His name is Frankie Valenti but you might know him as Johnny Hazzard. Discovered by Chi Chi LaRue in 2004 he worked in the industry for about another 13 or so years off and on. “I think I was one of the guys that had the longest shelf life back when porn “stars” were actually stars. Now anyone with a smartphone and a 5G connection can be a porn star,” he said.
In 2008 he landed his first mainstream acting role on HereTV’s The Lair. His big break came in 2014 in the indie film Tiger Orange. making him the first gay male porn star to successfully transition from porn to mainstream acting. He left the industry he explains “after the internet changed the business model making adult content a free commodity.”
Fast forward to 2020 when the GayVN award-winning performer was living on a goat farm and the Covid-19 shit hit the fan. Wanting to feel useful Frankie started making face masks. It was the merging of all the right elements at just the right time. He had already been making sculptures from abandoned wooden shipping pallets and selling them online.
Valenti already had a well-made sewing machine, a built-in market from his fanbase, and most importantly, a product that the world needed and wanted. He took that momentum and continued and created his own small business: F.R.A.N.K. Functional Repurposed Artisanal Kraftmanship ( “I know, but I really wanted that word to work” he explained)
“I am so blessed to be able to do what I love which is to create. The term “starving artist” no longer applies to me and I have all of you to thank!”
Name: Frankie Valenti
Age: 44
Website / social media handles: IG: Personal: Frankievalenti77 Business: trybeingfrank
Where do you call home?
Depends on what time of year it is! I grew up in Ohio but Provincetown (Ptown) is where I call my home. Well,my home for the summer that is; I landed there after I left Ohio at the tender age of 21. If you’ve never heard of it, Ptown is an old Portuguese fishing village turned Gay Mecca located at the tip of the Cape Cod peninsula in the state of Massachusetts. It’s a very seasonal town so after Halloween the town essentially shuts down. The population drops to only a few thousand in the winter after supporting one of about 45,000 in the summer. There isn’t much to do in the off-season so one has to find another place to go for the winter until next summer rolls around. I’ve lived all over Boston and LA. I’ve lived in Palm Springs, CA, NYC, and all over the south of Florida. I’m a nomad and luckily, I can take my winter occupation, which is creating art, anywhere I go!
What do you think is the most attractive part about yourself?
I would have to say that it is a tie between my eyes and my hairline. Watching schoolmates and friends struggle with balding and receding hairlines has made me very grateful for the hairy gene I posses. As a kid, I was hairy early ( Dad taught me how to shave at 9 years old) and I was made fun of relentlessly for it. Now look who’s laughing with a full head of hair!
What do you find you are complimented on you the most?
Definitely my eyes, it’s something that is commented on almost daily. It’s a double-edged sword really. I can emote quite a bit with my eyes when I want to and consequently, even when I don’t.
What, to you, defines sexy?
Confidence to me is wicked sexy. Spending so much time in the porn biz I have met countless guys who were so friggin sexy but were really narcissistic making them really unattractive. On the contrary, I have met guys that weren’t really anything special to look at but carried themselves with the utmost self-confidence. Those guys owned the room, every single time.
What is your proudest moment so far in your life?
There were a few guys that I came up with in the biz that tried really hard to break through to mainstream media with either acting or music. I recorded a single called Deeper Into You that did pretty well. You can find it on Spotify for sure. Unfortunately, music wasn’t my thing, much to the chagrin of my producers, so I never pursued the pop star road. In 2014 I was the lead actor in an Indie flick called Tiger Orange.” We opened OUTFest in both NYC and LA & I traveled the world, red carpet style, for a year promoting that film on the Gay Indie film circuit. That’s on Amazon Prime. Plus, way way back at the very start of my porn star career, I was the muse behind Boy George’s short-lived clothing line, Be Rude. He opened NYC’s Fashion Week in 2008 and I was the very first one to walk the catwalk that year. I guess I’ve had quite a few “proudest” moments.
What haven’t you accomplished, personally or professionally, that you are wanting to do in the next 2-3 years?
I got into finance and economics during Covid and I’m currently pretty immersed in both spaces. I would love to get on the next Bitcoin and Tesla train. There is also a week-long survival course offered in the Appalachian mountains that I’d like to attend in preparation for the zombie apocalypse! 🙂
Have you found love? If so, what is the best part of your relationship and what do you love most in your partner(s)? If not, what do you look for in the ideal relationship?
In my world, love exists in many forms. I am not one for monogamy nor am I one for traditional relationships. Whether or not that is a result of my DNA, my time in the adult entertainment industry or a combination of them both is unclear. That being said, I have found love. I have found it over and over and over again. What I love in my relationships is honesty and the ability to be silent without being uncomfortable. I love that sometimes we won’t speak for a while but when we do, it’s like we never stopped. I also cherish the trust and the security of knowing that someone has your back in the good and in the ugly. In the words of Marilyn Monroe “I’m selfish, impatient, and insecure. I make mistakes. I am out of control and at times hard to handle, but if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you don’t deserve me at my best.” I love that.
Rapid-fire question time
What is your all-time favorite movie?
“The Legend of Billie Jean.” It was the first time I remember feeling rebellious and that there was strength in the few.
Who is your biggest celebrity crush?
Steve Guttenberg & Alec Baldwin back in the day. They had that perfect chest with that perfect chest hair pattern. I was mesmerized by them!
What is your favorite cheat meal or snack?
“Kraft” Mac n Cheese. It takes me back to when I was a kid on those long Midwestern summer nights catching fireflies. There were no credit card debts, no mortgages, no divorces and no jobs to worry about; everything was perfect.
If you were stuck on an island for eternity, what music album would you want to have with you?
Air Supply’s “Greatest Hits.” When I was in the 10th grade a few of my friends and I cut school. We ate a bunch of magic mushrooms and went into the woods. There we found a ledge and sat for 8 hrs playing that cassette over and over again. I still love every song.
What does it mean to be featured as our Instinct Hottie?
It means that someone out there thinks I’m pretty good-looking and interesting. That feels pretty damn good.
Anything else you’d like to share with the Instinct readers?
Yes, please visit my website trybeingfrank.com, and check out what I do. It’s all designed by me and I’d love everyone’s feedback. Thank You & Be Good to Each Other.
One of Provincetown’s kindest, a truly lovely soul.
I’ve known Frankie for almost 20 years, and you can’t find a more upstanding, and decent guy. He’s a class act!
Likewise. He’s one smart man
Wow, been a while since I’ve seen him. But totally remember him in his gay porn days. Still hot.