A version of the article ran in the current issue of AVN Men. To see the digital edition, click here. Photos by Keith Ryan.
It’s one of the most unbelievable things you could imagine Devin Franco saying, but he insists it’s true: “Oh my God, I am so shy. One of the things I discovered I need to overcome since I moved to L.A. I think most people are intimidated to approach me, but I’m basically like a big puppy.”
Perhaps that shyness was born in his upbringing, one he decided he needed to escape to be true to himself.
“There was one guy in high school that I messed around with on the DL regularly. He was a total jock, he played football, basketball and we ran track together. But growing up Mormon definitely made appreciating and exploring my sexuality difficult and confusing. But my sexuality has always been a strong force in my life and is part of what helped me wake up and find the courage to leave the Mormon church.”
Franco grew up in New Mexico, and before he got into the industry was in Albuquerque working in public relations before he quit his job to start his own business building custom furniture. “Working for myself gave me control of my schedule, which allowed me to start getting into modeling and porn between furniture commissions, as well as being able to spend more time in the gym.”
By then, the porn itch had already started to scratch Franco, who notes that Matthew Rush was his first porn crush (but not his last: “I wish I could be more like Sean Zevran as a porn star. He is sexy, sensual and smart.”)
“I have always been interested in being in porn since high school. I was seriously considering it around the time I was graduating college, but it wasn’t until I was working in the ‘real world’ that I finally realized that I needed to follow my passions before I lost my passion,” he shares.
“I didn’t know what to expect at all honestly. I just know I needed to do it for myself even if I didn’t like it. But getting into it, I was fully committed and planned to make it what I wanted out of it. Rather than just being another job that controls me, I wanted to take control and make porn work for me.”
Franco entered the industry in 2016, signing as an exclusive with Lucas Entertainment. His first shoot was with Alex Koff.
“I felt like it was my time to show everything I had. Alex is sexy and built, and has a huge cock. He fucked me hard in a grove of olive trees in Greece, and then really opened up my hole with a couple of dildos. I loved seeing his reactions to my hole opening up, and afterwards the director couldn’t believe that was my first scene,” shares Franco, who soon followed that up in a scene with Adam Killian (which was his first released scene).
“My scene with Adam was exciting, because he is so sexy—and being in the industry for a while, I knew I could learn some things from him. He was really cool, and I loved how much he loved my hole, too. He practically stuck his whole hand in me in the scene before he fucked the hell out of me.”
For the next two years, Franco was a prolific performer with Lucas, quickly becoming a fan favorite in some 40 scenes. His remarkable bottoming skills—apparent in many spit roast and double penetration threesomes—set him apart.
“It’s come very naturally to me. I have definitely had to go through a learning curve, and I have picked up a lot of knowledge from other bottoms. But it feels very intuitive to me,” he shares. “I always try to connect with my scene partner, and when you connect its easy and fun. Most times I can’t even believe that it’s over when I hear ‘It’s a wrap!’ Honestly, I just want to work with people who love being in porn as much as I do because that’s a big part of what makes a successful scene.”
He has also welcomed more fetish-themed work, including fisting and ball-zapping action.
“I have always been turned on by bondage and fetish from a pretty young age. I experimented with things like tying up my balls to a jar of coins, and using my Nintendo DS stylus as a sound as just a couple examples. I dabbled with a few bondage sessions here and there before I got into porn, but it wasn’t until I got into porn that I fully started exploring it—mostly because it’s easier to find others who are experienced now that I am so open and public with my own sexuality.”
But by the time 2019 rolled around, he was ready for a change.
“I learned what I have to offer and my value in what I offer, and that I should stand up for myself and not let anyone bully me into accepting anything less,” he says, which led to him signing as a Falcon exclusive early last year.
“Signing with Falcon was very exciting for me. They always made some of the best porn that I always watched, and always had the hottest guys. To be a part of such a legacy is an honor. Not only that, but they make me feel valued as an exclusive and have always made me feel like part of the family,” Franco adds.
“2019 was a big year for me. It was my first year living in L.A. and outside of New Mexico. I traveled to so many places I have never been before like Paris, London and Montreal. I got to work on so many Falcon productions with a lot of sexy guys. I did my first live sex show, which I discovered I love doing. It’s such a turn-on being fucked in front of so many people.”
Franco also notes that he has made some amazing gains in the gym (“I have never been as big as I am now”), and he also bought his first new car, a Tesla Model 3 (“I fucking love it”).
“Everything kind of goes by in a flash and it doesn’t seem like a lot in the moment, but now that I am thinking about it, 2019 was pretty kickass,” he shares. “I love bodybuilding, and that’s been my biggest passion. I also love landscape and natural photography and being outdoors, but since I have moved to L.A. I haven’t been able to appreciate it as easily or often. That’s something I would like to do more of (this) year. I want to continue sculpting my body, get out in nature more, more photography—and experimenting with different kinds of photography. I want to learn more about directing and production, as well as working more on my amateur content to make it better and try new things.”
Franco notes that the move to Los Angeles was a big adjustment for him.
“It can be stressful and more fast-paced than New Mexico, but it’s also given me more opportunity and advantages. I discovered I have a passion for bodybuilding, and I have been happy with my personal achievements in that aspect. But it’s also taught me more about myself and what I am capable of. It takes a lot of discipline, focus and willingness to learn and accept when you’re wrong. All of which I have been learning to apply in porn and other areas in my life. I am definitely still going through some adjustments, but through these changes I have learned more about how I can improve myself.”
He’s also continued to explore the more extreme sides of his sexuality, and it’s paying off: His fisting by superstars Wesley Woods and Myles Landon in the Nasty Daddy scene “Rose Bowl” picked up a Best Fetish Scene nom at this year’s GayVN Awards. And his more mainstream work has been just as successful: His DP by hung studs Josh Moore and Jeffrey Lloyd in Falcon’s London Calling is a Best Three-Way nominee, while his pairing with Jonathan Miranda from the same film is a Best Duo Sex Scene nominee. He has five in all, including Performer of the Year—tying him with fellow Falcon exclusive Cade Maddox for the most nominees in the judged categories.
“I loved doing the shoot in London, especially blowing Jonathan Miranda on top of an old church tower. I also just did one with Ryan Rose that I loved. Ryan was Dr. Rose and I came in complaining of abdominal pain, but I had toys ‘stuck’ in my hole that he pulls out and then he fucks the hell out of me,” he says of his scene in Hot House’s Dirty Doctor, which was directed by someone Franco holds near and dear.
“Trenton Ducati has definitely been someone I consider a mentor. He immediately took me under his wing and has always been there for me. He’s given me a lot of great advice and he is one of my best friends. Tony Dimarco has also been a great mentor and teaching me a lot about directing, and production.”
They have helped him continue his evolution as a performer (Dimarco’s Beach Rats of Lauderdale gave Franco a great acting role)—and a person.
“Getting into the porn industry has definitely helped me grow as a person and discover more about myself and what I can achieve. It has opened up a lot of opportunity for me and taught me how to make the most out of my talents and passions and turn it into a business. It feels good to be able to design my life so that the different parts of it complement each other rather than living by prescribed rules and beliefs that aren’t fulfilling and can’t be applied to everyone.”
