Zac Wild Interview: Never Give Up
Zac Wild never believed it when people told him he wasn’t good enough. He kept pursuing his dreams, with the relentless focus of a movie hero and the physical acumen of a pro athlete. The results speak for themselves: afresh from a win as XBIZ’s Male Performer of the Year earlier this year, Wild is quickly becoming one of the industry’s most ubiquitous stars. He gives us the behind-the-scenes story of his journey to porn limelight in this new blog interview.
Adult Empire: Tell us about your background. How did you get into the industry?
Zac Wild: With much difficulty -It’s a long story of perseverance. But to make it as short and sweet as possible . . . Every talent scout & agency turned me away for 10 years. From 2008 – 2018 (18-28 Years old) I heard it all . . . I was told I’m not big enough, not tall enough, not strong enough, I don’t have enough hair, my dick’s not big enough, constantly being berated to “Do Gay Porn.” It was frustrating to say the least. (If you don’t like me telling the truth — fuck off.) In late 2017 I was working 2-3 jobs between two states in New England. Completely off of social media, No Twitter, No IG, No FB. One day whilst working on a construction site – I had enough. Every day, like so many men, I was breaking my back to drown the pain with a six-pack. I was dying in so many ways – spiritually I was on the brink of collapse; this is life? So, I went into the restroom to snap some photos of myself and upload them onto a resume. I contacted nearly every single production company I could via their website and only ONE got back to me. Pily Visual – Billy Visual‘s (veteran award-winning director) lovely wife who was the talent coordinator at the time for Reality Kings, responded to my e-mail and said, (summarizing) “We like your look; if you can fly out to California, put yourself up in a hotel for three to four days, nail an audition and get signed to an agency, we’ll give you a shot.’ Pily gave me a list of agencies and everyone turned me away except for one, Society15 which was owned by Kendra Lust at the time. I took to this opportunity like I was desperate to breathe! I flew myself out to LA, met with with Pily from Reality Kings, nailed my audition, got signed by an agency and found a one-bedroom apartment, all within 36 hours.
I was astonished how I WILLED this into existence.
I flew home, put in my two-week notice, transferred my lease to a new tenant, said goodbye to all my remaining friends and family in two weeks and flew back out to LA to start my new life . . . It was time and I hit the ground sprinting!
In your Bang! Interview, you mentioned you had many, many pre-porn jobs. What was your favorite? In contrast, what was your least favorite?
I loved being a DJ at a rollerskating rink in Northern Cali (CalSkate) and also hosting bicycle tours during the day to different wine vineyards in wine country. It was gorgeous!
My most disliked job was being a bouncer at a night club or scrubbing dishes or being a work horse on construction sites. Sometimes in life you get a wake up call and its up to us to make that change or stay ‘comfortable.’
In a recent AVN press release, you recalled, “I wanted to get into the industry since I was 18, and every talent scout and agency denied me from 2008 to 2018—10 long years! But that didn’t stop me.” What kept you going?
What kept me going? My drive, my love, my will to keep fighting every day; the fact I had to get up and earn a living NOT doing what I love. So many go their whole lives living this way. Every day was a reminder that life can and will be absolute hell until you grab a hold of your life and carve out your own path to be what you want to be. It takes the ultimate sacrifices for some to obtain this work and to thrive in it. We lose ALL friends and family sometimes but nothing can deter you from your passion and goal – or they wouldn’t be true passions or goals. Every day built up inside of me like a mountain of energy – that one day something has got to give and I’m glad I didn’t give up.
What are your main memories of your very first porn shoot?
I had taken the train all the way down to San Diego from LA to shoot four to five scenes a day for $400. I worked for “Pornsla”‘ with Rachel Cavalli who was a very sweet women. I was shooting four or five scenes in a day each seven to 10 minutes long which took nine hours some days . . . and I’d get to finally nut on the last scene of the day.
Let’s just say the director was getting WAAAYYYY more for his buck than I was being paid. And I got the worst rug burn on my left knee from fucking Rachael Cavalli so hard on a hotel couch I could hardly walk the following day. My knee was RAW! After shooting for them 10-12 times I was ready to eat the industry alive!
What’s the story behind your stage name?
I honestly had NO CLUE what I wanted to call myself. My real name is Zachary so I just shortened it to “Zac” and of course I am aware of the great guitarist Zakk Wylde, but I hardly listen to his music, and I figured I’d be the porn “Zac Wild” Nothing fancy with K’s and Y’s, just Z-A-C -W -I -L -D!
Are there any veteran male stars whose career success has inspired you?
Many! We’re talking back to the 90’s and early 2000’s, too. And many of these guys I’ve been able to meet & work with which is astounding to me.
Rocco [Siffredi], Manuel [Ferrara], Johnny Sins, Lex Steele, Billy Glide (RIP) Pat Myne, Evan Stone, Jules Jordan, Tommy Gun, Charles Dera, [Mike] Adriano, Marco Banderas, John Strong, [Michael] Stefano, Mick Blue, Prince Yahshua, Keiran Lee, Ramon [Nomar], Erik Everhard, Scott Nails, Toni Ribas, Danny D, Mr. Pete, Chris Strokes, and so many more . .. These guys are legends!
You have a particular knack for oil-themed scenes. What drew you to that particular niche?
I always enjoyed the visceral energy & passion that comes with the performances of pornstars in oil scenes. The many series of oil scenes and DVDs that have come out before my time we’re always so inspiring because it was REAL! There’s no acting – we’re here to FUCK and CUM for real! It’s the shortest work day but the MOST Exhausting! It’s an all out sprint for 25+ minutes! You get to absolutely lose yourself in the moment with that person you’re working with and the whole idea is being the most nasty obnoxious slut you can be for each other. The female talents I work with in these scenes are incredibly sexy and they feel that energy from me as soon as I walk in the room – they know I came here to give them my best performance – they know IT’s ON!
What other porn niches and genres are you most passionate about?
I honestly can’t think of any other niche right now after just answering that last question abut oil scenes… There’s nothing better. I love what I love. GONZO!
According to AVN, you are a big fan of Bob Dylan. What are some of your favorite Dylan songs and lyrics? Is there a Dylan quotation that sums up your approach to your work?
I am a HUGE fan of Bob Dylan. Don’t get me going . . . I could write a book right now on Bob Dylan, but I’ll try to make this short and sweet.
I grew up listening to my parents music like Zeppelin, AeroSmith, The Doors, The Dead, The Beetles, Hendrix, Clapton, Etc. and Bob Dylan hit me like an angel whispering the very knowledge of my developing soul to myself; a knowledge so criptic yet so clear to ones own perception – the man opened my brain thru song.
Some of my favorite songs by Bob Dylan are “It’s Alright Ma” The Live 1986 version (Epic!) I’d quote that WHOLE fucking song! But . . . “He not busy being born is busy dying”
SOME of my favorite songs by Bob Dylan are . . . “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright,” “Subterranean Homesick blues,” “Gates of Eden,” “Masters of War,”
“Freight Train Blues,” “Song to Woody,” ‘Visions of Johanna,” “Chimes of Freedom,” “Tombstone Blues,” ‘Hurricane,” “Ballad Of a Thin Man,” and so many more . . .
I love the whole “Bootleg series” then onto the days Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61, Blood On The Tracks, Bring It All Back Home, Dylan & The Dead.
Bob Dylan is a LIVING LEGEND… He literally introduced the Beatles to marijuana. Sgt. Pepper‘s probably wouldn’t have been so peppery with out Bob Dylan. 😉
In Flawless Tits 7, co-starring Savannah Bond, you have two cumshots in the course of a single scene seemingly without missing a beat. [Watch this scene here.] Have you always had that kind of stamina? How do you manage such an impressive physical feat?
Thank you! Yes, I’ve done many many scenes where I cum multiple times. Ask my co-stars! Especially those who’ve shot for my own website I built – GoonMuse.com Some of my scenes I cum three, four and even five times in! No Lies – check it out! But working with Savannah Bond . . . wow could you not cum more than once with her?
That was my first or second time working with Savannah – her incredible curves and sexy demeanor made me cum so quickly; covering her beautiful face and immediately going back to fucking her and finishing out the scene with another cumshot with my first cumshot still on her face. Ugh! Take me back – She was a wonder to work with.
Yes, I’ve always taken great care of myself; performance is everything to me. Staying hydrated and keeping a healthy diet helps with being able to perform at this level. I’m the ONLY male talent to do it like this in this era and perhaps in the history of this industry, cumming multiple times in scenes is something I take pride in and I hope people remember me for it!
What’s the biggest misconception about being a male pornstar?
I get laid “all the time” even outside of work. Like . . . no. Nope, my work is my sex life . . . this industry makes us quite lonely in ways because of our work but also . . . before porn I’d go through dry spells for a year or longer without having any sex ‘cuz all I’d be doing is working to survive – I’d have no time or desire to “go out” or “hook up.” I was never a ladies’ man anything like that either.
What are the key elements to your self-care and fitness routines?
Stay hydrated, eat well, workout. Avoid sugar, preservatives, and alcohol at all costs.
Octavia Red described your performance style in this way: “He has a lot of great energy and aggression. It always starts off kind of slow and then builds, which I really enjoy that.” Would you say that accurately captures your approach to porn? How has your performance style evolved over the years?
Octavia Red is a sweet woman – I enjoy working with her and I’m grateful for her kind words. I think she described my performance style perfectly for the scenes we’ve worked together in but every day is different and so is every performer.
We always go over “Do’s & Dont’s” to make sure we don’t cross each other boundaires, And as a male talent it’s my duty to lead a scene and Octavia takes direction very well.
How do you approach a scene when you’re working with a performer who is appearing in her first porn shoot?
It ALL depends on her energy and how she wants to perform, It also depends on the scene premise as well but I usually take it slow at first and then ‘open up the engine’ once we get in the rhythm. My female talents understand that I’ll completely take control and position her so all she has to think about is cumming and enjoying herself.
Mason, one of the industry’s most famous directors, is someone you’ve worked with multiple times. How would you describe her style?
She’s driven and wants the absolute best out of her performers. She’s certainly a legend and has shot some of the hottest scenes ever – I know I’ve jerked it to her work well before I got into the industry. Directing genius. The photos and especially the tease/intros she shoots are flawless.
I definitely like working with Mason for HardX – we clicked right away the firstday I got on her set; I can talk to her about things I can’t talk to others about. A notable scene I’ll never forget that Mason shot was a scene with Ivy Wolfe and I in 2022 or ’23 [watch this scene here] … It should have won an award. Mason captured absolute electricity that night.
What do you like best in a director?
Communication, teamwork, brainstorming, and blueprinting ideas of how we both see the scene going before we even start shooting. Both of our minds are in the game and fully invested in doing our best that day and being able to be on the same level to bounce ideas back & forth; it keeps everyone excited! I like how I earn directors trust because I work with the same directors over and over (Chris Streams, Pat Myne, Mason, Jules Jordan, Sid Knox, Brazzers Brian), we get accustomed to each other; They trust me to do my job and & I trust them as well.. There’s a level of telepathy in this industry that most don’t talk about but I believe it’s there.
One of your most popular movies on Adult Empire is Angela White Unbound. Talk a little bit about collaborating with Angela on that project.
Yes! I did work with Angela White for her Brazzers series Unbound. I swear, Angela White and I are kindred porn spirits in a way. It gets better & better every time we work together. Whether it be for a studio or for our own content, when her and I work together… IT’S ON! Unbound was not our first rodeo . . . but certainly the first time I had her chained up to a wall as my little slutty fuck doll to use for nearly an hour!
Fun fact: We had to stay separated on different sides of the house we were shooting in so the anticipation of the scene would be at it’s highest tension — and as soon as we were on set it was a slow drawn out domination of one of the greatest female performers ever! She’s a woman/performer that I’ve built an incredible amount of trust with to perform at a level so wild, I’m grateful for her. But I will say that our shining beacon on the Zac Wild/ Angela White hill is the firefighter scene we did for Brazzers. Fucking ON TOP of a fire truck in a warehouse in 100 degree heat! We are something else when we’re together!
What’s next for Zac Wild?
I feel like I’m still fighting for my place in the industry – to be honest I’m still climbing that mountain to the top – I never feel settled or welcomed.
Perhaps it’s social media or the 10 years I was turned away by every talent scout & agency from 2008 – 2018 but I’m still hungry as ever to be one of the absolute best. Yes, I won MPOTY for XBIZ this year, but I’m still hungry – I’m going for AVN this year! It’s my fucking time – I’ve been patient, humble and put up with a lot of bullshit tha I’ve kept quiet on – I worked my MF ass off to get to where I am and there’s no slowing down.
I want to continue to grow my GoonMuse.com website with the hottest oil scenes ever, and with that I’m on a path to be wildly more independent.
What’s next? Maybe find the love of my life and travel the world – perhaps start a family and raise some good human beings on this planet with some dogs and chickens.
Who knows . . . But I’m certainly here to stay.