A guy from the Midwest moves to Los Angeles and finds himself doing porn. Hardly a unique story — but up-and-coming performer Ian Sterling is proving himself to be anything but ordinary.
At first glance, Sterling serves up a traditional bodybuilder aesthetic. His personality shines through, however, revealing a creative spirit, a kind heart and a strong sense of integrity.
“I’m really just a good Midwest boy who happens to be horny all the time,” he’s quick to joke.
Sterling recently starred in his first studio scene, alongside Heath Halo and Rocky Unleashed in “The Way to a Man’s Heart,” Raging Stallion’s take on the rom-com.
“I dove in the deep end because it was a threesome scene,” he shares. “But I shot with two great guys that I admired — and they were really hot, so I thought, ‘Let’s go.’”
Hailing from just outside Columbus, Ohio, Sterling grew up loving the limelight.
“I was a theater nerd in high school and I always loved the energy I got from performing,” he recalls.
In college, Sterling experienced the same buzz by competing as a star athlete.
“When I graduated, I sought after that energy, so I started go-go dancing,” he says. “So then, why not do porn?”
Though it would be a while yet before Sterling would make his first go at a studio feature, in 2017, he got his feet wet shooting for “Cutler’s Den” after getting connected through a friend.
“I got comfortable doing it,” he notes. “It was fucking for an hour and getting a check. I did a scene every couple of months.”
While he didn’t feel ready to shoot for a studio, he did go on to create an OnlyFans account highlighting his talents as a fisting top.
Sterling is not shy about some of the occasional pitfalls of solo content creation.
“It was lockdown and everyone was doing it, but the money I was getting out of it wasn’t worth the amount of effort I was putting into it,” he admits.
In a city as busy and ambition-fueled as Los Angeles, he also found that trying to coordinate with other creators could be a big drain.
“This is your job,” he laughs. “Why should it be so hard to nail down a half an hour to do some work? Now, if I have friends who want to film, I will collaborate and post it. But it’s not something I’m doing religiously.”
Sterling is now more able to be selective, thanks in part to another rather unique gig.
“As a side hustle, I do a lot of rhinestoning,” he reveals. “I love rhinestones. Anything flat and solid enough, I’ll put a rhinestone on it!”
Sterling turned selling rhinestone caps to circuit boys into a thriving operation that includes some high-profile drag artists as clients.
“I’ve done a Dua Lipa-inspired bodysuit for Naysha Lopez and a pair of Louboutins for Willam,” he notes.
Sterling credits his upbringing for his love of art and creating.
“I grew up in a household that was very crafty,” he recalls. “My mom would quilt and make our Halloween costumes. My dad was a carpenter, so we were always building. I always loved having the capacity to create something.
“I really love doing anything with my hands,” he quips.
Asked about his performing influences, Sterling acknowledges a longtime love for the musclemen of porn past.
“I loved the biggest, most muscular guys from Titan, Colt, Falcon and Raging Stallion,” he says. “I wanted to be one of those guys.”
That plan just might be working.
“When I was shooting my last scene with Raging Stallion for the movie 'Rough,' Trent Ducati told me, ‘You look like one of those old-school Raging Stallion guys,’” Sterling smiles proudly. “I said, ‘Thanks.’”
When it comes to the type of guy he personally finds attractive, Sterling says his tastes are evolving.
“When I was younger, I wanted a 6-foot-2 Tom of Finland jacked motherfucker!” he confides, but adds that when he finally met such a dream man, the reality hardly matched the fantasy.
“He was a miserable human being,” he laments. “As I get older, it’s more of an energy thing. Confidence is everything for me.”
His Midwestern upbringing hasn’t left him, Sterling explains. When meeting fans in person, some have seemed surprised by his cordiality.
“Someone who follows me on Instagram might say, ‘Oh, you’re really nice,’” he says. “My response is, ‘Should I not be?’ There’s a basic respect I have for everyone as a human being.”
He grins. “After that, it’s up to them whether I give them more or less respect.”
Reflecting on his initial reluctance to pursue a career in porn, Sterling says he struggled with the mentality around the search for fame.
“Fame is such an odd concept to me,” he admits. “I didn’t want to become famous. I deal with that every day in Los Angeles: Everyone wants to be the next YouTube streamer. Sometimes I find it kind of tacky. For me, doing porn it’s not about having a million followers. I just want to make porn I’d want to watch. If I’d want to jack off to it, I know someone else will.”
That outlook strongly informs Sterling’s approach to performing.
“I think consumers are getting smarter about which people are really into it,” he says. “When I do a scene, I want to make sure that my scene partner is someone I’m attracted to, that the setup is hot and the sex is real. Even if we have to do it five times.”
To capture the vibe he seeks, Sterling makes an effort to reach out to scene partners before they meet or work together.
“I want to get a feel for what they like, to make sure what we’re doing is authentic,” he explains.
That strategy came in handy while shooting the upcoming “Rough” with Sir Peter.
“We shot in Vegas,” Sterling says. “He was put in the same Airbnb. So I asked him, ‘Hey do you want to watch some TV or something?’ We ended up fucking. He has a big dick and it was uncut: those are two of my favorite things. I could tell his aggression was authentic to him.”
This prep helped forge a connection that Sterling believes improved their scene together. As for other dream scene partners, Sterling says he would love to work with Francois Safgat.
“I’ve had the biggest crush on him for such a long time,” he admits.
Asked what else the future might hold, Sterling shares another bucket-list item.
“I would love to do a live sex show,” he says. “Though obviously America is not where it’s at for that.”
