Rocco Siffredi
Encyclopedia
Rocco Siffredi is the stage name
of an Italian pornographic actor
, director
and producer
of pornographic movies, famous for his rough sex
scenes. As of October 2011, he has starred in more than 450 pornographic films.
Rocco took his stage name from the character "Roch Siffredi" played by Alain Delon
in gangster film Borsalino
(1970). He is also known as the "Italian Stallion".
and director Michel Ricaud, who cast him in his first pornographic role, Belle d'Amour (1989). Siffredi then stepped away from porn and worked as a fashion model, but returned to the business after two years with the help of porn actress Teresa Orlowski
. Siffredi went on to perform in both plot-based and gonzo-style pornography, with styles of sex ranging from conservative to extreme. However it was Siffredi's performances involving rough sex
, anal sex
and analingus, and his psychological intensity and athleticism, which earned him recognition and ultimately a cult following. Through collaboration with John Stagliano
's Evil Angel
studio, and then his own Budapest
-based Rocco Siffredi Produzioni as both a performer and director, "Rocco" became one of the most powerful and recognizable personalities in pornography
. "Rocco has far more power in this industry than any actress," John Stagliano commented in 2001.
Siffredi's rough sex
performances include spitting
, slap
ping, spanking
, deep throat, irrumatio
, urolagnia
, hair pulling, choking
, and general roughhousing. Despite these sexual practices becoming more common in pornography in the 2000s, Siffredi's on-screen behavior is distinct from most present-day depictions of dominant men in sadomasochistic or erotic humiliation
scenes. He often places himself in submissive poses, such as smothering his face with an actress's feet or buttocks, or accepting physical retorts such as slaps across the face. He is also known for pouring verbal praise on his costars during scenes, and indeed he is revered in some facets of Italian
popular culture as a romantic. Siffredi on rare occasion portrays the submissive fully, in films like Rocco More than Ever in London 2, Animal Trainer 11, and Marquis de Sade, appearing in drag
in the latter. Actress Bobbi Starr
noted of Siffredi, "[A]ny girl in the industry who has been with him... will tell you that they have done things with him that they [would] never do with anyone else." Speaking of his female partners, Siffredi says, "I want to see emotion... fear... excitement... the eyes going up from being surprised."
Siffredi's most iconic and notorious performance may be alongside Sidony Lavour (Lamour) in 1995's Sandy Insatiable, which depicts him forcing the actress's head into a flush toilet
during anal sex
. In 2009's Rocco Returns to L.A., Siffredi recounts the production of the scene as both spontaneous and consensual, before re-enacting it with an insistent Bobbi Starr
. Siffredi is known for several long-term professional partnerships: his series of torrid performances with Kelly Stafford
, his world travels and video productions with John Stagliano
, and his mentoring of and on-screen performance alongside Nacho Vidal
. He is known for including members of the "Rocco Siffredi Fun Club" (his fan club) and anonymous local European men in his films, and for staging productions and seeking female talent in varied locales including Budapest
, Prague
, Russia
, Brazil
, and Canada
. Although different in tone than his famous gonzo films, Siffredi is also known for his performance in 1995's Tarzan X: Shame of Jane (originally known as Jungle Heat) alongside his wife Rosa Caracciolo.
In June 2004, Siffredi declared that he would retire from performing in porn for the sake of his children, and instead focus on direction and production. "My children are growing up," he said, "and I can no longer just say 'Dad is going to work to make money for the family.' They want to know more." Regarding Siffredi's long career, Axel Braun
commented, "The problem is that he's been trying for years to find an 'heir to the throne,' but it's no easy task. He thought he found him in Nacho Vidal
, but then Nacho went his own way." Siffredi, while continuing to direct, was largely absent as an on-screen performer for nearly 5 years. However sexual frustration
, and disappointment as a director with his male talent and the state of the porn industry overall, led Siffredi to return as a performer in 2009.
audience. In December 1990, Siffredi was selected to pose as the nude centerfold in the adult mainstream magazine Playgirl
. Accompanying him on the cover was the caption, "At last! A centerfold to die for!"
In 1999
, he appeared in the controversial Catherine Breillat
film Romance
. His performance in this role was followed by a part specifically written for him by the same director in her 2003
film Anatomie de L'enfer (Anatomy of Hell), in which he plays a gay
man who becomes sexually involved with a woman. Both films feature unsimulated sexual scenes involving Siffredi, although it is disputed whether he actually has intercourse with co-star Caroline Ducey
in Romance. (She says no, Siffredi says yes.)
Siffredi is also visible in non-pornographic roles on Italian television, including:
Siffredi has discussed having genital herpes.
(list) since 1991's Buttman's Ultimate Workout including:
He has also won:
He was recently voted #10 in AVN's list of the Top 50 Porn Stars of All Time. He has received numerous other awards, including the prestigious Hot D'Or Platinum Award and induction into the XRCO Hall of Fame.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
of an Italian pornographic actor
Pornographic actor
A pornographic actor/actress or a porn star is a person who appears in pornographic film. Most actors appear nude in films...
, director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
of pornographic movies, famous for his rough sex
Rough Sex
Rough Sex is a single by Lords Of Acid, and was released in 1992. Remixes of "Rough Sex" were done by Joey Beltram, and the CD includes "Take Control" as a B-side...
scenes. As of October 2011, he has starred in more than 450 pornographic films.
Rocco took his stage name from the character "Roch Siffredi" played by Alain Delon
Alain Delon
Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon is a French actor. He rose quickly to stardom, and by the age of 23 was already being compared to French actors such as Gérard Philipe and Jean Marais, as well as American actor James Dean. He was even called the male Brigitte Bardot...
in gangster film Borsalino
Borsalino (film)
Borsalino is a 1970 gangster film directed by Jacques Deray and starring Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Catherine Rouvel. It was entered into the 20th Berlin International Film Festival....
(1970). He is also known as the "Italian Stallion".
Porn career
Siffredi met porn actor Gabriel Pontello in a French sex club in 1984. The actor introduced Siffredi to producer Marc DorcelMarc Dorcel
Marc Dorcel is a French producer of pornographic films who founded the company Video Marc Dorcel. Besides producing films by himself, he also produces films in partnership with people like Michel Ricaud, Cyril Randuineau, Marc Ange and Michel Barny...
and director Michel Ricaud, who cast him in his first pornographic role, Belle d'Amour (1989). Siffredi then stepped away from porn and worked as a fashion model, but returned to the business after two years with the help of porn actress Teresa Orlowski
Teresa Orlowski
Teresa Orlowski is a former performer in and a current producer of adult films in Germany.-Filmography:*Bizarre Life of Madame X *Go For It *Foxy Lady...
. Siffredi went on to perform in both plot-based and gonzo-style pornography, with styles of sex ranging from conservative to extreme. However it was Siffredi's performances involving rough sex
Rough Sex
Rough Sex is a single by Lords Of Acid, and was released in 1992. Remixes of "Rough Sex" were done by Joey Beltram, and the CD includes "Take Control" as a B-side...
, anal sex
Anal sex
Anal sex is the sex act in which the penis is inserted into the anus of a sexual partner. The term can also include other sexual acts involving the anus, including pegging, anilingus , fingering, and object insertion.Common misconception describes anal sex as practiced almost exclusively by gay men...
and analingus, and his psychological intensity and athleticism, which earned him recognition and ultimately a cult following. Through collaboration with John Stagliano
John Stagliano
John Allen Stagliano , also known as Buttman, is an American entrepreneur, pornographic actor, producer and director, who founded and owns the Evil Angel pornographic film studio.-Early life and career:...
's Evil Angel
Evil Angel (studio)
Evil Angel is a production company and distributor of pornographic films, founded and owned by John Stagliano.Stagliano and Evil Angel pioneered the Gonzo pornography genre in the late 1980s....
studio, and then his own Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
-based Rocco Siffredi Produzioni as both a performer and director, "Rocco" became one of the most powerful and recognizable personalities in pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
. "Rocco has far more power in this industry than any actress," John Stagliano commented in 2001.
Siffredi's rough sex
Rough Sex
Rough Sex is a single by Lords Of Acid, and was released in 1992. Remixes of "Rough Sex" were done by Joey Beltram, and the CD includes "Take Control" as a B-side...
performances include spitting
Spitting
Spitting or expectoration is the act of forcibly ejecting saliva or other substances from the mouth. It is currently considered rude and a social taboo in many parts of the world including the West, while in some other parts of the world it is considered more acceptable...
, slap
Slap
A slap or "smack" is a broad stroke made with the open hand or the back of the hand, as opposed to a punch that is made with a closed fist. Slaps are frequently made across the face, but can be also made across hands or any other body part, and can use either the palm of the hand or the back of the...
ping, spanking
Spanking
Spanking refers to the act of striking the buttocks of another person to cause temporary pain without producing physical injury. It generally involves one person striking the buttocks of another person with an open hand. When an open hand is used, spanking is referred to in some countries as...
, deep throat, irrumatio
Irrumatio
Irrumatio, also called irrumation, is a type of sexual intercourse performed by actively thrusting one's penis into a partner's mouth and throat. It may also be the thrusting of the penis between the legs, breasts, feet, upper thighs , or between the abdomens of two partners."Latin erotic...
, urolagnia
Urolagnia
Urolagnia is a paraphilia in which sexual excitement is associated with the sight or thought of urine or urination. The term has origins in the Greek Language .Those who enjoy urolagnia may enjoy urinating on another person or persons, or being urinated upon...
, hair pulling, choking
Erotic asphyxiation
Erotic asphyxiation or breath control play is the intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for sexual arousal. The sexual preference for that behavior is variously called asphyxiophilia, autoerotic asphyxia, hypoxyphilia. Colloquially, a person engaging in the activity is sometimes called a...
, and general roughhousing. Despite these sexual practices becoming more common in pornography in the 2000s, Siffredi's on-screen behavior is distinct from most present-day depictions of dominant men in sadomasochistic or erotic humiliation
Erotic humiliation
Erotic humiliation is the consensual use of psychological humiliation in a sexual context, whereby one person gains arousal or erotic excitement from the powerful emotions of being humiliated and demeaned, or of humiliating another; often in conjunction with sexual stimulation of one or both...
scenes. He often places himself in submissive poses, such as smothering his face with an actress's feet or buttocks, or accepting physical retorts such as slaps across the face. He is also known for pouring verbal praise on his costars during scenes, and indeed he is revered in some facets of Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
popular culture as a romantic. Siffredi on rare occasion portrays the submissive fully, in films like Rocco More than Ever in London 2, Animal Trainer 11, and Marquis de Sade, appearing in drag
Drag (clothing)
Drag is used for any clothing carrying symbolic significance but usually referring to the clothing associated with one gender role when worn by a person of another gender. The origin of the term "drag" is unknown, but it may have originated in Polari, a gay street argot in England in the early...
in the latter. Actress Bobbi Starr
Bobbi Starr
-Life and career:Bobbi Starr was born in Santa Clara, California, United States. She comes from an Italian/Hungarian family. She graduated from San Jose State University with a music degree and plays the piano and oboe....
noted of Siffredi, "[A]ny girl in the industry who has been with him... will tell you that they have done things with him that they [would] never do with anyone else." Speaking of his female partners, Siffredi says, "I want to see emotion... fear... excitement... the eyes going up from being surprised."
Siffredi's most iconic and notorious performance may be alongside Sidony Lavour (Lamour) in 1995's Sandy Insatiable, which depicts him forcing the actress's head into a flush toilet
Flush toilet
A flush toilet is a toilet that disposes of human waste by using water to flush it through a drainpipe to another location. Flushing mechanisms are found more often on western toilets , but many squat toilets also are made for automated flushing...
during anal sex
Anal sex
Anal sex is the sex act in which the penis is inserted into the anus of a sexual partner. The term can also include other sexual acts involving the anus, including pegging, anilingus , fingering, and object insertion.Common misconception describes anal sex as practiced almost exclusively by gay men...
. In 2009's Rocco Returns to L.A., Siffredi recounts the production of the scene as both spontaneous and consensual, before re-enacting it with an insistent Bobbi Starr
Bobbi Starr
-Life and career:Bobbi Starr was born in Santa Clara, California, United States. She comes from an Italian/Hungarian family. She graduated from San Jose State University with a music degree and plays the piano and oboe....
. Siffredi is known for several long-term professional partnerships: his series of torrid performances with Kelly Stafford
Kelly Stafford
Kelly Stafford, born 10 April 1978 is an English female pornographic actress. Perhaps, best known for her professional association with Rocco Siffredi.-Awards:* 2000 XRCO Award – Best Anal Or D.P...
, his world travels and video productions with John Stagliano
John Stagliano
John Allen Stagliano , also known as Buttman, is an American entrepreneur, pornographic actor, producer and director, who founded and owns the Evil Angel pornographic film studio.-Early life and career:...
, and his mentoring of and on-screen performance alongside Nacho Vidal
Nacho Vidal
Ignacio Jordà González, aka Nacho Vidal , is a Spanish pornographic actor and film director.-Biography:Born in Mataró, Province of Barcelona, Spain, Vidal moved with his family to Valencia at a very young age, where part of his family originated. His family was wealthy, but ended up losing all...
. He is known for including members of the "Rocco Siffredi Fun Club" (his fan club) and anonymous local European men in his films, and for staging productions and seeking female talent in varied locales including Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Although different in tone than his famous gonzo films, Siffredi is also known for his performance in 1995's Tarzan X: Shame of Jane (originally known as Jungle Heat) alongside his wife Rosa Caracciolo.
In June 2004, Siffredi declared that he would retire from performing in porn for the sake of his children, and instead focus on direction and production. "My children are growing up," he said, "and I can no longer just say 'Dad is going to work to make money for the family.' They want to know more." Regarding Siffredi's long career, Axel Braun
Axel Braun
Axel Braun is an Italian adult film producer and director. He is the son of Lasse Braun, who was among the first to successfully campaign for the legalization of pornography in Europe. He has directed over 400 movies since 1990 Braun's movie Batman XXX: A Porn Parody was the best-selling and...
commented, "The problem is that he's been trying for years to find an 'heir to the throne,' but it's no easy task. He thought he found him in Nacho Vidal
Nacho Vidal
Ignacio Jordà González, aka Nacho Vidal , is a Spanish pornographic actor and film director.-Biography:Born in Mataró, Province of Barcelona, Spain, Vidal moved with his family to Valencia at a very young age, where part of his family originated. His family was wealthy, but ended up losing all...
, but then Nacho went his own way." Siffredi, while continuing to direct, was largely absent as an on-screen performer for nearly 5 years. However sexual frustration
Sexual frustration
Sexual frustration describes the condition in which a human or animal is in a state of agitation, depression, stress, loneliness or anxiety due to prolonged virginity, sexual inactivity and/or sexual dissatisfaction that leads him or her to want more sex or better sex, or a state in which he or she...
, and disappointment as a director with his male talent and the state of the porn industry overall, led Siffredi to return as a performer in 2009.
In mainstream media
Siffredi is one of a few porn actors to enjoy crossover appeal and success with respect to other segments of the adult-film industry, as well as some in mainstream media. As a primary example, although his acting has been restricted exclusively to heterosexual pornography, his good looks have resulted in his attracting a large gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
audience. In December 1990, Siffredi was selected to pose as the nude centerfold in the adult mainstream magazine Playgirl
Playgirl
Playgirl is a print quarterly adult magazine published in the United States that is marketed mainly to heterosexual women, but has also gained a considerable gay following...
. Accompanying him on the cover was the caption, "At last! A centerfold to die for!"
In 1999
1999 in film
The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
, he appeared in the controversial Catherine Breillat
Catherine Breillat
Catherine Breillat is a French filmmaker, novelist and Professor of Auteur Cinema at the European Graduate School.-Life and career:Breillat was born in Bressuire, Deux-Sèvres, but grew up in Niort...
film Romance
Romance (1999 film)
Romance is a 1999 French movie written and directed by Catherine Breillat. It stars Caroline Ducey, pornographic actor Rocco Siffredi, Sagamore Stévenin and François Berléand. The film features explicit copulation scenes, especially one showing Caroline Ducey's coitus with Rocco Siffredi...
. His performance in this role was followed by a part specifically written for him by the same director in her 2003
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
film Anatomie de L'enfer (Anatomy of Hell), in which he plays a gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
man who becomes sexually involved with a woman. Both films feature unsimulated sexual scenes involving Siffredi, although it is disputed whether he actually has intercourse with co-star Caroline Ducey
Caroline Ducey
Caroline Ducey is a French actress, who appeared in 34 films since 1994.Outside of her home country, she is best known for her controversial role in Catherine Breillat's 1999 film Romance...
in Romance. (She says no, Siffredi says yes.)
Siffredi is also visible in non-pornographic roles on Italian television, including:
- Television commercials for Amica Chips, a snack food, which have spawned considerable controversy and have at one point been taken off the air.
- With his wife, Rosa Caracciolo, in a television commercial for 48248, an SMSSMSSMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
service. - As the unwitting participant in an episode of Scherzi a Parte, a program similar to Candid CameraCandid CameraCandid Camera is a hidden camera/practical joke reality television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as Candid Microphone June 28, 1947...
. - Elio e Le Storie TeseElio e le Storie TeseElio e le Storie Tese , often abbreviated EelST, is an Italian band from Milan, formed in 1980, whose music is clearly inspired to the style of Frank Zappa, both in music and lyrics...
s leader Stefano Belisari (also known as ElioElioStefano Belisari , best known as Elio, is an Italian singer and musician, the founder of the Italian rock band Elio e le Storie Tese. He performs as the lead vocalist and plays the transverse flute , and sometimes the electric guitar and the electric bass...
) dedicated in 1997 to Siffredi a song and a video Rocco e Le Storie Tese. Rocco himself directed the video also appearing in it.
Personal life
Siffredi is married to Rosa Caracciolo, whom he met in 1993 in Cannes, and performed with 2 years later in Tarzan X: Shame of Jane. Together they have two sons Lorenzo and Leonardo. Upon his decision to return to on-screen pornographic performance in 2009, Siffredi recounted, "I spoke with my wife and she said it’s my problem only, it doesn’t belong to her and the boys. And she said, 'You decide to stop, we never ask you. So if you want to go back, just go back.'"Siffredi has discussed having genital herpes.
Awards
Siffredi has won nearly 40 AVN awardsAVN Awards
The AVN Awards are movie awards sponsored and presented by the American adult video industry trade magazine AVN to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of the creation and marketing of American pornographic movies. They are called the "Oscars of porn"...
(list) since 1991's Buttman's Ultimate Workout including:
- Best Group Sex Scene – Video (Buttman's Ultimate Workout)
- Best Director – Foreign Release (Who Fucked Rocco?)
- Best Continuing Video Series (Rocco: Animal Trainer)
- Best Director – Video (Ass Collector)
- Male Performer of the Year in 1993 and 1996
- Male Foreign Performer of the Year in 2003, 2009 and 2011
- Best Anal Sex Scene – Film (The Fashionistas)
- Best Pro-Am Release (Rocco's Initiations 9)
- Best Foreign Feature (Rocco: Animal Trainer 3)
- AVN Hall of Fame award
He has also won:
- 2011 XBIZ AwardXBIZ AwardXBIZ Awards are given annually to honor "individuals, companies, performers and products that play an essential part in the growth and success of adult entertainment". Organized by the adult industry trade magazine XBIZ, the awards were first given in 2003...
– Gonzo Release of the Year – Non-Feature (Tori, Tarra and Bobbi Love Rocco) - 2011 XBIZ AwardXBIZ AwardXBIZ Awards are given annually to honor "individuals, companies, performers and products that play an essential part in the growth and success of adult entertainment". Organized by the adult industry trade magazine XBIZ, the awards were first given in 2003...
– Foreign Male Performer of the Year
He was recently voted #10 in AVN's list of the Top 50 Porn Stars of All Time. He has received numerous other awards, including the prestigious Hot D'Or Platinum Award and induction into the XRCO Hall of Fame.
External links
- RoccoSiffredi—official American site
- Rocco Siffredi on Twitter