Great Scot: Ryan Ryder Celebrates Foreign POTY Title

Ryan Ryder says he was “over the moon” after winning Male Foreign Performer of the Year at the 2018 AVN Awards Show—a category that, last year's win by Danny D. notwithstanding, has been dominated by men from the European continent, not the British Isles. “I’ve been nominated I think for the last five years for best foreign male, so to win it this year is very special for me.” (Ryder also is a multiple nominee for his acting work, this year's nod for he work opposite Angela White in Kelly Madison’s Altar of Aphrodite.) Born in Scotland 34 years ago, Ryder entered porn in England in 2011. As he wrote in an email from home, “I have been a singer and actor all my life and I just saw it as another way of performing. I knew it was a step away from mainstream and it seemed a risky decision at the time, but seven years on I have established myself and work regularly (thank goodness lol).” His first movie “was for a UK company called Killergram. I remember being really quite nervous, but I did the scene. I think the first scene is important for any guy—a lot of the time it can make or break.” For him it was definitely “make” and he has since worked extensively in three countries: his own, France and Porn Valley USA. For Marc Dorcel in France he got intimate with such Europorn queens as Stella Cox, Claire Castel and Anissa Kate. And he’s been almost a fixture—more than 20 scenes—with Barcelona-based Private. Most of his work has been in the UK, “as that’s where I’m from. But I have loved my three USA trips and the talent out there is top, and the way the industry conducts itself there is fantastic.” On those trips he got to work with directors like Jonni Darkko, Jacky St. James, Will Ryder, B. Skow, Greg Lansky, and perhaps most notably Axel Braun. His performance in the title role of Wicked’s Peter Pan XXX: An Axel Braun Parody earned him a 2017 AVN acting nomination, and Ryder got to join the cast on stage at the awards ceremony when it won for Movie of the Year. He has been honored by other U.S. awards groups and, he adds, “I have also won best UK male performer twice for the Paul Raymond Awards, which is the main UK awards over here.” As he looks back at his life in adult movies he says, “As the years have gone on, being part of amazing features ’round the UK, Europe and USA has been a privilege.” Acting plus sex or just all sex—his choice? “I love both but if I was to choose I would say features. It takes more time on set but it makes the most of my skill set from my previous career. “As a singer and professional actor I am especially passionate about the acting aspect of porn. I love being cast for features, and also here in the UK I am producing/ directing/ performing for FakeDrivingSchool.com, which I love as they give me creative license to come up with the plot lines and comedy improv.” As for the future, he says, “I’m excited to be getting involved with producing and directing but also want to keep performing and pushing myself to be better. Experience is good but I want to keep learning and improving every year. “And yes, I love coming to L.A. and hope to be there again as soon as possible.” Above, a still from The Altar of Aphrodite (Kelly Madison/Juicy)