| Michael Lucas | |
|---|---|
| Birthdate: | March 10, 1972 |
| Birth location: | Moscow, Russia |
| Birth name: | Andrei Treivas Bregman |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (185 cm) |
| Weight: | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Orientation: | Gay |
| Ethnicity: | Jewish-American (formerly of Russia) |
| Stage Name(s): | Ramzes Kairoff Michel Lucas Michael Lucas |
| Official Website | |
| Michael Lucas at IMDb | |
| Michael Lucas at AFDB | |
Michael Lucas is a gay Jewish pornographic actor[1] and the founder and owner of Lucas Entertainment. He was born Andrei Treivas Bregman [2] in Moscow, Russia, on March 10 1972. In 1995, Lucas moved to Germany[3] and lived in France for two years before moving to the United States.[4] On November 12, 2004, Lucas was sworn in as an American citizen.[3]
Biography and career
Lucas attended college in Moscow, graduating with a degree in law.[3] He was the owner of a travel agency in Moscow for a short time after graduating university.[5] Lucas worked as a nude model and male prostitute, and began his adult film career by appearing in a German heterosexual pornographic film.[4] While in France, he worked under the influential French director Jean-Daniel Cadinot,[6] appearing as "Ramzes Kairoff" in two gay pornographic films, both released in 1996.[7] Using the name "Michel Lucas," he worked as a Falcon Exclusive, performing as a top in five films released in 1997 and 1998.[8] He directed his first project, Back in the Saddle, in 1998, and also performed in the film.[9]
In 1998 Lucas founded his own production company, Lucas Entertainment, with money he earned from working in prostitution.[4] He based the company in New York City (rather than Los Angeles, where many of the other pornography studios are located) to enable him to take advantage of the lack of competition there.[10] In 2004, Lucas Distribution, Inc., his adult video distribution company, began operations. Lucas directs, produces and stars in his own films under the Lucas Entertainment banner. His studio has garnered many GayVN Awards[11] and Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards ("Grabbys") nominations and wins[citation needed].
In the summer of 2005 Lucas released Michael Lucas' Dangerous Liaisons; the film featured celebrity cameos from RuPaul, Boy George, Graham Norton, Bruce Vilanch, Lady Bunny, Amanda Lepore, and Michael Musto.[12] In 2006, the studio released Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita Parts 1 & 2, a gay pornographic remake of the 1960 Fellini classic La Dolce Vita.[13] The film won a record fourteen awards at the 2007 GayVN Awards, winning in every category in which it was nominated.[14]
In 2004 Lucas appeared in Timothy Greenfield-Sanders' book XXX: 30 Porn Star Photographs[15] and the accompanying HBO documentary Thinking XXX.[16] Greenfield-Sanders asked Lucas for a list of his 10 favorite films; the 10 films he listed are all films from his own production company.
Lectures, columns, and controversies
A vocal opponent of drug use and advocate for safe sex, both in the porn industry and the gay community at large, Lucas has taken out full-page public service announcements in several national publications[citation needed]. He was interviewed about his anti-drug, safe sex campaign by Harvey Fierstein for the August 17, 2004, issue of The Advocate.[17] He was invited to speak at a Master's Tea at Yale University's Calhoun College in April 2005, organized with the assistance of gaYalies,[18] He spoke to a group of about 50 students about his life history and his views on the porn industry in general.[4] In February 2006 he participated in a symposium on "Sex for Sale" sponsored by the Yale Journal of Law and Feminism. His remarks, "On Gay Porn," were published in the Journal.[19]
On April 20, 2007, The New York Blade began to publish regular opinion columns by Lucas, who had previously had a number of comments published in the Blade's opinion section.[20]
An article published at www.somethingjewish.co.uk reporting on Lucas's August 2006 planned trip to Israel, "Entertaining gay Israeli troops,"[1] was also published at www.ynetnews.com, where it received negative comments in the article's "Talkbacks" section.[21] His plans to visit Israel and the publicity surrounding it were also attacked, but in a follow-up article, "Lucas responds," Lucas said that the trip would not be cancelled; he went on to characterize some of the responses to the announcement of his trip to Israel as "homophobic."[22][23] In his July 6 2007 opinion column in the New York Blade titled, "Trouble With Ultra-Orthodox," Lucas referred to the Hasidim in Jerusalem as "religious goons," parasites, vermin, and "anal warts on the body of Israeli society.[24]
His Blade columns on Islam have also invited a negative response.[25] In an August 3 2007 Blade column[26] Lucas expressed support for artist Charles Merrill's burning of a Koran,[27] and condemned Islam for its attitude towards homosexuals. Lucas wrote, "Between the Koran and the Hadith there is no question but that Mohammed, fatuously and ridiculously claiming to be speaking the thoughts and words of a Supreme Nincompoop called 'Allah,' believed that two men caught having sex with each other should be put to death."[26]
Lucas was sued in 2006 by porn star Owen Hawk and Matthias von Fistenburg, of Dark Alley Media, for $750,000 for slander, libel, interference with trade, and other legal complaints. The suit was settled out of court with both parties agreeing not to discuss the settlement.[2]
In February 2007, International Media Films, Inc., which owns the rights to Fellini's La Dolce Vita, filed suit against Lucas (as Andrei Treivas Bregman), Lucas Entertainment, Inc., and Lucas Distribution, Inc. for trademark and copyright infringement.[28] The lawsuit seeks to collect unspecified damages and to stop sales of Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita Parts 1 & 2.[29][30] At the preliminary injunction hearing in April, 2007, the attorney for the plaintiff said: "What we have here...is a serious art film, a work of art being debased by what appears to be a hard-core pornographic film. It is as simple as that...It has damaged La Dolce Vita now, it will damage it more as time goes on..."[31] The Manhattan federal judge hearing the case noted that serious issues were raised regarding trademark infringement or tarnishment, but rejected the request to enjoin the sales of Lucas' film, primarily on the grounds of "inexcusable delay" on the plaintiff's part.[32]
In May 2007, Kensington Books published a biography of Lucas titled Naked: The Life and Times of Michael Lucas[33]. Lucas asserts the book was published without his involvement or approval.[34]
Awards
- 2000 Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards ("Grabbys") Best Newcomer—Director
- 2001 GayVN Awards Best Solo Performance, Fire Island Cruising
- 2007 GayVN Awards Best Actor, Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita
- 2007 GayVN Awards Best Threesome, Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita
- 2007 GayVN Awards Best Director, Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita (Tony DiMarco, co-director)
Credits
A complete list of film performance and model credits can be found at Lucas Entertainment.com.[2] Films directed, written or produced by Lucas can be found at Lucas Entertainment.com.[3]
References
- ^ a b Bunder, Leslie (August 18, 2006), "Entertaining gay Israeli troops", retrieved from www.somethingjewish.co.uk on September 3, 2006.
- ^ a b Van Meter, William (October 30, 2006). The Lion of Chelsea. New York Movies. New York Magazine Holdings LLC. Retrieved on 2007-01-09.
- ^ a b c Model profile at www.lucasentertainment.com, retrieved from www.lucasentertainment.com on September 5, 2006
- ^ a b c d Oswoski, Kevin (April 22, 2005), "Adult film producer fleshes out his 'fantasy' at tea", Yale Daily News, retrieved from www.yaledailynews.com on August 31, 2006.
- ^ Michael Lucas: The Gay Porn Blog Interview. gaypornblog (June 19, 2005). Retrieved on 2007-01-10.
- ^ Dunn, Rick (April 27, 2005), "Down and Dirty With Michael Lucas", retrieved from www.edgeboston.com on January 16 2007
- ^ smutjunkies Gay Erotic Archives
- ^ List of videos at the Falcon Studio online store with Michel Lucas in the cast. Adult images. Retrieved from www.falconstudios.com on September 3, 2006
- ^ Lawrence, Doug, Editor (1998). Adam Gay Video 1999 Directory. Los Angeles, California: Knight Publishing Corp..
- ^ Mao, Tien (June 21,2006),Michael Lucas, CEO Lucas Entertainment, retrieved December 18 2006 from www.gothamist.com
- ^ "Michael Lucas’ ’La Dolce Vita’ Sets GAYVN Record"
- ^ [1] Plot summary, IMDb
- ^ List of credits at the tlavideo online video store, retrieved from www.tlavideo.com January 9, 2007
- ^ "Michael Lucas’ ’La Dolce Vita’ Sets GAYVN Record"
- ^ Greenfield-Sanders, Timothy, Photographer (2005). XXX 30 Porn-Star Portraits. New York, New York: Bulfinch Press. ISBN 0821277545.
- ^ Greenfield-Sanders, Timothy, Director. Thinking XXX [TV Documentary]. HBO.
- ^ Kennedy, Sean (August 17, 2004). "Porn star wants you...safe". Advocate.com © Planet Out Inc. 920 (37-39): 37-39. ISSN:0001-8996.
- ^ GAYalies—"a discussion and social group for gay, bisexual and questioning men."
- ^ Lucas, Michael (Spring 2006). "On Gay Porn". Yale Journal of Law and Feminism 18 (p. 299).
- ^ Michael Lucas (20 April 2007). "When gays don't attack". New York Blade.
- ^ Bunder, Leslie (August 19, 2006), "Entertaining gay Israeli troops": "Talkbacks", retrieved from www.ynetnews.com on September 5, 2006.
- ^ Bunder, Leslie (August 24, 2006), "Lucas responds", retrieved from www.somethingjewish.co.uk on September 3, 2006.
- ^ Lucas, Michael (August 23, 2006), "Dear friends and fellow Jews", retrieved from www.lucasblog.com on September 5, 2006
- ^ Michael Lucas (6 June 2007). "Trouble With Ultra-Orthodox". New York Blade.
- ^ Faisal Alam (1 June 2007). "Fanning Flames of Fear, Hatred Against Muslims". New York Blade.
- ^ a b Michael Lucas (3 August 2007). "Burn the Koran? It’s Gay Artwork". New York Blade.
- ^ Michael Lucas (3 August 2007). "Religion, Sexuality, and Art". World Congress of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Jews.
- ^ (February 15 2007) "Copy of Complaint". online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents.
- ^ (February 15 2007) "NYC film company claims gay porn infringes on film classic 'La Dolce Vita'". International Herald Tribune.
- ^ (February 15 2007) "International Media Films, Inc. v. Lucas Entertainment, Inc. et al". dockets.justia.com/docket/court-nysdce.
- ^ (May 4 2007) "Judge Refuses to Enjoin “Michael Lucas’s La Dolce Vita”". blogs.wsj.com.
- ^ (April 27, 2007) "Transcript of judge's ruling". online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents.
- ^ Corey Taylor (2007). Naked: The Life and Pornography of Michael Lucas. Kensington Books. ISBN 978-0-7582-1750-9.
- ^ Lucas, Michael (May, 2007), "About That Book" retrieved from www.lucasblog.com on May, 2007
See also
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