Who

The reigning king of gay porn, Michael Lucas presides over the empire of smut known as Lucas Entertainment.

Backstory

Born Andrei Treivas Bregman in Moscow to an engineer and teacher, Lucas says he had a lonely childhood as a gay Jew in Russia. After earning a degree from Moscow State Law Academy, he escaped his native country and headed West, where he got his start in the adult trade starring in French and German gay porn films and turning tricks on the side. After decamping to New York—and with the pot of cash he made as a male prostitute—in 1998 Lucas set up his own production company, Lucas Entertainment.

Of note

Lucas has emerged as one of America's most prolific gay porn producers. His Chelsea-based company (Lucas Entertainment is based in New York rather than the San Fernando Valley, unlike most adult companies) produces dozens of adult films a year. (A few recent pics in the Lucas oeuvre: Back in the Saddle, Hunt & Plunge, and Fire Island Cruising.) He's also known for his cheeky publicity stunts. In 2005, he released a film called Dangerous Liaisons, which featured (non-sexual) cameos by pals Boy George, Lady Bunny, Amanda Lepore, Michael Musto, Graham Norton, and RuPaul. In 2006, he spent an unheard-of $250,000 to produce La Dolce Vita, a portion of which was filmed at Marc Jacobs' store on Bleecker Street. In 2007, the company that owns the rights to the original Fellini film of the same name sued him for copyright infringement. But Lucas is used to controversy. The outspoken smut peddler has lashed out at the gay community over drug use and unsafe sex and blasted Islam, expressing support for those who burn copies of the Koran. When he set off to Israel (for the purposes of "entertaining gay Israeli troops," of course) he ended up feuding with local Orthodox Jewish community leaders.

Trophy case

Lucas's company cleaned up at the 2007 GAYVN awards, the Oscars of gay porn. He walked away with Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Film. He also won Best Film at the 2006 GAYVNs. Accepting the award, Lucas said, "Thank you for those who voted for me and fuck you to those who didn't," and then thanked his chauffeur and pilot. The audience responded by pelting him with ice cubes.

Personal

Lucas lives in a multilevel Chelsea apartment with Austrian investor Richard Winger, his boyfriend of several years. A Richard Avedon photo of a naked and well-endowed Rudolf Nureyev hangs in the kitchen. Lucas and Winger own a Great Pyrénées dog named Bianca and a long-haired Peruvian guinea pig, which Lucas says he smuggled home in his carry-on after a vacation.