Gay 80s Hardcore Poster Series: Poster #14 - The Original Tommy Wilde +Interview

                                                           Tommy Wilde Interview

Tommy

Hi.

I was/am the model in issues 13, and the one with Ron Young. There were 2 Tommy Wilde’s. One went on to do multiple videos with Falcon, while the other one, me only did what today amounts to selfies.

Anyways, just thought I’d let you know that both Ron and I are still alive and well..

Dylan

Awesome! Thanks for getting in touch and I hope you enjoy the appreciation page. Did the other Tommy Wilde have long hair? Either way- you were the Tommy Wilde for me!

Tommy

The other Tommy Wilde had extremely long rocker type hair.

Thanks for putting the page up, it’s nice to be reminded from time to time..!!

Dylan

Did you do any movies?

Tommy

I did one solo jack off movie put out through Jim Laffey’s Funtime company. I’ve never seen it, but I’m told it was pretty hideous. Jim had asked my photographer John M, Cox what my type was, and so in this background there was this fluffer trying to get me excited. The guy was too loud, too aggressive for me

Dylan

It seems like your STARS covers would have led to more movie offers. Did you leave the industry shortly thereafter? Sorry to pry... but I find this stuff to be fascinating.

Tommy

I wasn’t ever interested in doing movies. I was a bit too shy for that. I did have a meeting with William Higgins in Hawaii, but that couldn’t have gone anywhere.

I don’t think of it as prying. It’s nice to look back at that time of my life. A lot of people in my situation didn’t make it, and I’m happy to answer any questions about that time..

Dylan

How did you end up within the STARS orbit? Was modeling something you wanted to pursue- or did you just blindly fall into it?

Tommy

I was in a place called the Chesapeake House in Washington DC. I was approached by a scout of Glenn Turner, who ran Stars Magazine.

I had zero intentions of ever doing anything more than just taking my clothes off.

The idea of Tommy Wilde was born somewhere on the New Jersey turnpike coming back to Washington DC from Gay Pride in New York City. 

Chesapeake House was a male strip joint..At 18 years old, I was too shy to dance there

Dylan

So Glenn Turner would recruit from local gay hotspots? And- how was he as a person?

Tommy

Yes he did..

Glenn and my relationship was complicated, as was Glenn. Sharp, acidic tongue, could cut you to the quick in a second. He went trauma as a kid, and he always thought two steps ahead of anyone.

Dylan

Was STARS the only national gay mag coming out of D.C. at the time?

Tommy

I believe so, NYC being the only other place on the East Coast. At least from what I knew.

Dylan

Turner always knew that you just wanted to do photos?

Tommy

I don’t think I ever thought about doing pictures before, it was just one of those things that kind of happened. No regrets looking back after 40+ years, but by the same token, I wouldn’t do it again.

Dylan

I often wonder about those who modeled in porn in the 70s and 80's never imagining anything like the internet coming along and re-publishing their images from so long ago. I'm sure most assumed the years would go by and very few people would have access to the pics buried in old magazines. Then voila- everything old is new again. Was there a moment, a few years into internet dominance, that you realized people were rediscovering photo shoots from the early 80s? Or has it had very little effect on your life?

Tommy

In the beginning, it was kind of a thrill to be noticed wherever I went. That lost its magic pretty quickly.

When I had an interview with one of the magazines, about 15 years after the last magazine came out, they completely misquoted everything I said. Quoted me as praising William Higgins, whom I had only met once.

As I said when we first started talking, I’m in a very unique position in that I’m still alive. Many didn’t make it.

Looking at me now, not too many people would even know who or what I was.

I tried to stay friends with John Michael Cox, and had done so until quite recently. He sold every image of me. I don’t even have one copy of one magazine I was ever in.

The idea of models now having complete control over everything they do is pretty exciting. No such thing as OF when I started out.

Dylan

When you say you wouldn't do it again- is that because of the nature of the work (morality, etc.), because so many got sick and died as a result of the work, or lack of control over your images? Or, all of the above. Or- none of the above.

Tommy

Good question..

It’s taking me awhile to answer the last question, because I guess I really had to think about things.

I’m afraid that I ended up being more private than I thought I was.

To be totally honest though, the lack of control over my images still haunts me. Just a couple of months ago, the only photographer I ever worked with, wrote me that he had just sold his entire collection, including all my stuff.

I am/was in a position to buy all of my stuff. It would have been nice to see things come full circle. But as I already knew, there are no such things as friendships between models and the people who made their living off of us.

I had to end a 42 year old relationship over this last betrayal

Honestly, I still hurt over the ones who left us. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about them..

Dylan

Just to wrap it up I'd like to ask about what the whole scene was like back then. Was it a fun time? Did the models pretty much get along? Was it a never-ending orgy amongst the models, or was it more like a job where people went home to their individual lives after the shoots were done?

Tommy

Overall, I had a great time. I didn’t have to worry about having sex on camera, as all of my stuff was just in photos.

I only met a handful of models in the business. The ones I met had day jobs on top of what they did in porn. I don’t think I ever let any of them know that I knew who they were, and visa versa.

My time in the business amounted to only a blip in time. If I had wanted to do more hardcore stuff, the avenues were there. I was happy to do my little bit and get out.