Rocco Siffredi

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.

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 gay audience. Read Less