail to ‘perform’ then that is the nail in our coffin as a porn star.

The industry is a small and pretty clique one so having a reputation as the guy who can’t stay hard or who shoots his load too soon will be hard to shake.

Beyond the practicalities of performing on set you should also:

• Arrive in good time. It’s always better to be a bit early than have a full studio full of other cast and crew waiting for you.
• Wear something sharp, be clean and well-groomed. You will likely be asked to shower before you audition anyway but arriving to meet your co-stars and potential employers looking and smelling great goes a long way.
• Bring along your proof of age documentation and most recent STD test.

How Much Money Can a Male Porn Star Earn?

Whilst the porn industry can be an extremely lucrative one, there are some common misconceptions about the earning potential of its performers.

For a typical shoot over a single scene, most porn actors will be remunerated at a rate of around $150-$300.

The top performers can potentially make $1,000+ whilst those few mega stars of the porn world can pretty much name their price.

Unfortunately, women are paid at least twice as much as the guys so, realistically, jobbing male porn stars will be making around $300-$500 for their involvement.

Some studios will pay expenses on top of the fee whilst others won’t. Always check this out before accepting a role as overnight stays and travel costs can rack up. If your agency is also taking a cut then you might just find some offers are more paltry than they first seem.

Having said that, in order to get your foot in the door, you need to be prepared to take some low-paying roles in your first few months to get your ‘face’ seen.

A bit part as third gardener or spare pizza delivery boy for a big studio like BangBros or Burning Angel might lead to bigger and better things.

How to Max Your Earnings as a Male Porn Star

There are ways to increase your earning potential as a male porn star which include diversifying your income, creating (and owning) your own content as well as expanding your horizons with the kind of genre you perform in.

Expand Your Limits

The bottom line here is that traditional porn is at the lower end of the pay scale in the adult entertainment industry.

The more vanilla the market the more performers who are competing to take part but looking to other genres, particularly those niche fetish ones and you find that there are fewer guys prepared to give it a go and more money being offered for those that do.

Whilst, we can never recommend that you perform in anything outside of your comfort zone, we would suggest looking beyond the mainstream markets if you want to increase your earning potential.

Consider Gay Porn

In the same way that vanilla porn pays less than kinky on-screen sex, homosexual roles can also be a good way to boost your income.

You don’t have to switch to exclusively filming gay content but there is a good market for straight male actors who perform homosexual acts on film.

Known as ‘gay for pay’, the economics of same-sex porn can be pretty persuasive.

Broke Straight Boys is just one example of a specialist studio brand which pays hetero guys to be ‘lured’ or ‘duped’ into sex with other guys.

There are some considerations when doing this which you need to be aware of and this is largely due to the unfair perception that the industry has with gay men being a higher HIV risk than straight men.

As a result of performing in gay porn, some mainstream studios may not hire you afterwards.

Build Your Profile

The more well known you become or the more fans you can amass then the better the performance fees you can negotiate.

Until such time as you are a regular on the mainstream studio circuits this means taking your own marketing seriously.

These days, all porn stars have a social media following as well their own model pages on subscription sales sites like OnlyFans, ModelHub or ManyVids.

The key is to build your fanbase and engage with an audience directly so you can raise your profile.

If you can get a following of several thousand fans on social media or through subscription sites then not only could you monetizing this for extra income but producers will like the idea of using a male porn star who comes with his own dedicated audience.

Create Your Own Content

Another way to increase your earning potential is to create your own content and to sell this digitally.

By owning the copyright of videos and photos yourself then you get all of the profits (net of commission from third-party platform sales).

Even if you don’t sell loads of content, producing your own material means you always have a regular and up to date reel to show to producers.

Again, if you can team up with some willing women who also want to get into porn then this can work for both of you.

For those guys who have the means, if you can produce and distribute content using your own studio brand then this is a massive way to expand your earning potential.

You’d need to hire other performers and a crew (with the equipment) but basically you’d be the leading man in all of your own video shoots.

Not only that but you’d also be earning royalties from video sales and not just taking a fixed fee per shoot.

See more: How to sell homemade porn.

Endorsement Deals and Merchandise

And finally, when it comes to making more money as a male porn star the big boys know just how to milk their fame.

With big names like Shane Diesel, Tommy Pistol and Ryan Bones modelling their own signature range of dildos, it pays to embrace the merchandising opportunities open to adult film stars.

Of course, these kinds of deals won’t be available until you hit the big time but you got to reach for the stars!

Things to Consider If You Become a Male Porn Star

Having a career where your job is to have sex with loads of women might seem like you’ve landed the jackpot.

But there are a couple of things to think about before you become a male porn star.

Notoriety & Fame

Firstly, (and it’s an obvious but important one) everything you do on film remains public forever.

Even when adult films were just available on VHS, it was difficult to put a career in porn behind you but in the age of the internet, there is every chance that your stint as the next Rocco Siffredi will follow you for many years.

Whilst few people can see how that might be a problem when they are in your 20s, imagine having to explain this period of your life to your children, your prospective in-laws or at a job interview.

There is nothing to be ashamed about in working for the porn industry but not everyone will see it that way.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of anecdotal evidence about employers refusing to hire people (or firing people) who have been found to have a past in adult movies.

Health Risk

Secondly, working in porn carries some obvious health risks and although the adult film industry in the United States has some incredible procedures and systems in place to limit the risk of performers contracting sexually transmitted diseases, it is by no means infallible.

Personal Relationships

Next, you will have to consider the impact that a career as an adult film performer can have on your personal relationships.

Just as the truth of your new job might follow you around for years after you have retired, maintaining close relationships whilst you are an active porn star can be very difficult. This is particularly true when it comes to those intimate ones such as with a girlfriend/boyfriend or your wife/husband.

It’s no coincidence that many professional porn stars end up dating within the industry as few people can cope with the demands of their partner sleeping with other people for a job.

Physical Demands

As we’ve alluded to already, a 30-minute sex scene on film might take several hours to shoot so you will probably feel pretty spent once you’ve finished shooting for the day.

If you are doing this three or four times a week then it can have an impact on your physical performance off set.

Also, the work you do on set is heavily based around your physical appearance and, with the exception of niche performers, this means you have a commitment to stay in shape and to look good on camera.

This doesn’t mean you have to be huge and musclebound, and there are exceptions to this, but in the main, studios would rather work with athletic looking guys rather than pot-bellied ones.

Don’t Give Up The Day Job

And finally, one thing to consider is that porn work can be pretty sporadic and, until you hit the big time, you will need to be prepared to have a day job.

A lot of guys try to find work within the industry so they can keep their finger on the pulse of the action.

Working as a production assistant or crew member can mean you are on hand if there are any last-minute demands for an actor. Some guys also choose to work as an escort whilst they wait for the roles to come in.

It’s really up to you and what you feel comfortable with.