John Leslie

A true porn iconoclast, John Leslie has led one of the more interesting and varied lives of anyone involved in hardcore. A suave and smooth older gentleman who always gave off an aura of sophistication and utter self-confidence, John was the picture of the 1970's mature swinger. He was known throughout the business as one of the most attentive and passionate on-screen lovers around during the late 70's and 80's. John was born and raised in the Midwest and worked at an Ohio steel mill in the late 50's. The lure of the big city called him to New York in the early 60's, where he hoped to become a painter. John's career plans didn't take him quite where he had expected -- he ended up working in New York's then-thriving underground magazine market as an illustrator. He got into the swinging early 70's scene and began to get work as a blues harmonica player, as well. John moved to San Francisco in 1974, where he hooked up with some folks working in the fledgling hardcore film industry. His mature appeal and undeniable ladies man allure caused his friends to urge him to try his hand at adult performing. John was one of the most popular male performers of the late 70's and throughout the 1980's, always turning in sensual and erotic work. His fine acting skills helped him land meaty roles in lots of top-notch productions and he's won just about every industry award there is for performers. He moved behind the cameras in the mid-80's, one of the first men to make the now-common transition from stud to director. He's won even more acclaim as a filmmaker, winning the AVN Best Director Award in 1994 in both the film and video categories . He's a member of the XRCO and AVN Halls of Fame and continues to crank out award-winning features for his own John Leslie Productions.