INTERVIEW WITH A PORN STAR: MAX KONNOR

From a small-town bible geek to the sweetest top in porn!

From a small-town bible geek to the sweetest top in porn!

DNA: What’s your background?

Max Konnor: I’m a small-town boy from Georgia. I was raised by extremely religious and strict parents. Our week consisted of school, church, work and more church. I didn’t mind it. It was my norm. I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child. School was not a place I excelled at; not because I wasn’t smart but because no one knew how to be interesting enough to hold my attention [laughs].

What was high school like? Were you the popular boy, the nerd, the jock?

I was a geek. I was ordained as a minister when I was 14 and was a pastor by the time I was 16. I wore three-piece suits to school and carried a bible everywhere.

How did you arrive in porn?

In my senior year of high school I applied to a popular performing arts school in New York City. They auditioned nationwide and I was one of 200 they accepted. I graduated (by the skin of my teeth), packed up and headed to New York to start my journey into manhood. I performed on stage and television until 2017. I’d just finished working on an NBC pilot that didn’t get picked up and I decided that I was getting older and needed more stability. I started doing porn and here we are.

You were recently involved in an incident while shopping in New York. Can you tell us about that?

Yeah! So, it was award season and I was nominated for some GayVNs [porn industry awards]. It was my first big award ceremony and I wanted it to be special. My friend came up with an idea for my outfit and we decided to check out the leather store to see if they could design the main piece of the outfit. My friend and I were in a store and the owner came over and said, “Guys, I don’t have time to watch people who aren’t going to buy anything.” I said, “You don’t have to watch me. I’m ordering a car and we will be gone soon.” He then proceeded to shuffle us out the door. Once we were out, he locked the door.

Did anyone else see this happen?

Yeah! There were other customers in the store who left after us. They came up to me and said, “We saw the whole thing. That’s racist and you should go public.” That’s what I did. The store gave many excuses about why we were kicked out, all of which were impractical or just plain dumb. I went public to bring awareness.

Is there anything you miss about your life before porn?

I was ordained as a minister when I was 14… I wore three-piece suits to school and carried a bible everywhere.

Funny thing is, I never expected to be as wellknown or recognised as I am. I started this as an alternative to acting. The hardest part is the nasty things other models, who are jealous of me, do behind my back. But I smile and show them support because in the end goodness always wins. People don’t really take the time to know the guy behind the name. I’m a geek, chill, and I love to love.

Men of colour are finding a new mainstream acceptance in porn. It hasn’t always been like that, has it?

We are making progress in the industry as far as models of colour go but we still have a way to go. It will take models continuously, respectfully, having conversations with the industry. No more yelling back and forth. That changes nothing. I’m launching a talent management company, Haus Of Konnor, specifically for models of colour that will not only make sure we are getting more work but the right kind of work. There will be workshops to develop the model as a whole (budgeting, branding, mental health, etc). These workshops will be taught by leading industry professionals, which will also create a great networking environment for new models.

Do you think the studios still doing condom porn are doing the right thing?

The companies should do what makes them money. If your subscribers like the condoms, why change. If they don’t, change it up, gurl! As barebacking is the industry norm in porn, are the studios testing enough for STIs?

The more mainstream companies do test. The testing is nice but has never made sense to me. I think it creates a false peace of mind because anything can happen between that test. Also, they don’t do swabbing, which is weird. When having bareback sex, all performers should understand that it’s at their own risk.

What is your social life like?

I’m a homebody. Give me some weed, a pizza and Netflix and I’m a happy boy. I don’t like going out. I hate dancing in clubs. I’m not drawn to large groups of gay men. It never ends well! I keep to myself.

This is DNA’s travel issue. Do you get to travel for work and do you enjoy it?

I travel all the time but I never really get to enjoy where I’m at. It’s usually just fly in, sleep, work, fly home.

How do you feel about the self-promoting fan sites where performers can create and manage their own content?

I love it! When I first did porn 11 years ago, we didn’t social media. The studios created your brand and presented you how they wanted you to be seen. The biggest advantage of the fan sites is that models now have the opportunity to create a brand that is uniquely theirs and no one can take that away from them.

What is your favourite kind of fan?

I like fans who show loyalty and love on me like I love on them. I have great fans. Some who’ve been around since the beginning. My “ride or dies”. I love them.

The current US government is chipping away at the rights of LGBTIQ people and women. How do you feel about this?

I’ll be honest, I’m not that political. Ignorance and stupidity really effects me mentally. More than I would say is normal.

Does that make you opt out of following politics?

I’m not up on all that to the extent I should be. I do try to use my platform to uplift and empower, though.

What is the most common assumption people make about you?

Ha! People assume that because I’m pretty rough when I fuck that I’m an ass in real life. I’m the total opposite. There’s two things people always say when they meet me: “OMG, you’re shorter than I thought you were,” or “OMG you’re so sweet. I thought you were mean.” It’s always one of the two.

How is your romantic life?

I’m in a relationship. I keep him out of my work as much as possible. We’ve been together for 10 years. He’s my little Buddha and my best friend. I love him dearly. He taught me how to love but, most importantly, how to be loved.

What do you do to relax and decompress?

I smoke tons of weed. That’s all!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I’ll be behind the camera running my porn studio, managing and developing models, and heavily into activism. When you hear the name Max Konnor it will extend far beyond a dick and a body.

Can we end with your basic stats please?

I am 32 going on 75. My weight tends to fluctuate between 155 to 160 pounds [about 70kg], I’m 5’6 [167cm] with a cut, 10-inch dick.