LOS ANGELES—The world of body positivity has shifted quite a bit over the past couple of years, especially in the gay community.
Gone are the days, for the most part, where the chiseled-ab types aren’t the only things we see on the cover of magazines and porn movies. This ever-growing gay table has shifted to where husky, hairy and more have found a seat, much to the enjoyment of those who click, play and get off on those kinds of scenes.
There’s still progress to be made, at least according to one of the biggest gay porn stars to emerge recently, Atlas Grant. Atlas’ furry body and gorgeous looks have caught the eye of many as he’s become one of the hottest bear-types to hit our computer screens with every guy he’s been paired with. Think of him as the definition of “woof” when you peruse his body of work.
Things haven’t been great for Atlas throughout his career though. In an exclusive interview with GayVN he talks about how he feels allegedly ostracized in a community that he claims still primarily focuses on the most toned/biggest package out there.
Atlas, a 2021 GayVN Award nominee, also chats about why his first scene left him “super nervous," gay porn myths that he’s furious over and the difficulties he’s had during these troubling COVID months.
GayVN: How did you find your way into the adult industry?
AG: I was in college and working in Human Resources for a call center in Brooklyn. I needed to pay a medical bill so a friend gave me a client of his in the adult industry and I made more in 30 minutes than I did at my day job in a week so I was like, "F**k this, I’m never clocking in and doing a 9-to-5 job ever again." I was also in an open relationship that was ending and someone posted our vids on Tumblr with people responding positively. Some of them were porn actors and they suggested I apply to BearFilms. The rest is history.
What was your mentality like before shooting your first scene?
Honestly, I was kind of creeped out. I found a Craigslist ad for hairy models and it turned out to be for The Guy Site. I just remember walking up the escalator in an NYC hotel where they filmed and thought, “Am I going to get killed?” He asked me to perform in odd ways like doing jumping jacks naked and pushups and jogging around in a circle and I’m just like, “What am I doing here?” I learned a lot but it was a weird experience that left me both super scared and nervous.
What is the biggest myth about porn stars that you'd like to see go away in 2021?
Some gay porn fans don’t understand that we’re also people outside of our profession. They say some really mean things while forgetting that we read their messages and comments. I’ve gotten death threats because I filmed with FTM friends. They’ve also said mean things after assuming I was Middle Eastern and have also bullied my partner by calling him ugly and saying that he doesn’t deserve me.
That’s the stuff that gets to me because he didn’t sign up for this and it’s led to me not working as much because I'm worried about the exposure leading to more hate for him. So just remember, to anyone reading, that we’re people with real lives and these things are hurtful.
You've discussed how difficult it is to book scenes when you aren't in perfect shape or have a large d**k. Has that been an issue for you your entire career?
I’ve always been realistic and self-aware; I know I’m not the typical or traditional body type for porn and because of that I’ve limited myself with who I’ve applied to and worked with. Regardless I’m happy with the people I’ve met and the friends I’ve made like Hunter Scott and Tony Banks from Monster Cub and BearFilms.
My body isn’t really big enough for bear porn but also isn’t fit enough for mainstream. Thankfully I’ve been given chances due to always being on time, reliable and having zero demands while trying to have fun on set and be nice. It’s harder right now because being nice and reliable doesn't cover flight and hotel costs, so some studios have to deal with stars who have a shi**y attitude that live close to their filming locations.
Why do you think there's still a stigma in the gay porn world regarding body and d**k size?
We’ve been conditioned for generations to believe that these guys that are absolutely perfect with blonde hair, blue eyes and six-or-eight-pack abs with 10 inch d**ks are what’s sexy. There’s truth to that, of course, but there’s also many other desirable body types out there. The problem is that there’s no money for said types because most of porn is run by straight white guys who assume that gay men only want to see the former and not the latter discussed above.
How has filming been like during COVID for you? Has it been better or worse?
COVID has made everything harder. I’ve never felt less connected to porn in my career. I'm based out of New York City so there’s not a lot of studios here and most during COVID have been using locals and not flying people out.
Anything big you have planned coming up in 2021?
I’m in personal training school so if things go according to planned I’ll be done by February 2021. I want to focus on the bear community by helping my people feel confident, sexy and healthy while tailoring workouts for them with my porn brother Macho B. Grant.
Finally, what advice would you give to those who want to become a porn star?
I’m always here to help. Not everyone in porn is an a**hole and only out for themselves.
