By Jason Mietelski
You may know him best from his roles in porn hits such as “Perfect Fit,” where he starred alongside the inimitable Aiden Shaw, or Chi Chi LaRue’s “Detention”, which earned him a Grabby Award in 2003 for “Best Group Sex Scene”. But these days Johnny Hazard has reinvented himself as an Indie film actor with depth and skill, going by the name given to him at birth, Frankie Valenti. In 2008 he was part of the main cast in the here! original series, The Lair, starring as Tim, a wayward landscaper and botanist’s assistant. But these days Frankie Valenti has blossomed into something grand, making his debut splash into the feature length filmmaking arena, starring in Tiger Orange, directed by Wade Gasque, Mark Strano and Paul Della Pelle.
Before sitting down to watch Tiger Orange—I’ll admit—I was as skeptical as the critics, and I wasn’t expecting much; but the movie, and Frankie in particular, challenged my preconceived notions of what it means to be porn star turned actor and make a poignant film. The writing and directing was relatable to just about any one—gay men in particular—the characters were incredibly human, and Todd, played by Frankie Valenti, was so real and convincing that I felt like I’d known him my whole life. The story, which portrays two diametrically opposite gay brothers who’ve reunited after their father’s death, is brilliant in its simplicity and authentic performances and characterizations.
I recently had a chance to chat with the 37 year old Valenti, who grew up in what he calls a loving, “Beaver Cleaver” family in Ohio, and just happened into film by chance (which surprised me, since he seems like such a natural!):
David Atlanta: In the movie, Tiger Orange, how were you able to relate to your character, Todd?
Frankie Valenti: Todd and I had a lot of similarities in life and childhood, so it was really easy for me to know what he was feeling, what he was thinking, and what he would do next.
DA: What did you have to do to prepare for this role?
FV: I had to work with Mark Strano (who played his brother, Chet), to understand the way that he works as an actor…and I just kind of drew from my personal experiences when playing the role of Todd.
DA: What, if any, challenges, did you face while filming Tiger Orange?
FV: The only challenges were the hours—the night shoots were very difficult to get through physically. And learning the finer mechanics of lights, cameras, and filming angles. You know, it’s just the matter of learning a new skill.
DA: How did you feel about the dynamic between Todd and Chet, two gay brothers with such different views and levels of self-acceptance?
FV: I thought it was great. They did an excellent job writing and illustrating the story. It wasn’t cheesy or clichéd like many gay themed films. It was genuine and there’s not much I would’ve changed.
DA: Personally I loved the scene when Todd gave the doll to the little boy in the hardware store. Was the anger Todd displayed toward the boy’s mother an accurate representation of your views on homophobia, and could you shed some light on how you think we could change the public’s attitude toward accepting children who display signs of being different?
FV: Well I’d read the script, obviously, so I knew the story from start to finish. And I knew what the opening scene was, when Todd and Chet were boys and the issue with the doll, so I knew there was going to be some unresolved internal resentment on Todd’s part. So I feel like it’s up to the parents to educate themselves. And it’s been my experience that these type of parents are often more accepting when their son wants to wear a dress to school or play with Barbies, or their little girl wants to wear sweat pants. And in my opinion, experience and circle of friends, it’s these parents who are taking the view of “let them be who they are”.
DA: Did filming this movie shape you in any way regarding acting and the film industry?
FV: Oh yes! This film helped me realize and perfect a certain set of skills that I’d never been able to experience! It’s definitely changed the way I look at a movie now. I used to watch movies and simply say, “That was good,” or, “That was bad,” and never really go beyond that. But when you’re working closely with a director and a camera and a cinematographer and you finally do watch a movie or something on TV, you see things beyond what’s there on the screen. You see the way it was shot, edited, cut, and all the little things that go into making a film.
DA: What are your future filmmaking plans?
FV: I don’t have anything solid right now—I just have the willingness and hope that something will come along. With the rerelease of Tiger Orange to a vast number of people I’m hoping that will lead to some more projects in the future.
DA: How do you feel about the state of the gay-themed film industry?
FV: I think it’s finally growing up a little bit, judging by the movies I’ve seen at the film festival. When I was growing up they were all pretty much the same bubble gum, really gay clichéd movies, and now they’ve grown up. They’re more serious now, and not just about some drag queens and two gay boys getting drunk in West Hollywood.
DA: What is your advice for gay youth and the younger readers of David Atlanta Magazine?
FV: My advice for gay youth is to talk to the elders of the gay community and not be so grossed out by them, because they’ve worked hard in making it easier for the younger generation to come out. I think the upcoming kids have no idea of what it used to be like for gays. I mean, I don’t even know what it used to be like, but in speaking to people I do have a general idea. And I think it’s important for kids to realize it wasn’t always this easy, and that gays weren’t always on television, and Will and Grace wasn’t always a hit show. It was hard, people died, and it sucked, and I think it’s their responsibility to understand that.
DA: Is there anything else you could add to help us understand who Frankie Valenti is and what he represents to the community?
FV: Hopefully I’ll be one of, or the one, porn star who makes the transition into film successfully. That’s my goal; I wanna be the one who does it.
DA: Speaking of porn: have you had to deal with any social stigma when making the transition into film acting?
FV: Nothing really obvious, at least not to my face. But I know from being in both ends of the business that there were some serious doubts as to my level of performance, and I think a lot of critics were walking into with it with an open mind, but were leaning more towards how bad they thought it was gonna be. But after all is said and done, I know that ninety-five percent of the reviews have been quite favorable and most have been very supportive.
Unfortunately, Frankie Valenti has no plans of visiting Atlanta soon, but when he does, I assured him we’ll welcome him with open arms!
You can watch Tiger Orange for $3.99 on Amazon Instant Video, or go to https://tigerorangemovie.wordpress.com to pre-order the DVD, set to be released on Tuesday, July 7. Or you might want to check out some of Frankie’s earlier Johnny Hazard films so you can see what he’s working with!
Either way, you won’t be disappointed!
The post From Porn to Norm: Adult Film Star Jumps to Indie Acting appeared first on David Atlanta.