Drake Von may be the internet’s favorite “twink” porn star, but even after winning multiple adult industry awards declaring him as such, he still seems bemused by the label.
“I’m honored to win these amazing awards,” he tells XBIZ. “But I don’t actually consider myself a twink!”
However you categorize him, one thing is inarguable: Von’s visibility across social media, fan sites and studio releases is growing fast.
One main reason for that success is drive and determination. Von’s work philosophy is practically a mission statement or manifesto.
“If I’m going to do this, I am going to take it really seriously,” he declares. “I love entertaining people. I love being good at what I do. Right now, porn has my full attention. I’m going to put 100% effort into it, make a name for myself and literally become ‘the’ gay porn star.”
Another undeniable reason why Von is so big is that, well, he’s so big.
“Probably 8 inches in length, 6 or 7 inches in girth,” he estimates. “I don’t know the exact stats — I’ve never measured. But the thickness is what really gets people. It’s even thicker around the base, like a traffic cone. It sticks straight up and gets really hard. It’s honestly quite a unique dick.”
On top of that, given Von’s lean frame and toned body, his member photographs even larger than life. In an oversaturated market where both fans and producers can choose from among an internet full of potential performers, this helps him… stick out.
“I’m blessed and I’m really grateful,” he says. “You don’t have to be well endowed, but it’s definitely helped me a lot.”
A Learning Experience
Von was born and raised in Las Vegas.
“It’s all I’ve known,” he says. “It’s definitely different from other places I’ve traveled to. People live a lifestyle here that matches the adult industry.”
Though he grew up in “Sin City,” Von’s parents were very strict.
“Anything fun kids my age wanted to do, I couldn’t really do,” he says. “I didn’t know what life was, outside of being inside my house. So I’d mostly just be playing video games and staring at a computer screen.”
As it turned out, those limitations would set Von up for his first round of social media stardom, finding success as a YouTuber long before he ever conceived of a career in adult.
“I used to make animation videos with 3D art,” he explains. “I’d create characters moving around on maps. It was a very nerdy thing — but I had over 500,000 subscribers. Some of my videos would get tens of millions of views. So I was already a social media whiz.”
Other areas of Von’s life, however, were not going so well.
“When I was a teenager, it was a little rough,” he confides. “I dropped out of high school. I just didn’t like going to school. And I was basically kicked out of the house when I was 16.”
Thankfully, things have since improved.
“I have a good relationship with my parents now,” Von adds. “Honestly, it was good for me because it helped me be independent.”
Once he turned 18, Von began exploring the idea of working in porn.
“There used to be this site where you could make a profile,” he remembers. “It was the only thing that would pop up on Google about how to become a porn star.”
After posting on the platform, he was contacted by agencies and studios. At 18, Von had to learn some lessons by making mistakes.
“I would take whatever shoot was open to me — including a lot of things I wasn’t comfortable with,” he admits. “I didn’t know any better. I hadn’t yet learned that you should only do what you want to do.”
This “fuck around and find out” crash course slowly schooled Von in the ins and outs of the industry, but also left him uncertain about whether it was really the place for him.
“I quit for a little bit,” he says. “During that eight-month hiatus, I was back and forth with 9-to-5 jobs, a little bit of escorting on the side, figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. I knew porn was looked down upon, and would definitely restrict me from certain other jobs.
“But then the scenes I had done started getting released,” he recalls. “Fans started reaching out, asking how to subscribe to my OnlyFans.”
A quick learner, Von made accounts on both OnlyFans and X, then still known as Twitter. It helped that he had an ace up his sleeve.
“I had already done YouTube,” he notes. “I used the knowledge I had gained with my YouTube channel, and I put it into porn. After three or four months, I started blowing up.”
With additional help from an industry mentor, Von soon learned to navigate the business and produced impressive results, racking up hundreds of thousands of followers and scoring numerous bookings.
Asked to name some of his favorite collaborators, Von rattles off an impressive list.
“Reno Gold, Joey Mills, Braxton Stone and Zane Walker are some of the best people I’ve worked with,” he enthuses. “The Wild Boys — Brandon Cardoso and Julian Barboza — Tyler Tanner and Harley Zager are also cool, great people, probably my closest friends in the industry.”
So was returning to porn the right choice?
“I’ve made a lot of money,” he laughs. “Plus, I’ve been able to do things I never would have been able to do otherwise, like partying, networking and meeting a lot of awesome cool people. It’s changed my life for the better. It’s been an awesome journey, and there’s still so much I want to accomplish.”
Offscreen Life
In addition to his prodigious endowment, one major topic of gossip about Von has involved his sexual orientation.
“I like the internet to make their own little theories,” he grins. “I love watching people fight with each other online over what I’m into and who I’ve dated.”
As it turns out, Von isn’t overly cagey about his sexuality; he just doesn’t like labels.
“I would say I’m bi,” he reveals. “I definitely lean toward women, but I’ve done stuff with guys.”
So what are the differences between shooting with men versus with women?
“If they’re professionals, they all have the same mindset,” he reflects. “At the end of the day, it’s just work. Though the guys are more likely to want to become friends after.”
Making friends in the business is important to Von, for at least one very practical reason.
“I don’t really have a life outside of the industry,” he laughs. “I don’t have a lot of time for hobbies. I love creating content.”
That being said, Von does come up with a few pastimes he enjoys.
“Going to dinners, going to a club,” he says. “Little things like top golf, swimming. And I like going to festivals, like EDC.”
As for the trappings of fame, Von says he is truly grateful for his fans and always happy to interact with them.
“Feel free to come up to me,” he insists. “Don’t be scared. Don’t be worried if you want an autograph or to take a picture. Come say hi. I don’t have a big head. I know what I used to be like before I was famous. I will never act like I’m some hot shit. I will never turn you down — unless you’re trying to grope me or something!”
Advice and Aspirations
Von says that achieving his own success has inspired him to want to support new creators and help them build their careers.
Any words of wisdom for future would-be performers?
“You’ve got to be careful,” he counsels. “There are good and bad people in the industry. It’s really important to know who you’re dealing with, to make sure you’re not taken advantage of.
“Make your own content,” Von continues. “Have an OnlyFans. Know that your body is yours. Negotiate contracts so you make some sort of residuals.”
With that outlook, it makes sense that Von has contemplated eventually starting his own agency. Looking beyond the industry, he has also thought about creating his own podcast or becoming a DJ.
“I want to become more social-media famous,” he admits. “I want to grow my platforms outside of X and OnlyFans, and be an influencer. I want to be funny. I would love to become a household name through safe-for-work content.
“I also want to be sexy,” he concludes. “But I never want just to be known as the ‘big dick’ guy.”
