Peter North
Peter North (born Alden Brown on 11 May 1957) is a Canadian-born American pornographic film actor, director, dancer and producer. He became one of the best-known male performers in the porn industry during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
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Early life
North is originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He relocated to California in 1982, where he later resided in Newport Coast.
Career
In a 1996 interview published in North's hometown newspaper, the Halifax Chronicle-Herald, he stated that he was "discovered" while modeling athletic wear at a private party in Los Angeles in the early '80s. A man within the adult industry, whom North did not name, attended the party, was impressed by North's physique and gave him his business card.
North states that he "entered the adult business in the spring of 1984 by accident. I was approached to do it but never really contemplated it or even thought I would be in the adult business". Initially, North performed in gay pornography under the name Matt Ramsey. He later transitioned to straight pornography.
North has appeared in thousands of pornographic films and also directed more than 70 movies, notably his North Pole and Anal Addicts series, most of them between 1998 and 2007. He also produced more than 20 movies, including 15 in the North Pole series. In 2001, he successfully launched his own production company, Northstar Associates.
Peter North appeared as "The Pit Boss" in the music video for the song Been To Hell by the rap rock band Hollywood Undead, along with pornographic film actress Britney Beth, also known as Bibi Jones.
North became particularly well known in pornography for his on-screen performances and cumshot scenes, becoming one of the most recognizable male porn stars of his generation.
Achievements, scandals and legacy
North became involved in the U.S. government's 1986 investigation of Traci Lords' under-age involvement in the industry. Lords was under-age when she made most of her movies, including several sex scenes with North. The government eventually dropped the investigation.
In 1994, North had a book published, a guide to meeting and bedding beautiful women entitled Penetrating Insights.
Veteran pornographic film actress Christy Canyon confirmed a long-standing rumor in her 2003 autobiography Lights, Camera, SEX!, revealing that North does not like to have his hair touched during a scene, as it causes him to lose his concentration.
North is a member of the X-Rated Critics Organization (XRCO) and Adult Video News (AVN) Hall of Fame.
His long career and unusually large number of performances made North one of the most recognizable male performers from the classic video era of the porn industry.
Stage name
It is unclear where his pseudonym "North" originated. It may refer to his Canadian or northern roots. Writer Steven Strager speculated that North's stage name, like that of many other male pornographic actors, "expresses the controlling man-as-penis metaphor while precisely articulating the masturbator's big-dick fantasies."
"Peter North Stars" was also the name of a competition-level, New York City-based hockey team sponsored by North.
Photography project
In 2004, North was featured in a book and film project, Thinking XXX by photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, who took photographs of 30 stars of adult movies, each pair of photographs in the same pose, clothed and nude. The film of the same name, which was made for HBO, chronicled Greenfield-Sanders' photography of his subjects and includes interviews with them.
Awards
- 1990 F.O.X.E Male Fan Favorite
- 1991 F.O.X.E Male Fan Favorite
- 1992 F.O.X.E Male Fan Favorite
- 1998 AVN Best Group Scene - Video for Gluteus to the Maximus
See Also
- North America | South America | Europe | Africa | Asia | Oceania
