Chi Chi LaRue: A Candid Interview on Life, Porn, and Drag | Prowler

Chi Chi LaRue (aka Larry) is probably the most famous name in gay porn: drag queen, director, DJ, businesswoman... she gives it to us straight!

There is only one Chi Chi LaRue, the world’s most famous gay porn director. Chi Chi (aka Larry) is loud, brash, sexy, sassy and lovely! A drag superstar, business person, DJ and director, Chi Chi started in the porn business over 30 years ago with Catalina Video, and later became the lead director for the world famous Falcon Studios. She then founded and ran her own studio.

Prowler Magazine is honoured to interview the most famous gay porn director in the world! How the hell are you and what projects are you working on right now?

Hello my sweeties. I am doing good and working hard. 59 years old and the bitch is still getting in drag and still telling people where to stick their dicks. I just got done shooting a couple of movies for Falcon Studios and of course I’m working hard on my baby, NOIR Male. I also recently just took over shooting the ICON movie features. So the bitch is busy LOL.

I guess it’s the question everyone asks, but how did you get into gay porn? Did you start in front of or behind the camera?

You are not going to make me answer this question again after 33 years LOL! Well, after I moved to Los Angeles from Minnesota I got a job at Catalina Video as a salesman, and I wasn’t gonna stand for that. I wanted to be in the middle of the action. So after doing that for a year, I was lucky and blessed enough to be able to direct my first feature and the rest is history!

You must have known and worked with all the great names in the adult industry. Would you be terribly indiscreet and dish some dirt? Or are you far too well brought up a lady?

There is enough dirt to fill in any sandlot. But I don’t like talking about people in a negative way. I believe that if you don’t have something nice to say go sit by Bianca Del Rio.

Whose directorial work have you most admired and why?

So, so many. I really love the classics like William Higgins, Joe Gage, and John Rutherford. Of the modern-day directors, I would probably have to say that my favourite right now is Tony DiMarco.

When I first visited LA, it felt like the porn industry worked a bit like the old Hollywood studio system. Stars worked exclusively in contracts with studios, studios had a definite style, directors were giants, and stars were really stars.

Do you remember it like that or is it my rose-tinted specs?

I absolutely remember that because that’s when I came in and started my career 33 years ago. Nowadays, anyone with a camera or an iPhone can make a movie. Also, there are so many men getting into the business, when before we really had to search them out.

Times have changed, we’ve gone from VHS to DVD to online. What do you most miss about the old business models, e.g. big budgets, big releases, and big stars?

There still are some big stars, of course, I’m not going to mention any names LOL. I work for studios that still put a lot of effort and money into their productions. I’ve been very lucky.

What’s more important in gay porn, endowment or attitude?

If you’re asking me, I would absolutely say attitude! If you ask most other people I would probably think they would say BIG GIANT COCK!

We see porn from all around the world now, do you think the variety of porn is better than say 20 years ago, or is all online porn getting to be very similar?

Every once in a while someone will surprise me with something new, different and lovely. I would have to say that everything is pretty standard. There are so many beautiful men doing porn that it is kind of fun to see what’s next.

You do lots of other things besides directing gay porn. I believe you run a store in West Hollywood, you DJ and run businesses? What are your favourite occupations?

My second love to porn is definitely music and playing music for people to dance to. I don’t play circuit music or heavy druggie music. I play happy gay music with words, and I love watching people react to the songs I pick.

I believe you also make straight and bi porn. Is it easier working with gay performers, or are straight men and women just the same as gay performers?

I haven’t made a straight or bi porn in many years. Back in the day, I loved working with everyone equally.

In the past, you have taken a very clear and strong line against condomless porn. Now that PrEP is more commonplace and anti-HIV drugs so effective do you still hold a strong line? Would you ever get involved in condomless gay porn?

Well, that is a very interesting question because I just made my first bareback porn for Falcon Studios. The movie is called “The Pledge” and I co-directed with Tony DiMarco. It stars Devin Franco and one of my new discoveries, Colton Reece.

Is it the same in straight porn where I must admit, I’ve hardly ever seen a condom used?

Only a very small amount of scenes are shot with condoms in straight porn. I think the only one that does it is Wicked Pictures.

What are your ambitions now? Is there anything you really want to do that you never had the chance to do before?

I would really love to travel to Japan along with my friends Sister Roma and Michael Youens. I would also like to take my sister Carlene to Paris. As far as career wise, I think I’m set LOL!

Drag is much more mainstream now. Has this opened up lots of fabulous new opportunities in mainstream media? Would you like to be more mainstream? Maybe Hollywood’s Dame Edna?

A lot of good things are now available to drag queens that were never available before. It’s a really good thing but it’s also a really negative thing for drag queens that have been performing for years and have paid their dues. When you can get on a television show, mind you that I love, and demand such high booking fees even though your talent is marginal it’s very frustrating for the girls that have worked their asses off for so many years.

Will you write an autobiography?

Well, I have written one already, about fifteen years ago called “Making It Big”. I think you can still get it on Amazon for like $2.50. So many people think I should write a follow up because I have so much to say.

Have you any regrets?

There is no time in life for regrets sweetie.