LOS ANGELES—Director Craven Moorehead points out something interesting. During the “Porn Valley” era of the ’80-‘90s, Moorehead says adult performer Peter North appeared in an estimated 70 percent of adult movies produced. With more than 2,000 screen credits under his belt, North cemented his status, not just as a porn star, but as a pop culture phenomenon.
Known for his tanned physique and ability to produce copious “loads,” North established himself as a top male talent, eventually producing titles at his own NorthPole Entertainment where Moorehead was a director for more than 15 years.
“He's not just a performer. He's, literally, one of the last larger-than-life figures from an era that doesn't even exist anymore,” Moorehead told AVN. “This day and age, there's so much content out there that even if you're working 15 scenes a day, seven days a week, you're not going to get in 70 percentage of the footage. You're gonna get in maybe 0.5 percent, you know. So, it was an era that was just— they were stars, literally rock stars.”
The director, who also has worked in horror and music videos, now has helmed his first documentary based on North’s story, simply titled Peter. The film is slated to release on Apple TV with pre-orders opening on July 28, then will stream on Apple TV, Prime Video, Direct TV, Google Play and Fandango, starting August 11.
The documentary made its world premiere in January at the 2026 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, in Las Vegas, with a gala red carpet event featuring the stars interviewed for the movie, including North, Jenna Jameson, Jewel De’Nyle, Christy Canyon and Ginger Lynn, as well as North contemporaries Amber Lynn, Dominique Simone, TT Boy, Sean Michaels, Mickey Lynn and Seth Gamble.
Directed under Moorehead’s real name, Corey Soria, and written by Jeremy Wagner, the documentary starts with North as young Alden Brown (North’s real name), growing up in middle-class Halifax, Nova Scotia, then follows his journey to the sun-drenched shores of California, where he found dubious XXX-rated fame. A few of the “classic” titles in which North has appeared include Dickman & Throbbin’ (Western Visuals, 1986), Encino Housewife Hookers (VCA, 1997) and Mad Jack: Beyond Thunderbone (VCA, 1986), among many features and series from the video industry’s “wild, wild West” period.
Also a controversial figure in the annals of adult, North is well-known to have got his start in gay films under the name Matt Ramsey, appearing for Falcon Studios as early as 1984. Attitudes have changed over the decades so that bisexual performers are no longer uncommon, but for North, the documentary is his first opportunity to address the rumors and denials.
“When I was telling different people, like ‘I think I'm gonna do this documentary,’ it's the first and only thing they ask: ‘Is he finally going to come clean about the Matt Ramsey?’” Moorehead said. “Here's the thing—it’s first time he's ever talked about it. He does a nice lengthy part in the documentary and, you know, he comes clean on it, which he never, never had.
“I kind of had to sit down with him and I was like, ‘Listen, man, it's not going to be worth doing the documentary if you half-ass it, you know. I'm going to ask people questions and it's going to be uncomfortable, but in order to make a true, good documentary, it has to be 100 percent honest.’
“And I could tell how relieved he was, after. I could see a weight lifted off his shoulders. I mean this guy had been lying about this for 40 years, 30 years, you know,” Moorehead said.
Having first made North’s acquaintance at an Orange County gym in the ‘90s, Moorehead described getting to know him and also observing the reactions of fans.
“It's just a generational, multi-generational thing with this guy, from rap stars to rock stars, the movie stars,” he said, noting that North even gets a mention in Motley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee’s memoir Tommyland as just one example of the porn star’s status as a stud. In the book, Lee remembered that North once advised him to eat celery to increase his load size.
Beyond the porn star mystique and despite Peter being his first attempt at documentary-filmmaking, Moorehead says he feels that he’s done his best not to create a fluff piece, but tried to capture the story of a complicated, charismatic star.
“I had never done a documentary. This is the first one I've ever, you know, I've directed hundreds and hundreds of movies, horror movies, music videos, adult movies, but never a documentary,” he said. “So, I was very hard on myself at the premiere. I spent a good portion of it outside because I was kind of nervous, to be honest with you.”
“Afterwards I had TT Boy, Jenna—they're all coming up hugging me. They said it was so fantastic. ‘Thank you for letting Peter speak his truth. Thank you for making us look in a positive light,’” Moorehead recalled of the Vegas event.
“This was an era that people fucking grew up on—it was, like I said, a pop culture phenomenon. You know, like they were fucking movie stars and rock stars of that era, and to get the blessing of people like that was...” he paused, a little lost for words.
“You know what? This portrays the man that I've known for 25 years, the good, the bad, the ugly, and I hope people like it. I think it's going to do well once people watch it, because here's the thing—half the people that are gonna watch it, are the people that love Peter North. The other half are gonna be the people that absolutely hate him, and they're gonna be looking for him not to talk about his past. Either way it's gonna be great.”
See the trailer for Peter on YouTube.com. For more on the documentary or to pre-order, find Peter on tv.apple.com.
