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Erik Rhodes (pornographic actor)

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Not to be confused with Erik Rhodes (actor, born 1906).

Erik Rhodes
Rhodes at the GayVN Awards in 2006
Born
James Elliott Naughtin

(1982-02-08)February 8, 1982
Massapequa, New York, U.S.
DiedJune 14, 2012(2012-06-14) (aged 30)
New York City, U.S.
Height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
WebsiteOfficial blog

James Elliott Naughtin (February 8, 1982 – June 14, 2012), known professionally as Erik Rhodes, was an American gay pornographic film actor and director. After making his adult film debut as a performer in 2004, Rhodes became an exclusive model with Falcon Studios, and began directing adult films for Raging Stallion Studios when the studio was acquired by Falcon in 2011. Beyond his work in pornography, Rhodes was active in New York City nightlife and celebrity circles, and was once linked to fashion designer Marc Jacobs. In 2012, Rhodes died from cardiac arrest at the age of 30.

Biography

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Early life and career

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Rhodes was born James Elliott Naughtin[1] in Massapequa, New York.[2] He has an identical twin brother, Jon Naughtin.[2] Rhodes worked at a CVS and a sex shop before working as a stripper, go-go dancer, and a male escort,[3] where he was discovered by a recruiter for the gay pornography studio Falcon Entertainment.[2] He broke into the adult film industry at the age of 22,[2] in the 2004 film Flesh produced by Studio 2000.[4] The role would be Rhodes' sole non-Falcon gay pornographic feature film; he would sign an exclusive contract with Falcon in 2004,[5] and made his debut with the studio that same year with the film Super Soaked.[6]

Over the course of his career, Rhodes appeared in over 40 scenes with Falcon, and directed eight films for the Falcon subsidiary Mustang Studios.[6] He began appearing in films produced by Raging Stallion Studios when the studio merged with Falcon in 2011.[6] His notable credits include Grabby Award-nominated performances in Heaven to Hell (2005)[7] and The Velvet Mafia (2006),[8] and the 2007 film The Ivy League, for which he won two Grabby Awards.[9] Rhodes was noted by outlets as one of the final gay porn stars to achieve widespread recognition and fame "in an industry increasingly faltering amidst the explosion of piracy and amateur cam sites."[2][5]

Beyond his work in pornography, Rhodes was active as a socialite in gay New York nightlife, with The New York Times describing him as "an unlikely celebrity in some New York social circles."[2] He attended New York Fashion Week,[10] and was written about frequently by Page Six and Gawker.[2] Rhodes was often linked to the fashion designer Marc Jacobs,[2] though Rhodes denied that their relationship was romantic or sexual in nature.[11] He also appeared in an advertising campaign for the department store Loehmann's,[2] in the 2007 mainstream comedy-drama film Dedication,[12] and in L.A. Zombie, a 2010 experimental film by director Bruce LaBruce.[13] Rhodes recorded his own music, and published it on his MySpace profile.[14]

Later career and death

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Rhodes at the Male Escort Awards in 2006

Rhodes continued to work as an escort while simultaneously shooting films with Falcon, and expressed skepticism about the gay adult entertainment industry in the final years of his life.[5] Rhodes was open about his struggles with drug use and depression, and maintained a blog where he wrote frequently about his use of anabolic steroids and club drugs.[15][16]

On June 14, 2012, Rhodes died in his sleep from cardiac arrest at the age of 30.[17] Though an official cause of death was never released, outlets noted that Rhodes stated on his blog in the days preceding his death that he was cycling multiple steroids, including human growth hormone.[18][19] In one of his final blog entries, Rhodes wrote regarding his steroid use that he was "waiting until i pop. Or my liver to fail... which every [sic] comes first."[20] Rhodes' death was noted as one of several prominent deaths and deaths by suicide that occurred in the gay pornography industry in 2012 and 2013, alongside Arpad Miklos, Roman Ragazzi, and Wilfried Knight.[21] A private funeral for Rhodes was held in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York; his remains were cremated, per his family's request.[22]

In an obituary written for The New York Times, Rhodes was posthumously outed as HIV positive, with writer Jacob Bernstein revealing that Rhodes had previously been diagnosed while preparing to shoot a scene for the gay pornography website Randy Blue.[2] Since Rhodes did not publicly reveal his HIV status during his lifetime, the Times' disclosure was the subject of controversy.[23]

Filmography

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As actor

[edit]
Title Year Studio Notes Ref(s)
Flesh 2004 Studio 2000 [4]
Super Soaked 2005 Falcon Entertainment [24]
Heaven to Hell 2005 Falcon Entertainment [25]
Flex 2005 Falcon Entertainment [26]
Cross-Country, Part 1 2005 Falcon Entertainment [27]
Cross-Country, Part 2 2005 Falcon Entertainment [28]
Driver 2005 Falcon Entertainment [29]
Beefcake 2006 Falcon Entertainment [30]
From Top to Bottom 2006 Falcon Entertainment [31]
The Velvet Mafia, Part 1 2006 Falcon Entertainment [32]
The Farmer's Son 2007 Falcon Entertainment [33]
Basic Plumbing 3 2007 Falcon Entertainment [34]
Rush and Release 2007 Falcon Entertainment [35]
Ivy League 2007 Falcon Entertainment [36]
Dare 2007 Falcon Entertainment [37]
Overtime 2007 Falcon Entertainment [38]
Dedication 2007 Plum Pictures Feature film [12]
Fleet Week 2008 Falcon Entertainment [39]
Pledgemaster: The Hazing 2008 Falcon Entertainment [40]
Afterparty 2008 Falcon Entertainment [41]
Best Men, Part 1: The Bachelor Party 2008 Falcon Entertainment [42]
Best Men, Part 2: The Wedding Party 2008 Falcon Entertainment [43]
Asylum 2009 Falcon Entertainment [44]
Ringside 2009 Falcon Entertainment [45]
L.A. Zombie 2010 Dark Alley Media Feature film [13]
What Goes Around 2011 Falcon Entertainment [46]
He's Got A Big Package 2011 Raging Stallion Studios [47]
Roughin' It 2 2011 Falcon Entertainment [48]
It Gets Bigger 2012 Raging Stallion Studios [49]
High Voltage 2012 Raging Stallion Studios [50]
Body Shop 2012 Falcon Entertainment Posthumous release [51]

As director

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Title Year Studio Notes Ref(s)
Rhodes' Rules 2010 Mustang Studios [52]
Depths of Desire, Part 1 2010 Mustang Studios Co-directed with Steven Scarborough [53]
Crotch Rocket 2010 Mustang Studios [54]
Depths of Desire, Part 2 2010 Mustang Studios Co-directed with Steven Scarborough [55]
Fit for Service 2010 Mustang Studios [56]
Man Up 2011 Mustang Studios [57]
Worked Up 2011 Mustang Studios [58]
Rhodes' Rules, Part 2 2012 Mustang Studios [59]

Awards

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Year Nominated work Category Award Result Notes Ref.
2006 Heaven to Hell Best Group Sex Scene Grabby Awards Nominated [7]
2006 — Best Newcomer Grabby Awards Nominated [7]
2007 — Best Performer Grabby Awards Nominated [8]
2007 — Best Versatile Performer Grabby Awards Nominated [8]
2007 The Velvet Mafia Best Actor Grabby Awards Nominated [8]
2008 Ivy League Best Actor Grabby Awards Won Tied with Jason Ridge. [9]
2008 — Best Versatile Performer Grabby Awards Won [9]
2008 Ivy League Best Group Sex Scene Grabby Awards Nominated [9]
2008 Ivy League Best Rimming Scene Grabby Awards Nominated [9]
2008 — Performer of the Year GayVN Awards Nominated [60]
2008 Ivy League Best Actor GayVN Awards Nominated [60]
2009 — GLBT Performer of the Year XBIZ Awards Nominated [61][62]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Dunkin, Alex (June 15, 2012). "Falcon star Erik Rhodes dies". Gay News Network. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Bernstein, Jacob (June 20, 2012). "An Early Death but Perhaps Not a Surprise". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  3. ^ Fleetwood, Mac Davis (March 2005). "Wet Dream". Unzipped Magazine. Archived from the original on February 9, 2005. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Boardman, Mickey (May 14, 2007). "Super Soaker". Paper Magazine. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c Barmann, Jay (June 14, 2012). "Porn Community Mourns of the Loss of Erik Rhodes, Dead at Age 30". SFist. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "Celebrating Erik Rhodes 1982-2012". Falcon Entertainment. June 14, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c "2006 Grabby Award Nominees & Winners". Grabby Awards. Archived from the original on March 5, 2007.
  8. ^ a b c d "2007 Grabby Award Nominations". Grabby Awards. Archived from the original on May 13, 2007. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d e "2008 Grabby Award Nominees & Winners". Grabby Awards. Archived from the original on July 1, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  10. ^ "Fashion Week Hunk Erik Rhodes". Paper Magazine. September 12, 2007. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  11. ^ Tate, Ryan (February 5, 2008). "Marc Jacobs' Porn Star Friend Cannot Get You A Discount". Gawker. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  12. ^ a b "Porn Stars: Erik Rhodes". Frisky Fans. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Weissberg, Jay (August 6, 2010). "Film Review: 'L.A. Zombie'". Variety. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  14. ^ "Forgive Me by Erik Rhodes Music". MySpace. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  15. ^ Juzwiak, Rich (June 15, 2012). "Gay Porn's Erik Rhodes Is Dead After Slowly Dying in Public for Years". Gawker. Archived from the original on October 16, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  16. ^ Mercer, John (2017). Gay Pornography: Representations of Sexuality and Masculinity. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 179. ISBN 978-1780765181.
  17. ^ Panisch, Alex (June 18, 2012). "Beloved Gay Porn Star Erik Rhodes Found Dead". Out Magazine. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  18. ^ Belonsky, Andrew (June 14, 2012). "Gay Adult Film Star Erik Rhodes Dead At 30". Towleroad. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  19. ^ Todd, Matthew (2016). Straight Jacket. Random Houise. p. 24. ISBN 978-0593069776.
  20. ^ Avery, DAN (June 14, 2012). "Porn Star Erik Rhodes Dead At 30". Queerty. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  21. ^ Bernini, Lorenzo (2016). Queer Apocalypses: Elements of Antisocial Theory. Bernini. p. 127.
  22. ^ "James Naughtin". Moloney Family Funeral Homes. June 20, 2012. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  23. ^ Gutierrez Jr., Oriol R. (June 22, 2012). "Posthumous HIV Disclosure Stirs Debate". POZ Magazine. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  24. ^ "Super Soaked". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  25. ^ "Heaven to Hell". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  26. ^ "Flex". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  27. ^ "Cross Country, Part 1". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  28. ^ "Cross Country, Part 2". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  29. ^ "Driver". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  30. ^ "Beefcake". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  31. ^ "From Top To Bottom". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  32. ^ "The Velvet Mafia, Part 1". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  33. ^ "The Farmer's Son". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  34. ^ "Basic Plumbing 3". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  35. ^ "Rush and Release". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  36. ^ "The Ivy League". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  37. ^ "Dare". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  38. ^ "Overtime". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  39. ^ "Fleet Week". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  40. ^ "Pledgemaster: The Hazing". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  41. ^ "Afterparty". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  42. ^ "Best Men, Part 1 - The Bachelor Party". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  43. ^ "Best Men, Part 2: The Wedding Party". Falcon Entertainmenyt. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  44. ^ "Asylum". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  45. ^ "Ringside". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  46. ^ "What Goes Around". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  47. ^ "He's Got A Big Package". Ragion Stallion Studios. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  48. ^ "Roughin' It 2". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  49. ^ "It Gets Bigger". Raging Stallion Entertainment. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  50. ^ "High Voltage". Raging Stallion Entertainment. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  51. ^ "Body Shop". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  52. ^ "Rhodes' Rules". Falcon Studios. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  53. ^ "Depths of Desire, Part 1". Falcon Studios. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  54. ^ "Crotch Rocket". Falcon Studios. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  55. ^ "Depths of Desire, Part 2". Falcon Studios. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  56. ^ "Fit for Service". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  57. ^ "Man Up". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  58. ^ "Worked Up". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  59. ^ "Rhodes' Rules". Falcon Entertainment. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  60. ^ a b Featherstone, Benji. "The Winners of the 2008 GAYVN Awards". GAYVN Awards. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  61. ^ Hunter, Tod (December 3, 2008). "XBIZ Awards 2009 Official Nominees Announced". XBIZ. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  62. ^ "XBIZ Awards 2009 Winners". XBIZ Awards. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
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