Page 105 - AVN August 2017

Blake Riley
(Continued from page 64)
“Johnny Hazzard is and always will be the face of Channel
1, I think; he got us off the ground. But Blake Riley was
definitely the ass of Channel 1. I mean, we molded and sold
his butt as a sexy toy!” laughs LaRue. “The frickin’ thing
cost $350. It sold like crazy, but it was just so fucking heavy!
We did a movie called Rascal: A Toy Story where this guy that
looks like him that came in, and we dubbed him Blake’s
brother (Drake Riley), and he starts the scene with a rubber
ass, and the ass turns into Blake.”
LaRue notes that lots of other studios like Falcon wanted
to cast Riley, but Channel 1 kept him under contract for a
long time.
“He was one of those power bottoms that fuck you back,
you know? That was always exciting because a lot of times,
bottoms will just lay there and be the submissive. He was
not a submissive bottom, he was more of a power bottom.
And it’s funny, because Blake was the kind of person that
if we scheduled something with someone else and it didn’t
work out, he could also top, which was a plus. His dick was
never soft, and he wasn’t doing any of the trickery they do
nowadays to get the dick hard. He was just a horny guy.”
It was a meteoric rise that Riley didn’t see coming.
“The evolution was one that I never expected. I went from
living on the streets to being one of the biggest names, at
that time, in the industry. I couldn’t believe it, but I enjoyed
the journey. As a person, I have to say I grew so much from
the experiences I had and the life I lived. I learned a lot
about myself as a person, and it’s made me stronger today,”
he says.
“By far my favorite experience was traveling Europe with
Chi Chi and the Manhunt crew many moons ago. I loved
getting to travel and perform at various cities across the
country and world, and being able to meet the fans one on
one. When I look back on the years with Channel 1, I have
nothing but the utmost respect for everyone involved from
start to finish. I loved each and every single person that
worked within the company that I was able to meet, and
can’t say I ever had a bad experience.”
LaRue recalls a small but vocal attack from many in the
(mostly anonymous) online community in 2008 after he
cast Riley in the bisexual movie Shifting Gears.
“He had never had sex with a woman, and he was really
good at it because he had no sexual hang-ups. It was a really
fun set, we just had a really fun time shooting this movie,
and after he did it, he got a lot of backlash for it, which I
think is really disgusting,” LaRue recalls. “They were mad
that he had sex with a woman and said he was straight, that
he was gay for pay and that he had pulled the wool over
everyone’s eyes. It was so fucking stupid … if a straight guy
comes into gay porn and has sex with a man, possibly for
the first time, I don’t know if people would be so visceral
about it, you know?”
FEATURE
Adds Riley: “In all honesty, I couldn’t have given two shits what people said about me for doing that
movie. I got to experience something I never had before and I had a blast with the entire cast during
that shoot. We all had so much fun and got the job done. And to go ahead and put the ‘rumors’ from the
random internet trolls to rest: Yes, I am gay and have been my entire life,” he says with conviction, as if
speaking in all caps, laughing about the whole (non) incident.
But shortly afterward, even after re-signing as a Channel 1 exclusive in early 2009, Riley decided to
leave the industry.
“I’d like to say it was originally for me to grow as a person and pursue life beyond. But it was for a
boy,” he laughs. “I left because I was in a relationship and it was going south because of my career. I
chose love, or at least what I thought was love at the time.”
During his absence, Riley moved to Las Vegas for three years and started going back to school. He
eventually left the relationship and moved to Arkansas (“Of all places!”) to live with his father until
he was able to get back on his feet. He finished his undergrad there and is now pursuing even higher
education.
“We remained extremely close, which is always something that I’m very proud of—that I can maintain
relationships with these guys after they go away, because they didn’t leave me under bad circumstances,”
LaRue says, noting that there was a period after Riley left that they didn’t have time to talk. “Every once
in a while, we’d send each other a message, and so I always knew that we were still connected.”
LaRue knew that Riley had developed an even higher commitment to fitness, succeeding in
bodybuilding competitions and the fitness world. “He was bartending, and just living the life of a guy. He
always maintained good health and body consciousness, just really taking care of himself.”
Then last year, Riley met LaRue in Chicago during the Grabbys, where the performer was put on their
Wall of Fame.
“People were really, really excited to see him, that he was alive and healthy and that he was … normal,”
LaRue laughs. “You know what I mean; that he wasn’t strung out on drugs or wasn’t in any of the other
trappings that come along with a lot of stuff in the entertainment industry … he’s such a sweetheart. He’s
a really good kid, and he was raised well, and very humble and very sweet, and somebody that you want
to be your friend because he would really do anything for you.”
The two stayed in contact and saw each other a few more times that year. Little did LaRue know that
the visit to the Grabbys had sparked renewed interest in Riley, who had begun to think about a comeback.
“That’s exactly what stirred it,” he says. “I saw how much everything had changed, and it kind of made
me wonder where I would fit in with all of the new performers. I was just very scared. The unknown of it
all, and things have changed so much. I finally decided to do it because, well, I missed working with Chi
Chi, and honestly could have used the extra cash.”
Riley notes he’s had nothing but the best support from everyone: “Chi Chi was ecstatic, as was I.” As
for his first shoot back? “I was scared out of my mind! I didn’t feel prepared body wise or mentally, but it
was probably one of the best—I feel—of my career, past and present. JJ was amazing and patient, as was
everyone on set. I felt comfortable and like I had never left.”
LaRue can’t contain his excitement talking about the shoot, noting he specifically wrote the scene to
play off Riley’s return.
“He delivered above and beyond in the movie. It was like, ‘Who is that?’ I didn’t announce his return
or say anything about it, and I’m the Twitter queen—I want to put everything on Twitter before it even
happens. But the marketing on that movie was genius; everything about it really came together. It was
kind of one of those things that was meant to be,” LaRue says.
“They did an amazing job together; JJ was really excited about working with him. It was like riding a
bike—he just got back on, he came out of his pants ready to go, and off to the races. His butt is even more
insane now that it was back then, if that’s possible. It was really just an amazing pleasure.”
And LaRue respects the fact that this time, Riley has other priorities that come first. “He’s really
serious about school—it comes first before anything, and I think that’s great. I wanted to cast him in
the Raging Stallion movie that I’m about to do with Steve Cruz, and he wanted to do it but he couldn’t
because he had some finals. I admire that. I don’t want him to do it unless he can do it, and wants to.”
It’s all part of the maturing that Riley has done as a person in his years away.
“So much has changed. For one, I’m an old man,” he laughs. “I have grown so much as a person
and knowing where I’m going in life and accomplishing great things. As a performer, I feel I have also
matured. I’ve gotten a lot of life experiences and am more comfortable in my skin. I think that I am more
open to trying things now versus before, when I was pretty vanilla. I feel that I am able to tap into the
passion no matter what the situation.”
As of right now, Riley has no other shoots in the works. He is focusing on his personal future and
schooling (“priorities are important”). But he says he will only work with LaRue in the future.
“Words honestly can’t even begin to describe my love for Chi Chi. We are and forever will be great
friends. We don’t get to talk often, but when we do it’s like we never left. Chi Chi has seen me in some of
my best and even some of the darkest moments of my life, and has always been there for me—and I feel
it’s mutual. Love, love, love her!”
As for his personal life, Riley prefers to keep that side private now. “I think that before, I shared a little
too much a lot of times. It’s a Catch-22, but for now I’m keeping my personal life under wraps,” he says.
“I have no expectations anymore, and just am going with the flow. The industry will be what it will be
with or without me there. I just hope the fans enjoy what I put out.”
THE COMEBACK KIDS | Continued
8.17 | AVN.com | 105