Page 42 - AVN December 2016

REPEAT PERFORMANCE
(Continued from page 40)
“Being sober now almost nine years has been challenging
at times, but it’s definitely one thing I truly hold dear. I’ve
invested so much into my life and am a better man because of
it,” he says. “Ironically enough, after being a bartender for 20
years, I find myself in full circle, as I now work as a sommelier.
Not what I want to do, but the opportunity was presented and
I’m finding myself learning more about wine. Funny, when
I was out there partying, wine was never my thing…but I
had learned about wine when I was a waiter back in my 20s
at a French cuisine restaurant called El Bizcocho at Rancho
Bernardo Inn.”
Home for Phoenix has always been Los Angeles, and he has
found comfort focusing on his friends more than anything.
He continues to keep busy at the gym, going to movies with
friends (“usually scary movies”), beach outings, “gayme”
Back in the Saddle
Like the star system from the Golden Age of Hollywood, the “gay porn star” seems to be the
signature of a bygone era. The proliferation of small studios, amateur content, technology and social
media has ushered in a new world where anyone and everyone can claim some fame, making those
iconic men ever harder to come by. Thankfully for the fans, they still exist—and Phoenix is proof.
“I always wonder, is the day of the porn star over? And I don’t necessarily believe that,” says Scott.
“I think that it’s more so whether the person possesses that quality or not; it’s not necessarily the level
of views that comes with their scenes. So for me, when I look at him, I see that performer kick in and a
nights and “finding new cupcake shops.”
“I seem to concentrate more on my friends more than
chemistry that is dynamic. It jumps off the screen, and hopefully that’s how our members are going to
feel as well.”
As of early November, Phoenix had filmed three scenes, including one with Gabriel Cross. His first
scene (with Johnny Riley) goes live November 30 on NextDoorRaw.com. Scott notes they are also
planning to film the studio’s biggest production in three years in December—a five-part series that’s
“super cinematic with a heavy storyline.” That will serve as Phoenix’s first full feature, planned for an
early January release and showcasing him as a main character.
“He’s fantastic on set to work with; his performances are authentic,” says Scott. “That’s what is
anything. They’ve always stuck by me and believed in me,
always nice. I’ve known him well enough to know the types of guys and things that he’s interested
while others judged me and said awful things. I’m really a
in, so the casting comes together nicely for him as well as the characters. But the biggest thing about
nice and down-to-earth guy. I just want to thank my fans and
Dean is that this isn’t necessarily a job—it’s not about the paycheck, and you can see that in his
friends for always sticking by me and being polite and treating
performances. He knows how to perform, he makes his partners comfortable, and when I call ‘Action!’
me like a human being all these years. That I’m not just a
you see a porn star, which is something that we don’t see very often anymore.”
piece of meat, but someone with a good heart and soul,” says
Phoenix says his first time back in front of the camera was a smooth experience.
Phoenix.
“I still haven’t found Mr. Right. Kind of given up on that,”
he laughs. “I have a different mindset today. I’m older, so I
really take this more professionally then when I was in my
challenging at times, but it’s definitely one thing
20s. I feel I joined the tribe to be a part of. It intrigued me. It’s
like a different world. I left a couple times because I thought
”Being sober now almost nine years has been
I truly hold dear. I’ve invested so much into my
I met my soul mates…turned out there wasn’t much soul
life and am a better man because of it.
there.”
—Dean Phoenix
“It went great! It was just like riding a bike: Once you learn, you don’t forget,” he says with a laugh.
“I’ve learned things sometimes do not go as planned time wise with scenes, and you improvise or
switch things around to better fit a time constraint. I was also thinking about how hot my co-star was,
GAYVN
Scott notices his friend’s newfound focus and dedication.
“In the time that I’ve known him, he’s grown quite a bit.
His body is looking fantastic physically, but just the mental
side of it and the personality that I’m getting from him is
one that is very put together, masculine…I would like to say
fatherly, but I know he wouldn’t necessarily like to hear me
say that right now,” he says with a laugh.
“As far as his personality, people who are intuitive to
watching people’s body language and whatnot would probably
gather that he is kind of more of a quiet, sensitive kind of guy,
and that’s what you really get with Dean—just a very genuine
individual. He listens to people and cares about people, and
you don’t necessarily see that a whole lot. Everybody’s in and
out of people’s lives in this business, but with Dean, when he
was here the last time, I noticed how he interacted with his
scene partner. Just listening to his interaction with him, and
seeing how they connected and knowing that they were going
to continue to be friends, it says a lot about his personality
and his character. That’s a strong thing about him personally,
and shows just how wonderful of an individual he is.”
That reputation extends to affiliates, bloggers and review
sites, individuals who have followed and supported the
industry for years—and who are very familiar with Phoenix
“Dean is definitely a legend in this business, and not
too many can say they have that status. So his return is
a substantial thing,” says Scott, who notes the buzz and
excitement on social media has already started spreading.
“The ones that do know who Dean is have been going nuts.
We’ve had some top blogs just pounding down the doors of
our Buddy Profits office asking for any kind of behind-the-
scenes stuff, any kind of special images, they’re wanting to
do features on him, so we’ve definitely received an enormous
amount of response.”
42 | AVN.com | 12.16
and that always makes things so much smoother when there might be a bump in the road. Tucker is a
fantastic director, and due to my personal schedule conflicts, they worked with me to make it happen as
soon as we could—even though we had to do the scene in the night hours, which my director was not
too happy about…I’ve been out of it for a while. So far, Next Door has given me some super sexy studs
that I’m very pleased with.”
As far as fantasies Phoenix might want to explore, he lists a basketball/wrestling coach and a
bartender on a beach at a gay resort as a few options. As for bottoming? “It’s possible I could bottom
again,” he laughs. “Maybe.”
Adds Scott: “Right now, we have not done any bottoming scenes. That’s often something that’s very,
very personal and private to Dean, both as a performer and linking into who he is as a person. When
he did his first—and I think one of only two ever—bottoming scene, it was with BuckleRoos at the end,
and that was a huge deal—a massive one. Michael, our makeup artist here who also works with me as
a PA, was there—he was the PA and makeup artist on the BuckleRoos set when that happened. He told
me what an experience it was…it just had to be the right timing and the right scene partner for it to
happen, and even then it was somewhat of a challenge for Dean. It’s a personal thing for him, and not
every performer feels comfortable—especially a gay performer that sees it as maybe a more intimate
thing.”
In the meantime, Phoenix will add to his memories and work on his goals—which this time aren’t
fully focused on the physical. Over the years, he notes that fans have congratulated him on his work,
and some have shared they he helped them with coming out or accepting who they were as gay men.
“So many sweet memories. Every movie I’ve done was nothing short of an awesome experience. It’s
the crew and cast that make it so. Also, the roles I’ve played and the places and events I’ve gone to,
traveling to Greece, the Virgin Islands, Hawaii,” he says.
“I feel that I never really concentrated on getting ripped, but just do the bare minimum. This return
allows me to work on preparedness. Getting older, it seems that I really count calories and keep track of
my workouts and what I need to do to stay on track to get where I want to be—not only physically, but
emotionally and spiritually as well. Knowing I have scenes to do, it prepares me. Also, I can’t wait to
make new friends and have a new addition of ‘family.’”