Sean Michaels (actor)

Sean Michaels (born February 20, 1958) is an American pornographic actor, model, director and trade union leader. In 2002, AVN ranked him 14th on their list of The Top 50 Porn Stars of All Time.[1] Michaels has also been inducted into the AVN, NightMoves, and XRCO Halls of Fame.

Sean Michaels
Michaels in Los Angeles, California in 2011
Born (1958-02-20) February 20, 1958
New York City, New York, US
Other namesAndre Allen, Sean Micheals, Shawn Michael, André, Shawn Michaels, Sean Michael & Mike Stone
Years active1989-present
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)

Early life

Michaels was born Andre Allen and raised in Brooklyn, New York.[2] He attended Boys and Girls High School, the oldest public high school in Brooklyn.[2][3] After moving to the West Coast, he worked as a nurse for an urgent care facility in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. He also did runway and print modeling prior to entering the industry.

Career

Michaels started out in the adult industry as a nude model. Dissatisfied with the portrayal of black men in porn, he began performing in adult films in 1989. He chose his porn name by combining the names from two celebrities he admired: his last name refers to Michael Jordan and "Sean" is a reference to Sean Connery (whom Michaels described in an interview as "a man's man, on and off camera"). Michaels gained recognition after appearing in John Leslie's 1990 film Oh What A Night. In 1996, he started Sean Michaels Productions, which was changed to Sean Michaels International the following year when Anabolic Video began handling its distribution.

In 2003, Michaels was issued a cease and desist order by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on the use of his name due to the similarity it had to WWE wrestler Shawn Michaels. Michaels name was already registered as a trademark, while Shawn Michaels had not registered his moniker.[4]

Along with Lisa Ann and Nikki Benz, Michaels hosted the XRCO Awards in April 2010.[5] In 2018, he performed in his first bisexual scene for Kick Ass Pictures. In regards to the scene, Michaels commented, "I feel strongly about doing the things you want to do in life. Cuckold fans have been asking me for years to do bi scenes, and I'm happy to be making this move. I believe it's important for people to grow sexually in any way they choose."

Advocacy and impact

In 2016, Michaels was elected President of the Adult Performers Actors Guild (APAG).[6][7] As President, he announced the APAG would push to raise the legal age to perform in adult films from 18 to 21, commenting that "it's 21 years old to drink, so you should have to be 21 to do porn."[7]

In the May 1997 issue of Vibe magazine, he was called "the preeminent force in interracial erotic entertainment."[8] In her book A Taste for Brown Sugar: Black Women in Pornography, women's studies scholar Mireille Miller-Young notes how Michaels's portrayal of "suave and professional" characters in his films has challenged the stereotyping of black men as "sexual beasts" in pornography and expanded opportunities for black performers.[9] Violet Blue shares a similar sentiment in The Ultimate Guide to Adult Videos, calling Michaels a "major force in changing the face and attitudes of the adult industry towards black performers."[3] Blue concluded by dubbing him "the most famous black man to ever appear in porn."[3]

Select appearances
Title Year Role Notes Ref.
Simon & Simon 1982 Boy Episode: "Double Entry"
Thinking XXX 2004 Himself Documentary
Dave's Old Porn 2012 Episode: "Retro Orgy Night"

Awards
  • 1995 AVN Hall of Fame[10]
  • 1996 AVN Award – Best Group Sex Scene (Video) – World Sex Tour 1 (with Mark Davis, Erica Bella & Stephanie Sartori)[11]
  • 1998 AVN Award – Best Anal Sex Scene (Video) – Butt Banged Naughty Nurses (with Careena Collins & Mark Davis)[12]
  • 1999 AVN Award – Best Anal Sex Scene (Video) – Tushy Heaven (with Samantha Stylle & Alisha Klass)[13]
  • 1999 AVN Award – Best Group Sex Scene (Video) – Tushy Heaven (with Alisha Klass, Samantha Stylle, Halli Aston & Wendy Knight)[13]
  • 1999 XRCO Award – Best Anal Or D.P. Scene – Tushy Heaven (with Alisha Klass & Samantha Stylle)[14]
  • 2000 XRCO Hall of Fame[15]
  • 2002 NightMoves Award – Best Actor (Fan's Choice)[16]
  • 2003 NightMoves Award – Best Director (Fan's Choice)[17]
  • 2007 NightMoves Hall of Fame[18]
  • 2010 AVN Award – Best Double Penetration Sex Scene – Bobbi Starr & Dana DeArmond's Insatiable Voyage (with Bobbi Starr & Mr. Marcus)[19]

References
  1. "AVN: The 50 Top Porn Stars of All Time". Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  2. Mark Kernes (August 10, 2012). "Sean Michaels Is at Work on 1st Volume of Autobiography". AVN. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  3. Blue, Violet (October 1, 2003). The Ultimate Guide to Adult Videos: How to Watch Adult Videos and Make Your Sex Life Sizzle. Cleis Press Start. p. 168. ISBN 1573447056.
  4. Steve Nelson. "Sean Michaels Sues Sean Michaels". Adult Industry News, January 23, 2003. Accessed 8 September 2008.
  5. Wade Garrett (2010-02-17). "Nikki Benz, Lisa Ann and Sean Michaels to Host XRCO Awards". AVN. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
  6. Warren, Peter (August 11, 2016). "Union Chapters Issue Statement on Court's False Endorsement Decision". AVN. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  7. Snow, Aurora (May 27, 2016). "Porn's First Union President: Performers Should Be 21+ Only". The Daily Beast. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  8. Morales, Robert. "Sexy Motherfuckers". Vibe.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 1998. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  9. Miller-Young, Mireille (October 30, 2014). A Taste for Brown Sugar: Black Women in Pornography. Duke University Press. p. 219. ISBN 978-0-8223-7591-3.
  10. "Adult Video News Award Winners - 1994". RAME. July 18, 1995. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  11. "Adult Video News Award Winners - 1995". RAME. January 8, 1996. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  12. "AVN Awards - 1997". RAME. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  13. "Last Year's Winner's". AVN. Archived from the original on October 13, 1999. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  14. Jared Rutter (May 1999). "Another Constituency Heard From". AVN. Archived from the original on October 20, 2000. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  15. "XRCO Awards Not Stolen - The Show Goes On Anyway". AVN. March 20, 2000. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  16. "Past Winner History". NightMoves. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  17. Dirty Bob (September 16, 2003). "11th Annual Nightmoves Entertainment Awards Announced". AVN. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  18. Peter Warren (October 11, 2007). "2007 NightMoves Award Winners Announced". AVN. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  19. "2010 AVN Award Winners Announced". AVN. January 13, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
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