Lacey Starr Interview: Britain’s Sex Therapist Turned GILF
An award winner, beloved British GILF, entrepreneur, and former sex therapist, Lacey Starr presents a resume that doesn’t always resemble that of your typical pornstar! Her unique set of talents have merged to make her one of the hottest stars in the granny porn genre. We chatted with her about both her career and her new movie Dr. Lacey Sex Therapist in this exclusive Q&A!
Tell us about the advantages and disadvantages that “GILFs” encounter in the industry.
It’s hard to say what advantages and disadvantages there are to being a GILF performer, because I believe if you have the right attitude to working in the adult industry you can turn what some may construe as a disadvantage into something far more positive. I’m sure there are some but so far, I guess I’ve kinda just rolled through. I’m forever being told that I’m not “normal” for a GILF performer! Whatever “normal” means. But with this positive attitude of mine, I’ll take it as a compliment!
Do you keep up with the work of other GILFs in the business? Who are some GILFs whose movies you particularly admire?
I’m certainly aware of other mature performers here in the UK, and I’ve worked with several of them. I don’t really keep up with their work as much as perhaps I ought, mainly because I’m really busy these days and just don’t get the chance. I love Rita Daniels, she’s an awesome performer and a lovely lady. We bump into each other (sometimes in EVERY way!) whenever I’m stateside. Though with that amazing body, it’s super hard to regard her as a GILF.
Porn is usually associated with America’s Porn Valley, but Britain has several notable porn studios. Do you find that British porn has its own unique flavor? If so, in what ways?
To be honest, porn here in the UK is increasingly becoming dominated by amateur producers. Just normal folk who’ve discovered they can make good money with their homemade adult movies and clips. That’s totally fine, I mean, that’s how I started, but the difference is that when you start to earn from this you really should try to invest some money back into improving the standard of your cameras, lights, sets and editing equipment so that the quality of your end product increases. The problem with some UK produced porn is that they just don’t bother to do that and that’s why you sometimes get these awful 2-5 minute clips, shot with poor lighting, often on mobile phones (usually positioned portrait!) and then just simply uploaded to the sites without any editing. It seems everyone thinks they’re a producer here, but few care enough to actually learn their craft.
Why did you decide to create your own production company?
I recognized early that content was king and that paid shoots were not really in my long-term interests. I wanted to control as much of my product as possible and in doing so create a strong catalog of scenes. This has ultimately lead to shooting the content of several fantastic performers and to LaceyStarr Productions becoming accepted as a strong presence in the UK adult market.
Do you like being in front of the camera or behind the camera most? And why?
I love being in front of the camera most…. love love love fucking in front of cameras! It’s a very real passion for me. I just can’t see a time coming when I would want to give it up and move behind the camera permanently. I have however, spent more time operating the cameras so far this year than in previous years, and have gotten much better at it of late, but I still know that I belong in front. I love being a porn actress.
Do you find that being a real-life former therapist has helped you perform better in the bedroom? And carry on longer relationships?
I’m lucky, as I’ve kinda always been really good in the bedroom! ever since I was in my late teens, fucking’s always been my forte. But I guess my therapist training in many ways made me more aware of the mindset and needs of the person I was with at the time. I’ve always had long relationships, but usually because I was enjoying a healthy sex-life with several partners during each of them. Where my therapist abilities really come into play however, is in the porn business, where I engage them pretty much every day, in front and behind the camera, on and off set.
Can you elaborate any more about your former therapist job?
I achieved a master’s in psychotherapy, a separate master’s in art therapy and ran a private surgery where I practiced couples counselling and sex therapy. I also taught special needs children. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in each role and achieved some fantastic individual breakthroughs. However, I feel that I’ve now discovered my true vocation here as an adult performer.
The concept of sex addiction has been hotly debated in recent years. As a sex therapist, what’s your take? Can it be a real addiction, or is it just pseudoscience?
Sex addiction is a very real addiction. I know several sex addicts (I often feel I share their addiction). It’s a genuine and powerful compulsion. It takes many forms but is 100% real and should be treated as such.
Talk to us about working with Belgian performer Pascal White (who appears with you on the cover of Dr. Lacey Sex Therapist).
On the subject of sex addicts, Pascal White is definitely one! I’ve worked with Pascal on numerous occasions and can honestly say that as well as being one of the most reliable performers on set, he’s an absolute sweetheart, a true gentleman and someone I’m very proud to call a friend. His “Sub-Sluts” site has established the benchmark for top selling, commercial, themed websites, as well as constantly pushing the boundaries of extremities and taste. His trailers are better than most others’ movies. It’s an amazing achievement that the team behind it should be immensely proud of.
Dr. Lacey Sex Therapist won for Best Series at the Television X Shafta Awards – tell us about that accomplishment and what the award means to you.
It’s easy to forget when you’re working hard to create a series, how good the piece of work actually is. You get so wrapped up in the long post production processes that you are usually just glad to see the back of it when you hand it over! When Dr. Lacey Sex Therapist won the Best Series Award at the SHAFTAs, I realized that I’d not actually watched the finished episodes since they were on the screens in the editing suite. Some friends and I sat down and watched a couple of episodes last week, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised at just how well it plays. It’s a really good and interesting concept and the sex scenes are crazy hot! I really enjoyed it as I’d completely forgotten making it cos as soon as you finish one project as a producer, it’s often straight onto the next one. Winning the SHAFTA meant the world to me. To receive recognition for producing and appearing in an entire series secured my company it’s hard-earned place on the next tier of studios, and although I’ve been fortunate enough to receive performance-based awards over the past three years, to win one for something I’d written and produced as well as starred in, was game-changing for me. I feel truly blessed. I’m due to set off on a promotional tour of the Private adult shops here in the UK when the DVD is officially released here in October.
Tell our readers about the “Fuck A Fan” section on your website! How do you sort through all of the applicants? Is there anything specific you look for when a person is describing themselves?
I’d often been asked to feature a ‘Fuck-a-Fan’ section of the website, but had hesitated, due to the difficulties you can encounter when working on-set with non-industry people. As with all things though, when I finally decided to run the feature, I threw myself into it and advertised on a popular UK swinging site. Over the next three days I received a ridiculous 1700+ applications! The main problem with the concept, is that fantasy far outweighs the reality when it comes to being a ‘pornstar’ and what seems so appealing when sitting, dick-in-hand, filling out your application, seems far less so when given a date and time for your shoot! For every one serious enquiry there were literally dozens of timewasters. I hate shooting with condoms, so now insist that fans get three full months of sex health certificates prior to arranging a date. I also hate shooting with guys in masks, so the entire concept is troublesome to me, and not proving to be worth allocating much production time to. However, when receiving an application, I try to select guys with the common touch. Normal, everyday, guys-off-the-street types. If I get a well hung, gym fit, 6ft hunk contact me, I try to convince him to get his certs and come shoot scenes that will help him enter the industry properly, as there’s little point in shooting him as I would a fuck-a-fan. The things I tend to look most for when sifting through applicants are; local, genuine, heavy cummer, well hung etc…… if you’re all four then come to mama!