Reluctant idol heads Down Under

For such a titan (pun intended) in the world of porn, French-Arab TitanMen performer François Sagat seems surprisingly reluctant to be thought of as simply a porn star.

Speaking to Southern Star before his trip Down Under, the hard-bodied hunk stressed he has a life beyond porn.

“Porn activity remains very small in my schedule. I don’t shoot that much. It’s 15 percent of my life, and my real fans know it, and try to get an interest beyond my porn movies.

“It’s more motivating [to me] if a fan supports my porn career but also all the other things I’m doing.”

Perhaps so, but there’s no denying that the men who attend Sagat’s handful of public appearances in Australia will do so because of his impressive roles in X-rated titles like Folsom Filth and Shacked Up.

Sagat’s upcoming appearances are being billed as ‘performances’. Presumably the muscle-bound stud won’t be busting out a song or juggling, so what exactly can fans expect?

“They can expect something more erotic than ‘porny’, and certainly not something raunchy because that’s simply not my style. I don’t want to show an obscene and provocative image. They will see hard dick maybe, but it won’t mean it’s vulgar,” he insisted.

“I’m better at doing a very sensual striptease. They’ll see my personal touch for sure, because I’m really involved in my shows. I do everything — I choose the music, the background video, the outfits.”

Or lack thereof. The trip will be Sagat’s first time in Australia, and he said he had no expectations of our culture, or our men (despite admitting to one former private dalliance with an Australian).

With his distinctive grey-shaded skull tattoo, donned after thinning hair made his head look ‘too long and disproportional’, he’s arguably gay porn’s most recognisable player, so flying under the radar during his trip may prove difficult.

“I get recognised at the supermarket or at the airport, even when I’m hiding my head with a hat.

“The weirdest moment was on Halloween, when I covered my entire body, face and tattoos with black tape. I was walking in the street like a black mummy and I heard some strangers screaming, ‘FRANCOIIIIIS SAAAAAGAT!’ It’s very annoying.”

Sagat’s Australian visit is sponsored in part by the VAC and NSW’s ACON, who regularly enlist porn stars to deliver their safe-sex messages. He said he admired his fellow performers who took the time to campaign about HIV prevention.

“Matthew Rush, Steve Cruz, Francesco D’Macho… most of my ‘work partners’ did  many things to get involved in HIV prevention.

“[But] porn stars also make big mistakes, representing safe-sex studios for a while and then ruining everything by participating in bareback movies. That’s sad, because those irresponsible studios are taking advantage of them, ruining their image. I think those performers should be forgiven and not forgotten — they can still change their mind.”

Asked what he thought was the most important safe-sex message he could impart to his fans, Sagat kept it simple.

“I’ve filmed myself putting on a condom with a full hard-on. That’s the most powerful message we can send nowadays. I think showing this action without speaking too much is priceless.”
info: François Sagat is at Sircuit, Wednesday, March 3. Visit www.titanmen.com.au