RBOBIE JOHN DEAN
Jamie HP’s Media Boy Robbie John Dean Gets Cocky About His Porn Credentials and Wonders Do You Have What It Takes to Become a Star?
I had never imagined working in porn. I had studied drama and aways wanted to be an actor, or direct theatre, but I was out of work and spending most of my time jacking off to movies when my boyfriend at the time encouraged me to submit my own photos to some porn producers he had seen in a gay movie directory.
I tried my luck and was invited to audition for a role in a film to be called Angels With Broken Noses with Load inc, a porn flick set behind the scenes at a boxing gym. I was successful and landed the lead role.
Angel With Broken Noses was a huge film at the time, the best selling gay porn film ever, for a while. My blond co-star Michael was one of the cutest you could have hoped for and was adored by absolutely everyone. We had a real chemistry between us from day one if we had have been more sexually compatible off-scene as we were on, we would have ended up in a relationship, for sure. As someone reminded me lately, ‘two bottoms don’t make a top’.
One of the lesser known facts about the Angels With Broken Noses is that it was actually made with one of 80s pop star Hazel Dean’s producers and the film actually plays out to her album’s backing tracks! Considering the film is set amongst all the testosterone of a boxing gym, the result is all very camp.
Michael and I both appeared on the films front cover, ran a score or personal appearances to help promote the film and before too long became recognisable on the gay scene because of the work we had been doing. Our work was over twenty years ago now and, whereas these days it is quite common to meet guys experiencing with gay porn back then it was quite rare and we were soon given heads up on the scene and being referred to our and about as being ‘porn stars’, although I would never refer to myself as such. I was a great feeling to hear it from others though, none the less.
Even so, it was just one film and I was careful not to run away with myself or let the attention go to my head. My boyfriend though picked up on how much I had enjoyed the filming and the protecting that the studio had given me at the time. In an effort to make sure I made the most of the experience on offer he encouraged me to send my pictures off to more producers and even to a competition with the guys at Prowler to find, what they called, a new ‘porn star’, the winner of which would get to work wit them on a special, higher budget production to be called The Forbidden Zone, that would actually be filmed in Russia and Belarus.
I had no expectations from my photo submissions as I have always suffered from incredibly low self-esteem throughout my life and had know reason to expect anyone would be interested in me. But of all of the applicants from Prowler’s star search I was the boy who was successful and was soon flying to Minsk where I stayed for a week or so with members of the Russian mafia and had to be smuggled in and out of Moscow in the back of a car for film shoots as I was without a visa at the time. It was an incredible experience that I would never forget, and although everyone of my costars denied being gay and none spoke any interest, I enjoyed a small romance off-set really sweet guy Igor, who I would love to be in contact with again in the future.
I have to admit, the sex I enjoyed back then was some of the horniest and most adventurous ever, even now. In fact it is true to say that I probably had more sex in my early twenties that I have had in the rest of my life – although it hurts somewhat to admit it. Even so, that was quite an accomplishment for someone who’s body issues were so overpowering that suffered from bulimia from the time that I was at college and was even susceptible to self-harming, something I afraid to say I never quite recovered from. Still, these were symptoms of my overall mental health from an early age and not as a result of my experiences in front of the camera. The only real downfall I experienced at the time were a few jealous jibes from lads who recognised me whilst out and about on the gay scene, who wrongly assumed that because of the work that they had scene published that I was probably over-confident or an arrogant wanker who wouldn’t talk to to other guys like them in nightclubs. No one assumed for a minute that I was desperately shy, paranoid of what people thought of me and could only cope being out and about with others by first consuming copious amounts of drink and drunks, most of which prevented me from speaking much sense to most people anyway!
As one of the few familiar faces working in porn at the time I was the attention of what was relatively a huge amount of media exposure back then too, frequently being asked to give interviews and appearing on the covers of magazines (including those for sale in my local newsagent, straight and gay). I even fronted my own chat-line service at the time ‘where lads could chat with boys like me’ by dialling 0898…..
Before long I was enjoying filming al over the place Spain, America and France, where I was able to film for one of my long time heroes, the filmographer and artist Jean Daniel Cadinot, becoming the second only English lad to appear in one of his titles for his studio, French Art, with of my most memorable scenes being set under the foot of the Eiffel Tower – and the other being my very first ‘hardcore’ scene where i was freshly laid-out on a kitchen table for two more family faces from the Cadinot stable to shove vegetables up my arse (on the whole, not too challenging, but fuck me! That aubergine hurt. It still brings tears to my eyes when I watch it).
Filming porn overseas was more financially rewarding that working with producers in UK, paying as much as 600 euros per scene, compared with the £300-£600 I was paid for most movies at home. The were also great adventures for me at the time too. If I have one real regret it’s not having worked for more producers at the time. Perhaps I should consider a comeback!?!
Supplementing my income I worked ‘underground’ for amateur pornographers and modelled for photography enthusiasts across the country, and modelled for an agency is Manchester where I met many friends, who were great fun – including some I am still in contact with today, if only through Facebook or Twitter. I worked a as a PA for a successful business man where I was able to travel with him when he worked internationally, responsible for seeking out his fun in his limited personal time, including the research of gay clubs, saunas and the recruitment of hookers, some of which I would get to test run for myself before offering my recommendation! I worked as an escort myself too for a while, where despite achieving some fees of £1000 per client I wasn’t particularly that successful; there must have been something about my look at the time as nearly evert client I attracted seemed to fall into the category of ‘Tory rich boy’ and mainly wanted me to spank them. I had always imagined getting some sexual satisfaction from being a rent boy and spanking rich over-weight boys did nothing to get me off, so I soon lost my interest.
Perhaps prematurely I started to plan a career outside of porn to protect my longer term goals and started to retreat from the circuit.. Given the amount of exposure I had received during my period in the industry I had all but written off ever becoming an actor or being taken seriously in the theatre industry, let alone given any more thought to perhaps one day becoming a teacher as a back up plan, but I did look within my new found scene contacts for leverage. Thanks to my contacts I had gained working with promotions teams on the gay scene I soon found myself being interviewed by Sony Records for a marketing and PA role and had an interview lined up with Boyz magazine and the Pink Paper. I got the job but could have never have imagined that one day I would be responsible for running the Pink Paper, the UK’s gay and lesbian newspaper of its time or that I would return as deputy MD fo Boyz, the gay scene magazine. Six years after applying for the role at Boyz magazine, I was back in contact with the team at Prowler, who were now a much bigger player in the gay media industry as part of the Millivres Prowler Group, now Europe’s largest lesbian and gay company, where I would join as a media exec and progress my way to becoming Deputy Head of Media for brands including Gay Times, Zipper Films and Euroboy.
One of the proudest moments of my career to to date however was probably a more humble moment, being part of the team that gave birth to the gay club’s, fetish and porn magazine Dirtyboyz, that brought real life issues for gay men to the agenda, including barebacking, PrEP and Hep C. It has probably been forgotten, but gay magazine’s didn’t speak in terms of issues such as ‘barebacking’ until Dirtyboyz came into print and had health professionals talking alongside images is men’s aresholes meeting raw cock, helping to engage new audiences of gay men who might otherwise not read sexual health messages appearing in other, more traditional gay men’s magazines. It could be argued that even subjects such as chemsex would not have benefited from as much publicity as they have in the gay press over the last 5 years if it wasn’t for unafraid gay publications such as Dirtyboyz. Dirtyboyz also gave a platform for many new and existing porn stars to publicise their work to an audience of up for it gay men and sexual adventurers. Sadly the magazine ceased publication a month or so ago. I have no idea why.
More recently I was contacted by another gay publisher who had spotted my work, this time photographically, and what they had to ask me left me humbled and astounded to this very day: They had seen some of my photos that had appeared online and wanted my consent to use my image together with an interview for their internationally respected publication The Most Beautiful Man in The World. I was both over-whelmed and flattered by their attention and found it hard to conceive that they had chosen me for such an accolade, especially the struggles I had always fought with mentally to come to terms with myself and the way that I was represented physically.
I accepted their attention filled with honour and appeared in the 2016 edition of The Most Beautiful Man in the World alongside more worthy guys from across the globe, yet stood proud to have made such an impression and to be representing the UK.
I now live in Gran Canaria, where I was first invited by the tourist board on an al expenses holiday as a part of ‘press trip’ and where I am now plotting my next career move and working with a number of smaller gay companies such as the gay club promoter Jamie HP Events to support their marketing activities. It’s true to say that what has always interested me most about Jamie HP is their support of the gay porn business and performers who are breaking into the industry or who are already making a living appearing there. Whilst it is fair to say that the earnings potential are less per movie than they were when I was starting out there are still careers than can be carved out enough by ambitious guys who are savvy enough to make porn work for them. That does’t meant that everyone putting their toe in to the water needs to live their life totally under the spot light however. Many guys choose porn as a part time role, whilst others include appearing in films as part of their overall experience of gay sex, often adding to their enjoyment of appearing on social media, making their own gay films or even appearing on cam.
Jamie HP is not a pornograher but is well known in the industry and many producers watch and even come to his club nights, where Jamie regular presents live shows, especially at the weekly club promotion SBN that is held at the famous Fire Nightclub in London’s Vauxhall. Jamie is also a keen photographer of athletic gay men keen to make their mark on the gay stage, many of which find paid for work as a result of modelling for him.
If you have ever considered testing the water before appearing in gay porn, why not contact Jamie HP direct together with some of your own hot pics and you never know you could be working in the industry within months and perhaps even appearing for live audiences at one of the gay scene’s hottest clubs. Cutting it as a real porn star takes more than good looks however and you don’t need to consider yourself the world’s most beautiful man to succeed. Real sexual energy, professionalism and a great personality can be all you need in order shine out above the others and make a name for yourself in porn.
If you think that you have the qualities needed to succeed and would like to see how life could change for you after submitting a few photps, email Jamie@Jamiehp.co.uk telling him why you think you could make all the difference.
You never know, a star could be born, on or off the screen.
Robbie is Jamie HP’s media consultant and edits social media on his behalf. If you would like to contact Robbie about Jamie HP or this blog, email him RobbieJohnDean@me.com
