Arts & Entertainment
Colby Jansen makes non-porn debut with short film, ‘Matt’
Adult entertainment star Colby Jansen has just made his non-porn acting debut.
The adult performer stars alongside actor Patrick Wallace in the 12-minute short “Matt.” It made the rounds at several LGBTQ film festivals over the past year before being posted online last week. It can also be viewed via streaming service Dekkoo.
The short film was created by writer/director Ori Ravid, who partially funded the project via a Kickstarter campaign. It focuses on a one-night hook up between a young twink and an older daddy, both of whom are called Matt.
The short explores the sometimes-awkward dynamic between sexual partners when one has a lot of experience and the other does not.
Ravid, who graduated from NYU with a degree in Film and Television Production, says he first had the idea for the movie a few years ago.
“I found out that someone I had a huge crush on was dating someone significantly older than him,” the filmmaker says, “so I arranged a sleepover with someone in my neighborhood who was significantly older than me out of, yes, jealousy, but also curiosity.
“I wanted to know what a 45-year-old could possibly get out of someone emotionally who was 25. Turns out that I was really just insecure with myself in a lot of ways and I’ve done a full 180-degree turn on that thinking since then, but that was the inception of the idea.
“I reached out to Colby because, as someone familiar with his work, I knew he could act and would be a ‘dream daddy’ to cast. I emailed him the script and he agreed to do it pretty much immediately.”
On the subject matter, he has said, “I wanted to portray a gay hook-up that feels realistic and also free of melodrama – something that I feel like is rarely done and if I had seen in my informative years could have made me feel better about myself sexually once I got older.
“I’ve had a lot of straight people tell me how relatable it is for them after watching it too, which isn’t something I was necessarily expecting but am super happy is the case.”
As for Jansen, he told the online outlet Queerty that the project was “really refreshing” after his adult entertainment work.
“I had an absolute blast with Ori, Patrick and the rest of the crew,” Jansen says. “It was challenging to really focus on acting and get my tone, inflection, facial expressions and timing down. And I believe it really has helped me in the acting part of my ‘other’ kind of acting.”
“I’m still working as an adult actor,” he reassures his fans. “I still have my OnlyFans and I’m making content with men and women now and I still work for major studios. As long as people keep booking me, I want to keep working!”
Actor Patrick Wallace plays Younger Matt.
The D.C. Front Runners held the 14th annual 5K Pride Run at Congressional Cemetery on Saturday, June 6.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Books
‘Mighty Real’ explores history of LGBTQ music
From Judas Priest to Whitney, something for every taste
‘Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969-2000’
By Barry Walters
c.2026, Viking
$35/496 pages
Step, step, tap, back step.
Shimmy in a circle, left hand waving over your head, shake your tail feathers, repeat to the beat. Once there was a time when you could do any dance in your sleep, but it’s been a while. So read “Mighty Real” by Barry Walters, and see if your toes don’t tap.
Fifty-seven years after Stonewall, and here we are: LGBTQ musicians still face scrutiny for their sexuality because, says Walters, music isn’t created for gay listeners. No problem: LGBTQ artists and writers have often penned lyrics carefully in order to say what can’t be said, “coding” songs for gay audiences that straight (and ignorant) listeners can dance to and enjoy with apparent obliviousness.
Walters offers “just a few” examples.
Lou Reed sang about trans people in the late ‘60s and offered a rallying song for the Gay Liberation Front in 1972, the latter of which felt like a message to a then-11-year-old Walters. Janis Joplin claimed she was straight, but she had several girlfriends. Motown singers often offered sometimes-ambiguous lyrics.
John Lennon’s hand placement on the back cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band made Walters begin to understand that he was different from other boys.
David Bowie is on his list, of course, as is Bette Midler, Elton John, Donna Summer, and Queen. You’ll find Judas Priest here, Green Day, and punk music. The Village People are included in this book, also Grace Jones, Duran Duran, and Cher, Whitney, Melissa, Latifah, and the lyrics from several blockbuster movies.
Two of Prince’s band members were lesbians, and they heavily influenced his albums. Diana Ross’s “I’m Coming Out” cemented her position in LGBTQ culture, and Michael Jackson’s inclusion here takes much careful consideration.
Read about Olivia Newton-John and the B52s. And then there’s Sylvester, for whom Walters has a soft spot in his heart. Sylvester’s death still makes Walters cry.
In his preface, author and music writer Barry Walters points out that music is what you make it and that it’s interpreted differently by each individual. To that end, this book naturally consists of preferential history and personal opinions about singers, bands, albums, and songs.
Agree or disagree. That’s where much of the appeal lies in “Mighty Real.”
Here, Walters wraps his memories around his choices, giving readers room for their own views, memories, and list making. Music-loving readers might also be surprised to note who’s not on Walters’ list – there aren’t many country performers here, for example, and the overall list focuses entirely on music from roughly 1968 to the year 2000, mostly on the kinds of songs you’ll want at the club or party. Again, discuss, and curate your own playlist.
This is a hefty book, but the chapters are browse-able and generally short enough to read in under five minutes. It’s nostalgic, yet also serious in the history it presents. This is the kind of book you want to leave near your album collection, or wherever you get your tunes. But finding “Mighty Real” is your first step.
The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.
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(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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