Ten years ago, we saw Britney Spears have her epic meltdown, the iPhone make its debut and an incredibly handsome guy named Bruce Beckham enter our television and computer screens in quite the impressive way. Bruce’s chiseled good looks and persona made him easy on the eyes in more ways than one, and after hanging in the industry for a bit, he decided to leave it and pursue other ventures. Now, he’s back and better than ever, but the question remains, why did he leave in the first place?
Bruce has made a lot of waves over the past couple of months, starring in super hot films from TitanMen and more, giving men a glimpse into a real life Clark Kent of sorts. The Midwest native, who used to live in Manhattan for quite some time, now resides in sunny California, which became the location that started his journey back into the adult film industry.
I sat down with Bruce Beckham a couple of days ago to discuss what he has been up to over the past decade, his desire to head back into the industry, and truthfully what he hopes to do in his bold and bright future. Take a look.
So how did you find your way into the adult industry back in 2007?
Well, I have always been fascinated by the adult industry, even beyond jerking off to it. I was enamored by a lot of the men who worked in porn. I’ll give you an example. Matthew Rush came into a restaurant that I was working at in the early 2000’s, and I almost fell over. I rushed to my colleagues and said “Do you know who that is?”, and they were like, “Huh? What”? They had no clue, but I couldn’t function. I was completely starstruck.
So when I moved to Los Angeles a couple of years later, I had contemplated doing it but had a boyfriend and always knew that if I did it I wanted to be single. So suddenly I was single, and there was a bit of a need for validation and wanting to be hot and sexy. Having said that- I don’t recommend doing porn as a way to feel better about yourself, there are a lot of guys that are sold into it thinking it is going to be a way to find your self-identity, I don’t think it does that.
At the time, I had a friend who knew Blue Blake, who was huge in the industry. We met and discussed and then I gave it a couple of months and after that I went back to him and shot my first scene ever with him and Robert Van Damme on a ranch in Southern California somewhere. It was easy peasy.
Did you find the transition into the industry, especially on film, was tough?
I was never uncomfortable in front of the camera, it was always fun and made me curious about the process, and I did it for almost two years. I did a couple for Blue and then worked for Michael Lucas for quite sometime. Doing this wasn’t my primary source of income, I was working at a popular gay bar and making good money there. I just found that doing these movies was really getting in the way of my life; there was a lot of traveling and the shoots became longer and longer, and it wasn’t that interesting. It wasn’t as fun as it was when I started, and that’s where it came to a stop for me.
What did you wind up doing in the interim between now and then?
So, when I initially stopped doing porn, I was working at The Abbey in West Hollywood and making a good amount of money. Doing porn would cost me money to take time off of work because of the travel time, we would go overseas and it was great, but it was hurting me financially.
I went back to bartending, did that for a very long time and then just became burnt out by it. I then went back to Ohio, which is where my family is from for a short period of time, even though the bulk of the people I know is from Los Angeles. I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with Los Angeles. I got tired of working in nightlife, and then I segued into management, and helped a buddy open a restaurant in West Hollywood. My last job in food & beverage was about a year ago, at a restaurant that got a ton of great press, creatively it was rewarding, financially it was rewarding, and then the place tanked almost immediately. 75 percent of the business left, chef walked out, and it became a negative, non-lucrative environment.
After that experience, I was just going out. I didn’t want to work in that field anymore. I had two friends who were in the adult film industry, one of whom I grew up with, and it started to turn me on to returning to it again. Basically, my thought process was that I would devote a little more energy and focus into making it my full time income or whatever I would be doing next, so that is what I did.
So that is where you are now I assume.
Yeah, it was about March of last year where I finished with the restaurant job. I started reaching out to people in the industry and soliciting work, and that led to me doing about 15 scenes this past year.
Do you think the gay adult industry is better or worse today than it was ten years ago?
I think better overall, in almost every regard. A random guy in Oklahoma who is just looking for work can buy his own webcam and upload his content, which is great. I think the market has become more competitive, I think everyone’s niche has become broader.
I would say, from the studios aspect it has become more difficult. They are having trouble moving product like they did before, similar to the music industry. My fee rates are about fifty percent what they used to be, so the reality is that the studios are more focused on the production and content that they are putting out.
Also, to a degree, our puritanical view of sex has opened up a bit. Younger gay men are a lot more open about their sexuality, so by and large I say that the gay porn world has gotten more competitive so in doing so can help you create something of quality and enhance your brand.
Is there a particular fellow star you’ve enjoyed working with the most?
I would have to say Jason Vario. First of all, we are friends and have a little crush on each other. I met him through Instagram, he lives in Canada and I’m in LA, and we flirted with each other a little bit, in a PC sort of way. I was the guy that he trusted in his discussions about going into porn, so anytime that I work with him he is not only in the top five guys that I’ve had a scene with but really one of the top five men I’ve slept with in my life. It’s like, “I’m actually getting paid for this?” This isn’t supposed to happen.
Is there someone you would love to work with?
I do want to work with Boomer Banks. We were supposed to put something out back in October and November, but I had some eye issues that got in the way of that. So, Boomer for sure. I would say Sean Zevran as has an amazing body, I don’t know much more about him than that, but it would be fun to get nailed by him.
Outside of the industry, do you have a type of guy?
You know, its always situational. My boyfriends have always run the gamut in terms of types and looks. My eyes in the gym is drawn to a physical type, but in terms of someone I want to date it can be all over the board. I am not in my 20’s anymore, so attraction incorporates more than physicality. Its about the character that has been developed and how they interact with me.
Let’s do some fun questions. Favorite cheat meal?
I became vegan two months ago, which has sort of changed my answers. I freaking love ice cream, there is some good vegan ones out there. Matthew Bosch, a fellow porn star, shares the same love of ice cream with me. Normally, there is no ice cream I say no to.
Favorite television show of all time?
I’m a huge fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race. It is highly entertaining and has an important message of inclusion and ultimately just being yourself. I also love Archer, I love the stories. It is so clever and biting in terms of the humor, its hilarious.
In conclusion, what are you most hopeful to get out of your career moving forward?
I would say that doing porn this past year has taught me all about taking chances, and how to view what is possible in career options and how your life changes much more broadly. At least for the next year, I plan on expanding my brand and doing things like this interview to give people a better sense of who I am in totality.
I also question, “Are people looking up to me?”, in a sense. On my Twitter feed, instead of having an Amazon wish list, which is fine, I have a link for The Trevor Project instead for people to donate to them. I do what I can in terms of volunteer and donation, and think The Trevor Project is amazing one to be part of.
I’m also big advocate for free legislation with pitbulls and pitbull types dog as I had one for years and see the awful things that happen to them. If someone is interested in seeing what I do with my clothes off, I think they would be interested in knowing what I have to say with my clothes on.
For more information on Bruce Beckham, check out his official social media pages.