Social Lubricant: Conversation With Dallas Steele

The road to porn stardom has not been easy for Dallas Steele. His father was abusive and an alcoholic. His brother was a drug addict at 16. His brother is now sober, as was his father before passing. His dad sobered up after paralyzing a motorcyclist from the neck down, accruing his fifth DUI. Steele’s mom was his rock and loved him through food, which saw him weighing 240 pounds at age 15. He was teased relentlessly by schoolmates.

Professionally, Steele spent 23 years working in TV news, eventually being promoted to anchor at a reputable news station where he hoped to retire. Instead, he was told by management that a focus group had been conducted and people didn’t like him so he was let go. To this day, Steele speculates the real reason was his sexuality. Not long after, Steele tragically lost his partner. With no will to his name, Steele found himself nearly homeless.

Facing homelessness in a matter of weeks, Steele’s best friend suggested, since he won’t be returning to television, that he apply at porn studios, COLT and Titan, and see where it goes. He did just that, and both studios called the following week. Now four years in, Steele is thriving in the adult film industry and is happy living in Palm Springs with his two partners, Jason and DJ.

RIDE spoke to Steele about how JustFor.Fans and OnlyFans have impacted porn studio profits, how he keeps his boyfriends happy and which character he’d play in his dream porn parody.

RIDE: You entered porn later in life. Did you find that, in doing so, you were faced with certain barriers or constraints?

Dallas Steele: On one hand, I feel like most studios ignore applications from anyone over 30, much less 40. On the other hand, Daddies are very in right now, and I was fortunate to have two of porn’s most legendary studios, Colt and Titan, both hired me at the same time. But being “older” (whatever the hell that means), means you’re often locked out of appearances and events that other pornstars are invited to. It’s like there is this barrier that studios, clubs and promoters build to make sure you’re not included or even mentioned in industry events. It doesn’t matter how many fans and followers you have, if certain “big name” studios don’t say you’re in, you don’t get into things. I’m encouraged to see their power lessening by the day and the power of performers – via Only Fans and JustFor.Fans – increasing. It gives men of all ages a chance to show we are more than viable. In many cases, our movies outperform the youngsters.

RIDE: In a recent interview with Trenton Ducati, he told me that “daddy/boy” content is very popular right now, attesting that “daddies are always popular”. As an adult actor who fits the daddy mold, would you agree?

Dallas Steele: I enjoy daddy/boy scenes, but I think many of the big name studios and their directors/producers are so stuck in that. They can’t visualize using men over 40 in any other role than as a daddy. They seem to think that you need to have a 20-something in the movie or no one is going to watch. Hey, I love 20-somethings. I do them all the time, but I also love my 30, 40, 50, 60, and the occasional 70-somethings. The problem is, many of the men who control the studios are former performers themselves who threw in the towel at 27, and then decided that everyone else should be done at 27, too. Just because you gave up on yourself, doesn’t mean I’m going to.

RIDE: How can a boy keep a daddy happy?

Dallas Steele: Not sure, but I get all excited when my boy vacuums or takes out the trash! That’s hot! But I always think it’s the daddy who should work to keep the boy happy. For instance, I get up two hours early each day to make my boy breakfast and pack his lunch for work, complete with an inspirational, hand-written message. After the gym, I take him to the bus stop, then nine hours later when the bus doesn’t run anymore, I drive seven miles to pick him up from work. In return, sometimes I’ll come home from a long trip shooting porn or escorting and find him ass up in the bed, just waiting for me. Or he’ll be there stroking it ready to bang Daddy. Other times, he’ll do all of his chores while I’m gone (he has a list) plus a bonus chore like getting my car washed.

Getting signed by Titan was a big deal for me. It was validation that the former fat teenager, teased and bullied to the point of attempting suicide, was finally fit enough to be hired by one of the most legendary studios.

RIDE: What’s your stance on streaming porn sites like Pornhub? They’ve undoubtedly hindered industry profits, but many attest they’ve also helped actors get better recognized and offer a fantastic avenue for marketing.

Dallas Steele: I think the “tube sites” have damaged the industry severely. What product other than porn do you know of that you used to pay for and is now free? Really nothing. Sites like Pornhub are using our work and making money on it.

Yes, it’s a marketing tool, but the loss of exclusive content is substantial. Someone should not be able to go to my Only Fans site, download a video, then repost it on any site for free. Sadly, most 20-somethings seem to believe that all porn should be free. They wouldn’t think of paying for it, yet they think nothing of dropping $5-10 per day at Starbucks. My bottom line: If you are watching porn, mainstream movies or listening to music for free, you are a thief, and you are stealing. I pay for everything I watch, most commonly on AEBN.

RIDE: With the advent of subscription sites like JustFor.Fans and OnlyFans, porn actors are finally able to earn the money they deserve. Do you think this will in some way impact how studios will work with actors in the future?

Dallas Steele: They already have. The OF/JFF platforms allow us to choose who we want to shoot with, not what some director thinks is her/his vision of what people will buy. And guess what? Our combinations are working better than many of their choices, and we keep 80-90 percent of the money. I don’t want to see studios go out of business, but I do think OF/JFF is going to force studios to give performers more say and more money. I think eventually performers will get residuals from streaming videos (as they should), just as mainstream actors get residuals when consumers watch their movies.

RIDE: As somebody who had a very successful career in journalism, how did your family react when you decided to get into porn?

Dallas Steele: I’m pretty sure my biological father was bisexual. When I was 14, I found a suitcase of gay porn belonging to him. The first gay porn video I saw was his. My God that video was so hot. I shot in like 30 seconds and the performers were just kissing. But when I came out to my Dad at 20 and confronted him about the porn, he denied it was his, said it was from when he was drinking, said it was a “phase,” all of that. But dad would always comment about men’s bodies when he was watching football and when he returned from South American cruises, how all the men were wearing thongs. He was so excited by this. He died in 2015, but on his deathbed, I considered asking him whether he’d had sex with a man, but I decided to leave it alone. When I told him in 2014 that I was doing movies, he said “Sounds like fun work as long as you’re paid well and not being taken advantage of.”

My mom and stepfather were swingers in the ‘80s. My mom came to my room at 14 and said, “Me and your stepfather are going to watch an adult movie. We need you to stay in your room for two hours. Our friends are coming to watch with us.” Once the lights were out, I crept down the hall and sure enough, they were all going at it. They had five more couples over that year. Fast-forward 25 years and they are retired weekly church goers, so when I told them I was doing porn, they couldn’t have much to say. Both said: “We’d prefer you be doing something else, but as long as you’re making a good living and not involved in drugs, have fun.”

RIDE: You look incredible and I’ve read you’re working your way toward Masters Bodybuilding in 2020! What are your best tips for staying fit at 50?

Dallas Steele: In 27 years, I’ve missed a total of 56 days in the gym – that includes weekends and holidays. I competed in amateur bodybuilding shows 2003-2008 in Texas, and now, 11 years later, at 50, I’m about to get back on stage in the “Classic Physique” Category. I also have two certifications in personal training. If you’re just starting out at 50, my advice would be to see a doctor first, get a trainer to learn the basics, and focus on higher rep ranges with moderate weight to reduce the risk of injury.

I can do almost everything I could do 10 years ago, but to avoid injury, I take longer to warm-up, I take Aleve before a workout, and I generally do higher reps and moderate weight versus low rep and super heavy weight. And yes, at 50, one day your knee hurts. The next day your shoulder hurts. The next day your lower back hurts. Sometimes it’s everything at once. Getting old isn’t for the faint at heart. You fucking battle it every single day and be determined to be your best at ANY age. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, it’s something painful. But it is most certainly worth it.

RIDE: You’ve dealt with a lot of loss and hardships in your life. Have you found porn has, in some way, helped remedy this?

Dallas Steele: Getting signed by Titan was a big deal for me. It was validation that the former fat teenager, teased and bullied to the point of attempting suicide, was finally fit enough to be hired by one of the most legendary studios. And there are lots of former fat boys in porn. Lots. Why? I think because we’re constantly trying to convince ourselves that we are attractive and desirable. Porn helps with that, but eventually, you have to find it yourself and know it in your heart.

RIDE: As a man with two partners, what’s your best advice for keeping multiple partners happy?

Dallas Steele: Our relationship is on the Mormon model – think “Sister Wives.” I have two partners, but they are not romantically and sexually connected. We all live together and sleep together, but I have sex individually with them, and they each have different roles in the household and in our relationship with each other. They are the best of friends and who knows where our dynamic will go in five, ten years. Maybe we will morph into something more, but for now, we have a really good relationship that seems to work for all of us. One works in a professional setting and sexually is more top, and one works retail and is more bottom. Obviously with me doing porn and escorting, we’re open, and even if I weren’t in the business, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

RIDE: Let’s have a little fun: If you could act in any porn parody, what would be the movie/series you parody and which character would you play?

Dallas Steele: Hmmm, never thought about this one. I love superheroes, so anything where I could be a superhero and fuck the villain as punishment. Or I’d be the villain and they would use, fuck, and light torture me as a punishment. I have a spandex and lycra fetish. LOVE full bodysuits with crotch zippers front and back. Crazy hot. Love jockstraps and thongs just as much. I watch less than two hours of TV a week and see maybe one movie every four months, so I’m not well versed in pop culture.

RIDE: Any interest in bearded redheads? Asking for a friend.

Dallas Steele: I love many, many types of men. People think I only like men who look exactly like me. No. That would be pretty damn boring. I like all races, all ages, bearded redheads included – does the carpet match the drapes? LOL. Yes, I like men who are fit, but that doesn’t mean “perfect.” You can have a few extra pounds and still be crazy hot. You can have an unconventional look at still catch my eye. Both of my partners, while sexy, are nerdy looking guys. Every guy I’ve been in a relationship with has worn glasses and been something of a nerd. Smart men are hot to me. Even if you’ve got a hot body, I’ll generally take a pass on stupid, uneducated, and/or shallow.