The Real Ron Jeremy

on Jeremy’s rise to porn royalty was due in part to inadvertent good timing. He began performing in adult films in 1979, after his then-girlfriend sent his photo to Playgirl magazine. This was the twilight of an era when XXX movies were shown only in specialty—often seedy—theatres. But in the 1980s, the adult movie industry was among the first to grasp the distribution potential of videotape and porn promptly exploded into what Jeremy dubs the “Golden ‘80s.” While viewers might see just a guy and a beautiful girl having enthusiastic sex on screen, unseen, over their shoulders are a lighting person, a gaffer, an electrician, a best boy, even a chef (on big-budget shoots, at least), Jeremy explained. He insists that his can be, literally and figuratively, a hard job. 

Despite lacking leading-man looks, the 5-foot-6 Jeremy has also appeared in mainstream movies including Ronin, The Boondock Saints, Detroit Rock City (yes, the Kiss movie), and appropriately enough, Orgazmo, as well as on reality TV shows including The Surreal Life and Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. He’s even a character in 2003’s Celebrity Deathmatch video game. 

Only producing an adult film “once in a while” now, these days, the 61-year-old Jeremy says he spends most of his time rustling-up work, promoting his various clubs, events, websites, nightclubs, moonlighting as a stand-up comedian, promoting his Ron de Jeremy Rum and traveling. When he’s at home in Los Angeles, Jeremy enjoys a weekly quiz night at a Brit-style pub with his much younger English female roommate. He’s also a fixture at the storied Rainbow Bar and Grill on West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, where he mingles with the famous rock musicians and rappers who sometimes invite him to perform cameos in their videos. Recently, CULTURE got to sit down with Jeremy and pick his brain about his infamous career in porn, adventures and mishaps, and cannabis.

“Pot is excellent for sex. You get really relaxed. It helps women get in the mood—and guys too.”

You’ve been a world-famous actor and pop-culture figure for decades, but can you give CULTURE an update on what you’re up to right now?

My average day consists of running around, sending out resumes, paying bills and getting ready for the next gig out of town. I fly around a lot . . . I was just in England and Germany promoting the [Ron de Jeremy] rum. Then I had to go to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to do a comedy show at a nightclub.

I do stand-up comedy all the time. A record of mine came out–it’s my second time of being a recording artist. It’s Shooter Jennings . . . I crack jokes [on the track]; play the harmonica and I play the piano–I’m a very good pianist. The joke is “Ron Jeremy: Actor; penis-ed”!

You make a lot of cameo appearances in music videos. What do these do for your career?

People don’t realize that I have two world records: I hold the world record for most adult films ever made—I’m well over 2,000 at this point–and have the world’s record for most music videos a person has ever been in. I think I beat Beyoncé. I mean, I’ve got 48!

I did LMFAO, “Sexy and I Know It”–it received a quarter of a million [YouTube] hits. If I got a penny for every viewing on that one!

And then also the one with Armin van Buuren, that famous Dutch DJ, in his video: “This Is What It Feels Like.” And I have the lead in that one–[a] great acting role!

And also Moby’s video, two Kid Rocks . . . and then Guns N’ Roses, Pauly Shore, Sam Kinison, Everclear and A Day to Remember. A lot of underground cult ones, too, like Steel Panther. I can go on and on.

And you’re very involved in making music too, right?

At nighttime, I go to a lot of rock ‘n’ roll clubs. I perform a lot with friends. Shooter [Jennings] brings me on stage to play the harmonica with him. When I’m in Vegas I play the harmonica with the Sin City Sinners, with Slash sometimes.

I’ve been on stage with a lot of big people. I’ve played harmonica–“Saints Go Marching In”–with Jeff Goldblum!

You’ve been in adult movie industry since the late 1970s. In a nutshell, how has it changed?

The most famous change is when I went from film to video [in the 1980s]–that was the whopper. Because people always wanted to see porn–they just didn’t want to be seen watching porn. So that was a big deal. Because then we had young couples and doctors and lawyers and teachers all renting tapes to bring them home.

So once the market went to video, you can see it in the privacy of your own home. So then you can have big swing parties–you play a bunch of porn films. You and your wife want to try something kinky? You can watch a porn film. So it went boom!

“I have the world’s record for most adult films ever made—I’m well over 2,000 at this point–and have the world’s record for most music videos a person has ever been in. I think I beat Beyoncé. I mean, I’ve got 48!”

A lot of men would think you have the dream job–but what is the difference between the perception and the reality of being a porn star?

Not a lot, because most people are pretty smart. I mean, you wouldn’t think you just walk in to some gorgeous girl, and stick it in and climax and [then] “Hey, that was really fun–see you Thursday!” . . . Where’s my pay check?

It’s not quite like that. There are re-takes and re-takes, like “We gotta get a shot of your face; like, give us a ‘moaning’ look!”

Or, let’s see: It’s a bad day, it’s hot out or let’s say it’s an uncomfortable bed. Maybe it’s one of those heavy chick videos and you got to jerk it a lot to keep hard. Let’s say it’s a “multiple scene,” with you and two guys and a girl, and you’ve got to look at someone else’s cock and it’s “oh geez, I can’t do this!”

How does your job, or your former job, impact your romantic life? Are you able to have relationships?

It does affect relationships a little bit; you can’t deny that–when you travel so much. [Promiscuity] usually isn’t the problem as much, because a girl who would be dating me in the late ‘70s and ‘80s, already knows what I do! It’s not like I’m surprising them: They weren’t dating a librarian who took a new job!

What is your experience with cannabis in the porn industry? Are people using on sets?

You see much more marijuana than cocaine. That started years ago. We used to get busted a lot. First we’d get busted on state cases–y’know, pandering . . . the cops would walk right in on you.

So we knew the cops could come in at any moment, and they really can’t get us on obscenity [charges]; they really can’t get us on interstate transportation [of obscene material charges]–we won those cases.

I got busted in L.A. so we moved to San Diego. I got busted there too. In San Francisco, we only got busted once. Dianne Feinstein [Democrat Mayor of San Francisco, 1978-88] wasn’t really interested [in prosecuting pornographers]–she had other agendas. So we said no drugs on the set at all . . . [because] we’re not going to beat a drug charge. So if there’s drugs on the set, you’re a dead man–you’re fired from the set for life.

[But] pot was always OK, because even if the cops did see it they’d usually [say] “Ah, just put it away!”

Did anyone on your film sets ever get too high to do their job?

This one actor friend of mine . . . he did some of that GHB [off-set]. And he’s fucking this girl on camera and—I swear to god, I’m not making this up—he’s having sex; he’s going “oh baby, oh baby, oh baby,” and then he falls asleep. Doesn’t miss a stroke! So we couldn’t use that [facial] footage, but we used the pumping footage.

What is your personal relationship with cannabis?

I smoked pot when I was in college. I really haven’t smoked much since. I enjoyed it, but then I don’t really drink much either. I’m very straight. I wasn’t really big on the [marijuana] pipes, and I didn’t like hash too much–it made me almost too high. 

“I’m in favor of legal cannabis, because it’ll help the government with money. Right now, private guys are getting that money, and they’re getting rich on pot.”

Do you ever use cannabis these days?

I made a deal with my friends that I would only smoke pot if on the Delaware River. Because once a year, in the summertime, I would go canoeing down the Delaware.

I feel that that’s where [marijuana] really belongs: In Mother Nature . . . You go down the rapids–because I’m an expert canoer; I used to teach it–and we smoke.

You smoke after you’ve ridden the rapids, right?

No, I’ll do it while I’m going down–because I can handle that blindfolded.

Do you think cannabis is going to be legalized nationwide? How would you feel about it if it was?

I’m in favor of legal cannabis, because it’ll help the government with money. Right now, private guys are getting that money, and they’re getting rich on pot.

In your experience, does cannabis have any impact on sex?

I can make a list: “The Ron Jeremy list of which [drugs] are good for sex”! Pot is excellent for sex. You get really relaxed. It helps women get in the mood–and guys too. A little bit of alcohol is good; E . . . [though] I don’t endorse any of these illegal products; [and] GHB, which I would never endorse!

And, of course, Quaaludes—back when I was a kid, they worked really well. That was the drug of choice . . . Kids would take it together and get high and mess around.

You’re highly qualified as a school teacher. Do you have any regrets about not pursuing that career?

If I was a school teacher, I wouldn’t have anywhere near the money I have in the bank. I probably would have gone for a PhD; a doctorate . . . maybe I would have gone into administration.

But [a pornography career] has its drawbacks: I might have had a nice family; picket fence; two-car garage, y’know?

Do you ever wake up at night in a cold sweat thinking about that?

I don’t wake up in a cold sweat, but I’ll think about it sometimes, when I hear nice songs on the radio . . . You think about the kids; the house in the country–you miss it a little bit.

What are you proudest of?

That, I can answer very easily, ‘cos everything I’ve done is successful. I’ve got no skeletons in the closet; no turkeys.

Is there anything you’re ashamed of or disappointed with?

People would say giving myself head in movies, but that was just goofy. I did, like, six films where I actually kissed [my penis], and that might have been a bit embarrassing.