Root Loggins has never been paid for any of the approximately 40-50 videos he’s appeared in over the last nine years– most of them for VCA’s Jim Holliday, though he’s worked with Digital Playground’s Nic Andrews, Luc Wylder, and a handful of other directors as well.
And while most of his appearances have been as characters with “Bongwater” as a nickname, he’s never been shown using drugs - and Loggins doesn’t use them in real life either. “Well, maybe once or twice in college,” he suggests.
And he’s not some lucky fan – he’s never watched a video that he’s been in, other than to check out the final cut of his scene. In fact, he doesn’t even really know what videos he has been in – though he does remember the characters he has played. Well, most of them.
“I just remember doing the scenes, but I have no idea what the actual movies are,” Loggins told AVN.com.
And his participation in these videos isn’t even for an ego stroke. The longest he’s ever been on screen is two and a half minutes and he readily admits he can’t act.
“They [his performances] are entertaining and comical, but I had dialogue in all of them, and I am the furtherest thing from an actor,” Loggins said. “I’m a computer geek.”
Holliday begs to differ, suggesting that Loggins’ work in Paradise Holes, a porn parody on televangelism, proves his merit. Loggins played a deaf man, a blind man, and someone who couldn’t walk – and played each role with native comedic talent. Each of the characters has “Bongwater” in their name.
Loggins was fond of his turn as Wally “Bongwater” Leach in Sorority Shower Cam. Leach was a college-aged nerd that was installing cameras in the showers of the sororities. “That was the time I didn’t have a script. I had to make up everything. But it turned out to be very funny,” Loggins remembered.
And he isn’t in the sales department of an adult studio – a popular spot for casting non-sex roles. Actually, he’s independently wealthy. He sold a tech company during the boom years and has been retired ever since.
So why is Loggins in so many adult videos?
Because he’s a nice guy trying to help out some friends.
“I like to help people,” Loggins told AVN.com. “And one of the easiest things to do to help people nowadays is to help people with their computers. Giving up some of my time to help with a movie is another way.”
He still pops in at VCA to take care of computer problems, just as he continues to appear for free in videos.
Loggins began his porn “career” the same way many in adult do – he fell into it. A friend of his owned a computer consulting firm and asked Loggins to look over a few accounts for him while he took care of some family business in Mexico. It was only supposed to be three days.
One of the accounts Loggins was asked to look after was VCA.
The three days quickly turned into three months, and three months turned just as quickly into three years. Loggins got to know the people there –and struck up a friendship with the man who is most frequently his director – Jim Holliday.
“He’s entertaining and a good diversionary bit, plus it keeps the creativity coming. Having him around just creates a good atmosphere on the set,” said Holliday, who once swore to never do a video without Loggins’ involvement.
It was Holliday who gave Loggins his “break.” In 1996, Loggins had his first role – playing Gus Bates, a highway patrolman, in Sorority Sex Kittens 3. The other cop in the squad car was played by Justin Sterling, better known today as Club Jenna CEO Jay Grdina.
Later that same year, Loggins was introduced to the name “Bongwater.” In The Cheerleader Strippers, Loggins plays Bongwater, T.T. Boy’s bodyguard.
The name stuck. For the last nine years Loggins has been “Bongwater” in five to seven videos a year.
And recently his career went full circle: in the still unreleased High Desert Pirates Loggins plays a sheriff named Gus Bates – the same name of the first character he ever played. But this time, it’s Gus “Bongwater” Bates. “And that’s the way it should have been the first time,” Holliday said.
