Queerying Scott Tanner

The idea for this interview started at 2009’s GAYVNs. I was lucky enough to sit two rows behind a very handsome, Scott Tanner. While I’ve enjoyed his porn quite a bit in the past, it was his strikingly handsome (dare I say Bond-esque, 007 good looks) in a jacket and a tie that raised my… interest. That night was magic for him as well, he and the rest of the Raging Stallion crew won a ton of awards for “To The Last Man.” And quite frankly, this movie was technically and cinematically spectacular. It also was sexy as fuck with some damned good cum-producing scenes.

I wasn’t sure how warm Scott Tanner would be to doing an interview with me. But I found him surprisingly unassuming, easy to talk to and funny as hell. Everything was great, until my account on Facebook got deleted without any warning. That’s right, I lost every bit of the conversation we’d had. Oh, the devastation!
Trust me, there is nothing more embarrassing than writing a great porn stud, and saying, “Umm, you know that interview we started…”
Amazingly, Scott Tanner shrugged it off and said, “LOL… I’m here. Let’s try again…”

Okay, I’ve gotta ask the pressing rumor about you at the moment: What happened to your eye? Sister Roma is claiming she threw battery acid in your eye! Would you like to set the record straight?

Roma and I have been friends for a few years now and we have become staples in the San Francisco gay community. Sometimes it can be a fight for attention when we are together. Recently, we went to a comedy show that was headlined by one of our friends and another local gay celebrity, Ali Mafi. He put me in the beginning of his act and I think it really got to Roma and she was so angry that she didn’t get the attention she thought she deserved… so she took matters into her own hands.

Seriously though, I LOVE Roma, we were headed to see Ali Mafi perform. It was a very windy evening in San Francisco and some street trash blew into my face. Apparently a small piece of metal got lodged in my cornea. It was totally random and ridiculous. (I know!)… and Roma is actually innocent (sorta). It’s been a nightmare and very uncomfortable, but I will be well soon enough. I just have to sport this patch for a little while.

So, you’re telling me it was a sequin off of her habit? Typical. (Actually, I love Sister Roma so much too! She’s got a good heart. It’s a dirty one, but good. And that’s what makes her joking online so funny.)
So how long does the doc say you have to sport the pirate look?

I have to wear the eyepatch until at least Monday.

Didn’t you just finish shooting a new film the week before? (Phew! Talk about close timing… that would have been awful.)

Yeah. I just finished a film called, “Dirty” with Falcon/Mustang that starred myself, Ty LeBeouf, Blu Kennedy and a bunch of other guys… some of them pretty new. It’s going to be a really great movie. The location was beautiful and my scene with Blu was amazing! We had a lot of fun filming it and I can’t wait to see the end result.

Oooh. Blu. He’s so damned sexy too. The two of you paired up sounds like some red-hot porn goodness. I can’t wait!

Yes, we have known each other for years, but never really even brought up the idea of working together. We would run into each other here and there. We definitely had chemistry though and I never watch my scenes, but I am eager to see this one!

Hey, how long is a shoot typically on location. Is it a lot of waiting around in between your scenes or does time go fast?

There is A LOT of waiting. When you are shooting on location, whether it be inside or out, you have a lot of variables to deal with. Being that you are not in your home studio, you have to constantly reset lights, move locations at the last minute, due to sunlight or clouds or scheduling conflicts. And if one thing falls out of place in the schedule, then everyone scrambles to put it back together.

How do you occupy your time while waiting to film your scene? Do you take a book, an iPod or possibly cross-stitch patterns?

I talk a lot. And at this stage in the game, I know most of the models and the crew and everyone from the studios, so I tend to spend my time catching up with everyone. If not that, I work out.

I totally agree, it pays off to just catch up with everyone and be friendly, versus just being there for the job and watching the minutes tick by. So, with all of this experience in porn, what’s the craziest thing you’ve spent your porn money on?

Ummm, I don’t know! I don’t really spend my money on crazy things. I spend it like anyone would with their paycheck. My money goes toward life… and making it better for myself and the people I love.

Very practical and wise. We should all be that way.

Well, I can’t apologize for being practical!

So, I know I’ve asked you before, but how did you get started making porn?

I got into the business when I was a junior in college. My friend was a photographer for Catalina and they had someone (who resembled me) drop out of the production. So, he called me up and I agreed to do it. It was my first time on a plane, first time in Hollywood, and well… it was a lot of firsts actually. But it was great.

And in that other first. What was it like in front of the camera? Did you remember how you felt? I think I’d be a nervous wreck with the crew watching…

Well, of course I was nervous, but I was supported by everyone there.

So, do you feel like those initial worries of “am I doing the right thing, am I looking good on camera” have calmed down? I’d assume so, because your performance in To The Last Man was that of a seasoned actor and pro. Quite frankly, I thought your scenes were incredible.

Thanks. I really appreciate that. Seriously, thank you. I do not have those worries anymore, not at all. I’m very comfortable now and usually am doing my best to work with the crew and make my scene partner feel comfortable. That way we all get a great product and get out of there at a decent hour!

What’s the longest you’ve ever shot?

I guess if it were a sex scene, then it would be LINK: The eVolution. That was a really tough scene and it took a really long time. I don’t even remember the exact time, but it was LONG. In the end, it paid off though, because we won a Grabby for Best Three-Way for that scene. Now in To The Last Man, I had some days that were 12 to 16 hours on set, because we had our sex scenes, of course, but also hours of dialogue and acting.

Speaking of To The Last Man again, what was it like receiving GAYVNs and other honors for this film? I have to admit, I was initially skeptical of the film. But after watching it, I really think it was deserving of its praise. The acting, the film-making and the sex were all top-notch (besides being very dirty and sexy). Did you feel like you were making something special when you were making the film?

I knew when we were making the film it was something I was very proud of. We, as a team, put so much work into that film. Literally blood, sweat and tears! We were away from communication for 16 days and only got a spotty Internet connection at best. We were getting reports that people already hated it or that they thought we were making a snuff film. This was all before we shot the first sex scene! So, we were a little discouraged for a minute, and then it fired me up. It really just made me wanna make it a quality piece and prove everyone wrong. Winning the GAYVN was great. Really such a great night for me, and a Grabby on top of it was just as amazing. It has been a really good year.

A couple days later…
Hey, how’s your eye doing?

The eye patch is off and I am good to go! Thank God!

Glad to hear your eye is just fine. However, I was growing fond of the eye patch.
So, what’s next for Scott Tanner?

Oh, good question! I really don’t know. “Dirty” will be coming out in a couple months. And then we have our big Raging Stallion film of the year, which is noir based in San Francisco. We’re shooting in August and September. Then I head to Spain to team up with my boys, Damien & Francesco to get in trouble and do some filming. After that, I take my first ever gay cruise on Atlantis from Los Angeles to Mexico.



As far as the long term is concerned, who knows?! I have no clue what the future brings, and that’s exactly how I like it. I could easily devise a plan and make a long term goal, blah, blah, blah. But that’s just not me or how I live. I let the universe or some higher power decide where I will end up. I’m a very happy guy and for the most part, always have been, so why mess with things now?

I love that answer. And I think that philosophy in life generally invites more good things to unfold (and unzip) in one’s life.
Okay, so, let’s say you did have some control over your own fate. If you were to have three wishes granted in your life, what would they be at this moment?

I only need one wish and that is to be happy and/or remain to be. If I am happy, then nothing else matters. I could be rich or poor. Have a career or not. Be with someone I love, or not. None of that would matter. So, I only need one wish. I’ll give the other two away.

Oh my god. How charming are you with a beautiful answer like that?! Thank you so much for your patience and sitting down and talking to your fans at QueerClick.
From where we stand, your career is shining bright and shows no signs of fading. And with your upcoming Falcon/Mustang release, “Dirty” not to mention the exciting Raging Stallion noir film, we’re happy to see you spreading your happiness onto us. Thank you for being you, Scott! You’re an amazing gem in gay porn (on set and off).
Want more of Scott Tanner?

Keep an eye out (sorry, bad pun) for Scott Tanner at his QC Fan Page

Hey QueerClickers in Los Angeles:
If you happen to be in the Los Angeles/West Hollywood area, you can come down to Micky’s for the always fabulous, Cocktails with the Stars hosted by Scotty B. on Thursday, July 16th and find Scott from 6 to 9pm. He’ll be there along with BFF Adam Killian and a bunch of other porn stars who have been twittering that they’ll be there as well. If you go, be sure to tell him, QueerClick sent you!