Page 58 - AVN November 2016

Lexington Steele
Home State: New Jersey | Age: 46 | Started in 1996 | Twitter: @LexSteele11 | Website: LexingtonSteele.com
FEATURE
What inspired you to pursue a career in adult film?
What inspired me to pursue a career in adult media and continues to inspire me every day is the
opportunity to be a paid professional athlete. Most of my heroes over my life have been athletes,
educators or broadcast journalists. I have been able to live my life over the last 18 years as an athlete,
a “professional sex athlete.” This is how me and my brand have historically been regarded by my
supporters.
What are the most challenging aspects of your job?
The most challenging aspect for me as a male performer is maintaining the level of performance I have
been known for. Well over a decade ago, I was named AVN Male Performer of the Year 2000, 2002 and
2003. I have been in the AVN Hall of Fame since 2009; that’s longer than most of my contemporaries’
whole careers at this point. The challenge is still being worth the exorbitant rate that I charge, to be
quite honest.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job has been the lifestyle I have maintained since launching Mercenary
Pictures in 2003 and launching Lexington Steele Productions in 2013. Even in these most challenging
years, I remain in the highest tax bracket. That being said,
the rewards are not all monetary and the rewards no longer
provide the financial security enjoyed between 2000 and
2010. But the greatest reward has been the people that
have been my friends, compatriots, brothers and sisters for
the last two decades of my life. My male friends know that
I’d go to war with them any day. My female counterparts
know that I’ll protect them every day. The ultimate reward
has been to find the woman I would marry in 2015 [Savana
Styles].
Who are your biggest influences?
As a performer, I have had two major influences in
my career. My good friends for life, Mark Davis and Mr.
Marcus—both of these men taught me how to do this job. I
have fed myself and my family based on the performer skills
imparted upon me by these two gentlemen. As a director,
my biggest influence was Mike John—he taught me how
to shoot video camera—and Kevin Moore, my co-director/
partner at Lex Steele Productions. He has had a tremendous
impact on the quality of my brand, taking it to a higher
level. As a producer, my most influential people are my
mentor James Alexander of West Coast Productions and
my compatriot and confidant Jules Jordan of JJV. I have
known both of these men since 1998; we are competitors,
collaborators, and friends.
What is the most common misconception about
adult?
The most common misconception about adult, historically
for me, has been that doing interracial scenes will damage
or curb the careers of some female performers. This may
be true for some, but certainly not most. Additionally, the
misconception that black male performers actually care if
they don’t is equally profound. Most of us don’t knock the
hustle of our female counterparts. If what she does does not
include black men for whatever reason, it is her business,
her body.
What do you think of the way IR product (black
male/white female) is marketed?
IR product has been an integral part of XXX media,
practically since its inception. The marketing of such has
remarkedly progressed over my tenure, in large part by what
[the late] Christian Mann had created in his early years as
president of Video Team (for those that can remember that
era). That being said, Sean Michaels is the foundation of
IR marketing and I have patterned my brand to reflect the
image he created. There have been derogatory marketing
campaigns that I personally would not co-sign or endorse,
but others have done well with. This is the business of
capturing fantasy on video. IR XXX is an integral part
of our collective, cultural sexuality as Americans. Other
countries do not have the historic issues that still exist
today in America. This is what fuels the interest in IR sex
and has bolstered the commercial viability of my product
and brand. Today’s IR campaigns rival that of the highest
Lexington Steele (Continued on page 60)
58 | AVN.com | 11.16