This article is the second part of “Man of Steele,” a two-part interview with adult star Dallas Steele. Click here to read Part 1. Photo above by Keith Ryan
By 2015, Dallas Steele had lived a life fit for a big-screen Hollywood adaptation. It was filled with enough tragedy and tenacity to merit a few sequels—all the more remarkable considering he had yet grab headlines with his leap to adult entertainment.
Following the end of his broadcast journalism career and the death of his partner, Steele was in Dallas at a crossroads. A friend suggested porn. It sounded like a good idea.
“I mostly needed to make a living, but I also remember thinking I wanted to make quality movies that I could be proud of when I’m 90—movies where I could show my parents at least the set-up.”
That’s why he found himself scheduled for shoots with Titan and Colt quickly after he applied. His very first shoot was in Sonoma for Colt, a solo for the Big Buddies installment of the Minutemen series.
“We were at this big house, 80 miles north of San Francisco on a mountaintop. You could actually see the bay—it was that clear and high up. We started out with two hours of stills. Having done 20 years of modeling at that point, it wasn’t that different. Then came time for my solo video—a shower scene, then transitioning to jacking off while lying in a lawn chaise. At the time, I didn’t realize I could have watched porn on my phone or used a dildo. I thought you had to do it all without help,” he laughs.
“As a newbie, you’re all worried that the production cast will judge you for your method in getting off. But you quickly learn that you need to do whatever you need to do to make it work and get off. If standing on your head, sniffing pickles, makes you come, then that’s what you need to do. The viewer is never going to see that. They see you squirting on the bottom’s ass or face or whatever.”
Fortunately for Steele, Tyler Rush (aka Pump Amp) was the production assistant that day to director Kristofer Weston.
“Tyler made out with me, let me feel his body, ass, etc. But it was extra challenging because the owners of the home had invited friends over to watch, so there were probably 15 people watching during my first time. Despite all that, I still like that scene and feel it showcased me well.”
The second day, Steele shot with Rush in a scene for Bound Jocks, which was owned by Colt. “It was a rope bondage scene where he was tied to a barstool. I know nothing about rope bondage, but Kristofer made it look as if it was all my handwork. I had people asking me to tie them up for months,” he laughs. “I can barely figure out how to tie my shoes.”
Dallas Steele in a promotional still from Titan.
Rise of the Titan
Steele would soon shoot for Titan, building his name at the studio in a successful stint that spanned a few years.
“TitanMen made exceptional movies. The direction and photography were top notch, and we often had storylines running throughout the movie that were quite complex. Some days were entirely dialogue—no sex at all. I’m intensely proud of the movies Out!, Rough Trade and Blueprint. All of those have hot sex, but they also have great scripts where TitanMen Vice President Keith Webb so creatively wove all of the scenes together. I do realize some consumers don’t want all that, and that’s fine—go check out Treasure Island. But I strongly believe there is a big market out there for porn that stimulates the mind with storytelling as much as hot sex. And I’m not above all-sex movies, either. I’ve made plenty of those—and good ones. Nothing wrong with that. The audience is plenty big enough to support all genres.”
Steele got to play a formerly closeted reporter in Out!, with art imitating life.
“It had a brilliant script and story, plus incredibly hot sex. My scene was with Jesse Jackman. Both of us are over 6-foot-1 and more than 220 pounds. Director Jasun Mark kept saying he had trouble getting us both into frame: ‘All I see are these big legs everywhere,’ he kept saying. But even more memorable was the segment where I’m a sportscaster interviewing Jesse about being the first openly gay manager in pro baseball. We did all 10 minutes in one take. Jesse actually cried on camera. Then we have a shot to celebrate his new ‘outness,’ and I confess my love for him. I don’t think the movie got nearly the credit it should have. As I said, it was brilliant. But storylines are always under-appreciated in porn. Most people are not watching for the story.”
Mark smiles when thinking about his experiences with Steele, noting the performer was a consummate professional.
“He’s certainly a Titan icon, isn’t he? His biggest strength is that he’s a really good performer and actor. We always knew we could count on him to deliver a great sexual performance, but he could deliver lines and ad-lib dialogue has we needed. It’s remarkable that he and Jesse did that TV interview scene for Out! in one take, and then we shot a whole sex scene and they didn’t lose focus or character at all,” says Mark.
“I’ve been making porn for many years, and there are a lot of interesting backstories for the men I’ve directed—but I think he’s the first TV anchorman I’ve had in front of my camera. Honestly, he was such a good actor you forgot you were watching someone act. Porn performers aren’t trained actors … they do the best they have with the skills they have, but it’s very rare to find someone who’s trained to be on camera like that and has all those skills and the looks.”
Steele also appeared in the hit Cauke for President, and had an award-nominated turn in Stopover in Bonds Corner—with his character also appearing in Dragon Media’s Doomsday Bunker, both directed by legend Joe Gage. But in 2017, there was a sudden abrupt end to the party when Titan—without warning and without explanation—closed shop.
“It was pretty devastating. Titan was one of most legendary studios ever. And I had just three years shooting with them. I remember my first shoot and first paycheck in 2015 with Titan. Keith Webb said, ‘Enjoy this while you can. It won’t last.’ I thought he was referring to me in porn, but in reflection, he meant TitanMen was not going to be around much longer.”
Dallas Steele (far right) with some of his industry colleagues at the 2020 GayVn Awards. Photo by JFK/FUBARWebmasters.com
A New Beginning
That left Steele at another point in his career where, in many ways, he had to start over and redefine himself.
“When Titan ceased production, I wasn’t sure how marketable I’d be. But I worked at it, letting as many studios as possible know that I was no longer exclusive. I emailed. I called. I messaged. A ton of mainstream media stories about ‘TV newsman turned porn star’ also helped boost my social media numbers from around 40k with Titan to 310,000-plus now.”
Steele’s first shoots away from Titan were with Bareback That Hole, Lucas Entertainment and Kink.com. More recently, he was thrilled to return to Dragon Media (now under the control of Rocco Steele), Pantheon Men and Trenton Ducati’s Nasty Daddy/Gentleman’s Closet.
“Initially, I think I was pretty close-minded to opportunities outside Titan. Exclusive to Titan for two years, I never realized how much more I could have been doing. I don’t regret being exclusive in that Titan did great marketing and made me who I am in the porn world today. Marketing doesn’t get better than TitanMen or Falcon in this business.”
Since Titan’s end, Steele notes that the project he is most proud of is “Bound for Sodom” from Kink.com.
“I play a kinky, twisted sheriff out in the desert who causes these two Mormon missionaries to have an accident. I retrieve one of the injured, Cody Winter, and he wakes up tied to a pillar, then is later fully suspended—all in the open desert at an old abandoned waterpark. Director Sebastian Keys got more out of me during that shoot than anyone has ever done. He made that character—so unlike me—totally come to life and be real. I would love to play the sheriff again.”
That scene earned Steele and Winter a Best Fetish Scene nomination at the 2019 GayVN Awards, and he repeated that honor this year with another studio.
“More recently, I’ve been shooting with FunSizeBoys in Minneapolis. They pair big tall guys with little small guys (microphilia). Director/performer Legrand Wolf is one of the most creative people I’ve ever met—and crazy hot and hung as well. His direction in my scenes with Austin L. Young was awesome. Another case where he got way more out of me than I ever expected.”
Steele and Taylor were up for Best Fetish Scene for “Austin & The Taylor: The Fitting,” and Steele appeared in a Best Group Scene nominee (a fourway in Desert Daddies for Pantheon Productions) directed by Brian Davilla.
“We connected through Twitter before he moved from Dallas to Palm Springs. I think Dallas epitomizes what a personality has to be in today’s social media world. He’s extremely enterprising about cultivating himself as a brand, and he’s been able to move around and have success at a lot of different studios with ease. I would use the word confident with him. He approaches it with confidence, and I think he knows that he’s a daddy. Maybe a little bit uncomfortable with ‘dom,’ which he was nominated for in the GayVN fan categories, but he comes in with a certain amount of confidence, and I think that comes from his prior career. And he takes direction really well.”
In addition to being up for Best Daddy and Best Dom in the GayVN fan categories this year, Steele also appeared in the Best All-Sex Movie nominee Father and Son Secrets, which reunited him with Dragon Media. All of these new experiences helped him grow as a performer.
“I think porn really teaches you to appreciate different kinds of men and their approach to sex and to life. My goal with every shoot is to connect with my partner and get into their head. For those hours, I want to be your sole focus, and you mine. There is no one else in the world during our scene. Only about 40 percent of guys will ever let you in. A good test is how long can I look directly into your eyes before you look away? If you’re scared of connection, that’s usually about eight seconds. When you can connect, it’s a given the sex is going to be amazing,” Steele says.
“The more movies you make, the better you know what looks good for you and what doesn’t. There are positions I’ll refuse to do because I know my body will not look its best. And I think you’re much more open about telling a director what you will and won’t do as the years go on. When you first start, you’re terrified of ever speaking up. Five years in, you make suggestions—but always respect that you are not the director and they are in charge of the project. I’ve seen some performers who think they know better and are constantly stopping the shooting to ‘supervise.’ Uh, if you think you know better, then become a director. Until then, STFU and let’s get this done!”
Pushing his Envelope
Steele shares that he has loved expanding his horizons and doing different kinds of projects at studios like Kink and Gentleman’s Closet, but the feeling isn’t always reciprocated.
“My fans do not always embrace that. I actually got hate mail about wearing lingerie for Gentleman’s Closet. And when I was sub in a scene with Michael Roman for Kink.com, I got tons of notes asking why I was not the dom. Uh, because I’m 100 percent versatile in real life, and wanted to experience the other side in a kink scene. How about that?” he shares.
“And I get asked all the time, ‘Would you ever do a movie with a trans person and/or a biological woman?’ I don’t see that as even a question. Why wouldn’t I? Why wouldn’t anyone? Everyone on this planet, regardless of their identity, has something attractive and wonderful about them. There is beauty in all. But beyond all that, this is a business. I’m a performer. I’m here to make a living. Show me the money. Make me an offer.”
While Steele notes that he’s versatile in real life, the boundaries he has pushed in more extreme projects were more of an adjustment.
“Trust me when I say that my scenes with Kink are way beyond anything I’ve ever done in real life. But I will say that I learn so much every time I shoot with Kink. And I have added a few things to my personal life from my experiences on camera. But prior to age 42, I was intensely vanilla. I had never seen nor used a dildo, never had a threesome, never went to a bathhouse—never did any of that until age 42. I think as sexual beings and certainly as performers, we have to be willing to try new things even when fans may not like us in a particular role. I’m not Madonna nor Cher, but I certainly admire their constant reinvention throughout their careers.”
Dallas Steele on the red carpet at the 2020 GayVN Awards red carpet. Photo by JFK/FUBARWebmasters.com
Just a Number
It’s hard to believe that Steele became more sexually adventurous after age 40, but the industry doesn’t make it easy for those that aren’t—especially the older they get.
“Anyone over 40 is pretty much ignored by mainstream gay porn—especially the major studios, one group in particular that really wants nothing to do with anyone over 40, much less over 50. If you are over 35 in porn, you have to work twice as hard as the twentysomethings. You have to promote yourself more. You have to interact more with fans. You have to constantly barrage studios with emails to get their attention. Doesn’t matter how good you look or how big your equipment is, all they see is the number—your age—and the gray hair.
Even worse, notes Steele, is how many studios and their directors feel “mature” guys can only fill a very specific role.
“Everyone over 40 can only be cast as a daddy/top, or the creepy uncle. If you’re a twink, you’re automatically the bottom. If you’re black, it’s a gangbang of ‘thugs’ topping some skinny white kid. All of these stereotypes are so tired and so old,” he says.
“But as time goes on, that’s going to change. All of these guys running the old-school studios—many of them former performers themselves—are going to retire, and hopefully we get people who think differently and in a healthier way about aging. Men of any age can be hot, sexy and commercially viable. I know 60- and 70-year-olds here in Palm Springs who have better bodies and are much more fun and creative sexually than a lot of the twentysomethings I’ve done scenes with.”
Steele also stresses how important it is for award shows to spread the love to all types.
“Most of the major porn awards also ignore you when you’re over 40. You can generally count the number of over-40 nominees on one hand. I find that despicable since 60 percent of the world’s population will be over 40 by the year 2025. And I believe about half of gay porn consumers really want to see men having sex with men, not boys. And don’t take that to mean I have anything against hot, young men. I get off on watching Bel Ami just as much as anyone else. But my favorite remains super fit, muscled men around my age having sex with other men of the same genre. I believe that our industry can do a much better job embracing the spectrum of men out there of various ages, races and backgrounds.”
Steele Resolve
If being over 40 in porn wasn’t challenging enough, it also mandates that you stay fit—which, for most mortals, is a challenge the older you get. It’s something Steele has embraced.
“If you work in porn, fitness is your job 24/7. When you shoot a movie, you’re being paid for all of those hours in the gym and all of that disciplined dieting. Fitness and bodybuilding has also been my hobby for 27 years, and I love the challenge. As a teenager, I was overweight, teased and bullied all through junior high and high school. In PE, the guys would slap my fat legs until I had welts. They smack my chest and grab my nipples, all the while being encouraged by the coach. I cut classes to avoid the teasing. I eventually tried to kill myself over my weight. I survived—then after treatment, took my GED and went on and graduated from college two years before my high school class. I also started walking three times per week and lost 60 pounds in just four months. I know I will be committed to maintaining healthy fitness until the day I die.”
It’s one of many passions that keeps Steele busy away from the camera. And it’s paid off: Late last year, he took first place in the classic physique over-40 category at a regional bodybuilding show (“Among my goals is to do another competition, but I want to come back 10 pounds bigger on stage.”)
He also enjoys traveling, and last August went to Europe for only his second time with his two partners on the Atlantis Med cruise.
“We had six days of 10-hour excursions in France and Italy. It was all so amazing. But when we got back to the ship, we were exhausted. Didn’t get to many of the parties, didn’t get to spend much time on ‘D Deck,’ but it was an incredibly memorable trip.”
He also loves to read, mostly non-fiction, lots of biographies and historical accounts. “I try to read at least one book every month. Self-help books are also on my list. I enjoy anything that motivates and supports me to be a better person—and better to others.”
Steele doesn’t spend as much time in front of the TV, relegating maybe just four hours a week to it—mostly news, documentaries or HGTV. “I won’t watch anything that I don’t feel is not a good investment of my time. I usually am consumed with guilt feeling like there is something more productive I could be doing.” (But, for the record, he loved Downton Abby, Orange Is the New Black, Sherlock, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Fleabag. “And I find anything by Ken Burns fascinating.”)
Steele shares that he has been happily partnered to “two wonderful men” for four years: “DJ is 36 and works in retail. We’ve done a bunch of OnlyFans videos together, and he’s done one commercial movie with me for Pantheon called Trophy Dads. My other partner, Jason, 55, works in a high-level executive professional position and prefers to keep his private life private. Obviously, this can be a challenge given that I am a very public person. With that said, when I’m at home, my need for privacy is intense. No one enters our home that I’m not totally comfortable with. The front of our home has windows where no one can see anything inside. A 25-foot tall hedge surrounds the backyard. I want absolute privacy at home, my private world where I don’t necessarily have to be ‘Dallas Steele.’”
On the other side of the hedges, the world presents challenges.
“In public, I sometimes feel pressure to live up to the expectations of fans. They’ve seen you in a particular movie and they expect you to be exactly that guy. I’ve been in four hardcore leather movies. I own one harness and one leather jock. That’s it. I’m not a leather guy. I’ve done three movies with rope bondage. I’ve never once tied anybody up or been tied up myself outside of doing a movie. I’m not opposed to trying any of those, but they were roles I’ve played as a performer. I imagine how hard it must be as a mainstream actor like Jack from Will & Grace, where people constantly think you are that character.”
Dallas Steele at the GayVN Awards stage show, participating in a skit with Dolf Dietrich (left) and show co-host Alec Mapa. Photo by JFK/FUBARWebmasters
The Anchor Man
In addition to continuing his physique competitions, Steele has more goals in store (when the COVID-19 pandemic is under control).
“In terms of porn, I’d love to shoot with some European studios. None of them pay to fly performers over anymore, but if I could convince two or more to set solid shoot dates, I’d be willing to fly over and go for it on my own dime. The problem is, you email and email, and none of them ever want to commit to anything. If they’re listening here, give me a date and let’s make it happen Tim Kruger, Men At Play, Men.com Europe and more.”
Steele also strives to continue helping support others in the business.
“Lots of new men entering porn think you have to be cutthroat to succeed. Actually, just the opposite: Try to help as many others as you can and you’ll be more successful yourself. I’m constantly offering advice to others and asking how I can help promote them. My brand as ‘Dallas Steele’ is solid with 300k+ followers around the world. I’m not threatened by anyone, even other ‘daddies’ who may be after the same roles. The problem is not competition, but lack of respect from studios who cast maybe one man over 40 per 20 movies.”
He credits platforms like OnlyFans and JustFor.Fans with allowing performers to take control with their own content, “much of it better and more creative than what studios are producing. I think they’re finally paying attention. Eventually, their business model will have to change to where performers get a cut on every streaming view on every website. But at the very least, our pairing of guys is not so formulated and stuck in 1990.”
And if there is anyone whose career and personal experiences have earned him the right to have a voice, it’s Steele—who throughout it all has kept his adult endeavors in perspective.
“Porn is not a career for anyone. I try to tell young people that all the time. It’s a fun thing to do as a side job or something to do after you’ve had the big career or after you’ve made enough money to live comfortably. I do not at all regret going into the business. It has been amazing—travel, money, fame. All of that on a level double what I ever experienced in TV news. There are lots of other kinds of work I’d still like to try—public relations and mainstream acting among them. I think I’d be good at either of those,” he shares.
“I will always be a journalist at heart. Growing up, the only thing I ever wanted to be was an anchor/reporter. And yes, I do miss being on live TV, telling good stories, sharing information. But I do not miss the bullshit managers who haven’t a clue what journalism is, or worse, have more respect for the dollar than the truth.”
Hey Dallas … Steele 2020 has a nice ring to it.
