Titan Man Ben Jakks has been named the 2005 NakedSwordsman by gay Video-on-Demand (VoD) powerhouse NakedSword.com.
Jakks was selected from a pool of 12 candidates via a process in which the Naked Sword staff considered fan voting and essays, and the stars’ look, body of work, career trajectory and community involvement.
“He’s really aimed at broadening the definition of what a porn star is,” Naked Sword media director Michael Stabile told AVNOnline.com.
Noted as major influences in the choice was Jakks’ work with Bruce La Bruce in the artcore flick Skin Gang, along with his involvement in HIV awareness. Jakks waved his modeling fee and volunteered to be the face of the Titan-sponsored HIV awareness campaign.
In fan voting, Jakks waged a close battle with Diego De La Hoya.
“When it gets down to a close race like that, we had to choose who we really felt represented Naked Sword for the coming year. It was a very difficult choice,” Stabile said. “Nailing them down, it was a hair between the two men in the race. Ben has done more than just porn and he pushes the boundaries of it. At the same time he really works for safety in porn.”
Jakks, who replaces Marcus Iron as the NakedSwordsman, was born in Brazil and raised in London, making his first films for European studios like Men of Odyssey, Liquid London, and Cazzo Films under the name Bastian Eade. In 2002, Titan Media scooped up Eade and rechristened him Ben Jakks. The Titan Man has starred in big-budget productions including Gorge, Woodsmen and Fallen Angel 5: Horse. He has four Titan movies scheduled for release in the next year.
“Ben Jakks is a relentlessly modern, multifaceted gay video star who has demonstrated his dedication to both craft and community.” said NakedSword.com president Tim Valenti. “We’re extremely proud to have Jakks as our NakedSwordsman.”
