When Steven Scarborough asked Jason Ridge to swallow his own sperm while filming a scene for Communion, the star got a little nervous.
"It's the only time I've ever eaten my cum," he says. "But it was fun."
The nasty work paid off - two months ago it earned him Best Cum Shot at the 2008 European Gay Porn Awards. ("That will be interesting to have on my mantel.... How do I explain that to everyone? I can put it next to Best Newcomer," Ridge says with a laugh. "I guess that's not a bad combination.")
Weeks later, he added two more honors to his hardware: Best Actor and Best Performer at the Grabbys, awards aided by the birth of his fast-rising studio, Ridgeline Films, created last year before debuting in January with the aptly titled A Rising Star.
"I thought to myself ‘I can't be a model forever,'" he says, adding that promoter Jeffrey Sanker also helped plant the idea. "I just wanted to do something a little different. I'm making the kind of movies I would want to be in. I've been in those movies where you are a little more rough and tough, so I wanted to make movies a little bit softer, a lot of foreplay. Some scenes are sensual, a lot of kissing before you get to the actual sex, they're not heavy-dialogue-driven."
His formula worked with the first two films (both directed by Dylan Ryan): A Rising Star earned four GAYVN nominations, while Beyond Malibu added new studio exclusive Damian Rios. Ridge then took the next step in his development, getting behind the camera for his directorial debut, Up Country, which hit in late June.
"It was nerve-racking...those models have performed with me in other movies, so it's kind of hard for them to look at you and say ‘What do you want me to do next?' It's comical because you're trying to say ‘Action!' and ‘Cut!' and I found myself laughing as well. It was fun," Ridge recalls with a laugh. "It was the movie I wanted to direct. I had some great people on board to help me out and teach me well, and I took it from there."
And if anyone knows what it takes to be a top-notch director, it's Ridge. Starting with Jett Blakk's The Bombardier - his 2003 debut that jump-started a hugely successful freshman year, earning him the GAYVN award for Best Newcomer - Ridge has worked with practically every major studio and every top director.
"The best movies that I feel I learned from were from Hot House. I looked my best and I learned a lot from Steven Scarborough," Ridge says. "I also learned from Jett Blakk. Their scenes were amazing, and they make me look really good. That's something I aspire to do - not necessarily with the content, but the way it's done and the way it's shot." Ridge notes he wants to pay homage to Blakk, who may write and direct a script for Ridgeline.
Ridge plans to keep on directing, with the studio's fourth film coming soon and a two-part, bigger-budget film (with a little more story) planned for year's end. He also wants to tinker with the images of his diverse group of models, taking a perceived tough guy like Wolf Hudson and turning the tables ("I softened him up").
For now, Ridge says he just wants to play it smart, take it slow, have fun and improve with each movie - and focus on quality. He's learning more about the business ropes of the industry and is being selective in choosing who he works with.
"A lot of his success is attributed to the fact that he doesn't look at his success. He only sees what is left to be done," notes industry personality Jason Sechrest, director of public relations for Ridgeline. "He will go down in history as one of the most ambitious gay porn stars. He never stops wanting more, wanting better. Becoming a successful producer and a director was just a natural evolution for someone like him."
Ridge will continue to perform "here and there" in his own films, and would love to work for other studios when the right opportunity comes along. "Right now, I'm happy," he says. "I'm content. I have my baby, and there are some tweaks I need to work out, and its getting better each day. It's been a good experience and I wouldn't change it for the world."
CONTACT: RidgelineFilms.com.
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