Tommy Gunn smiles when he walks onto the set as director David Stanley greets him with a loud “Tommy!” before shaking his hand.
Seconds later, Evan Stone and Jenna Haze approach him as others also surround him to greet him at Wicked’s set for the upcoming Promises of the Heart.
“He’s a great performer,” Stanley says.
“I never have to worry about him. I know he’ll do a great job.”
Nearby, Gunn is already changing into his costume, still wearing a smile as another crew member greets him.
“I feel really lucky to be doing this and I thank God every day for that,” says Gunn as he buttons down his white dress shirt – perhaps similar to one he’ll wear as co-host with Carmen Luvana for Saturday night's Fans of Adult Media and Entertainment (F.A.M.E.) Awards during Erotica L.A.
Sometimes playing the tattooed bad boy or street tough, Gunn is in reality just the opposite with his pleasant demeanor and ability to deliver strong performances, ultimately earning him the AVN award for Best Male Newcomer in 2005.
Having joined the industry just two years ago, Gunn has come a long way from his troubled days in Philadelphia where he ran with the wrong crowd and lived a life of drugs and trouble.
“My mother died and I went through a lot of things and it was a hard time for me,” he recalled.
Adding to his troubles was a freak accident where he injured both legs when he fell from a trampoline and tore up tissues in his legs, leaving him in a wheelchair for six months.
“It was hard… I did a lot of different jobs, building motorcycles, digging ditches, delivering pizza, you name it.”
But even after he married and began working as a male stripper, Gunn’s drug abuse was taking its toll on him and his family.
“I knew I needed to change. And I did, but it took time and unfortunately I got divorced before I did that,” he said.
He later moved to Florida where he danced at a club and for bachelorette parties, but even then his life of drinking, drugs and easy sex was difficult to leave completely. Eventually, he met a stripper who led him to Los Angeles where he made some contacts in the porn industry.
“But I wasn’t really convinced then that I could do it.”
But a few years later, when his beloved aunt died, Gunn made himself a promise to clean up his act and make something of himself.
“Here I was, in my 30s and I was living in a dingy apartment with nothing to show for myself… That’s when I came to L.A. and decided to get in the industry.”
“So on my first day, the directors says, ‘Okay, you gotta get your dick hard or we’re all gonna be laughing at you’ and I was nervous, but I did the scene and they loved it.”
Soon, word about Gunn’s unique look and ability to perform was spreading among directors.
He went on to star in Wicked's The Collector, Evil Angel's Angels Of Debauchery 2 for Jonni Darkko, Digital Playground’s Jack’s Teen Playground, Cherry Boxxx's Soaking Wet, Vivid’s Rawhide and the Digital Playground/Adam & Eve joint production of Pirates, among others.
“I really am thankful to the industry that it gave me this chance,” he says.
“I’m off drugs, thankfully, and I realize that you have to respect yourself before you can respect other people and I’ve done that… To me, it’s also about respecting the industry. Things like showing up on time and making the girl look good are important to me.”
Having celebrated his first wedding anniversary with wife Rita Faltoyano this week, Gunn says he feels blessed.
“I have a great wife who supports me and I have a great job that I enjoy so I’m really thankful.”
Faltoyano, who met Gunn on a set two years ago, is especially proud of her husband.
“I love the fact that he is so dedicated to his work and that people appreciate him,” she said.
“I’m really proud of him.”
Meanwhile, Gunn’s year-old production house, Assassin Pictures, is getting ready to roll out Pornstar Garage, this summer.
