Tommy Gunn, a prolific adult film actor known for his extensive career in the adult entertainment industry, has opened up about a significant problem affecting his personal life.
The 57-year-old, who has appeared in over 2,500 films since his debut in 2004, discussed the impact of his career on his intimate relationships in a recent interview with Holly Randall on her YouTube channel.
Despite his successful career and being inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2016, Gunn, whose real name is Thomas Joseph Strada, revealed that maintaining a ‘normal’ life outside of work has been a major challenge.
The veteran performer shared that fame and fortune in the adult industry do not necessarily equate to ease in personal relationships.
“Your buy-in is your personal life and your intimacy. That’s what you’re going to sacrifice. You’re leveraging all those things,” Gunn explained.
He recounted how his career choice required him to trade personal intimacy for professional success, which has complicated his love life significantly.
Gunn, who was married before entering the industry and later remarried a fellow porn star, admitted that the nature of his job often led to awkward situations at home.
“For me to wake up and say ‘Alright sweetheart? I’m going to kiss you and then go and have sex with a stranger,’ that’s kind of strange,” he confessed, highlighting the emotional disconnect that can arise from his work.
One unique issue Gunn faces is the psychological impact on his partners, who sometimes feel the need to have sex with him before he leaves for work.
He described this as their way of ‘marking their territory,’ a dynamic he finds problematic.
“I’ve had them say ‘I want you to have sex with me before you go to work,’ because in their psychology it’s marking their territory. That’s not conducive for me,” he elaborated.
Comparing his situation to that of an athlete, Gunn explained that engaging in intimate activities before a day of filming is not ideal, likening it to a boxer not wanting to spar the day before a big match.
“If I was a boxer or something, why would I box the day before I got a big boxing match coming up?” he reasoned.
Moreover, Gunn emphasized the physical toll his job takes, which can affect both male and female performers.
He stated, “The last thing I want you to do, honey, is go to work and be sore and worn out cuz that’s what happens. For a guy or girl it’s the same – even though we’re designed differently it’s the same friction at the end of the day.”
