8 Things You Didn’t Know About Ron Jeremy

Ron Jeremy was recently all over the news when an aneurysm near his heart put him in the hospital for weeks and almost cost him his life.

Thankfully Ron is all but healed (and back at work), but all of the news surrounding his near-death experience and especially, the anti-Ron comments that surrounded his situation got me thinking about when I met him a year or so ago.

Back when Ron was out promoting the release of Ron de Jeremy – his line of “Adult” rum liquor, I had a chance to interview him. At that time, I didn’t know much about Ron Jeremy, but like most people, I knew who he was.

Ron is undoubtedly the most famous porn star in the world. His image (short, stout, and stashed) goes against all but one of the major stereotypes associated with porn stars. And the level of successful he has achieved with that image in an industry so driven by shallow beauty and body image is an ongoing enigma.

People like to judge Ron Jeremy and his success. They either love him or hate him. He stirs up something in people they can’t quite explain, and I can see why. He really is an odd ball mix of polar opposite qualities and impressions. During my interview, I was determined to find out why this was and more importantly, how Ron became so successful in an industry where he was most certainly doomed to fail.

I ended up learning far more about Ron as a person than Ron as a porn star. These were the things that most surprised me about the most famous porn star in the world.

His Life is One “Big” Joke after the Next

It is practically impossible to talk about Ron Jeremy, or to him for that matter, without every other word inciting a sexual innuendo. Big, hard, strong, cocky. I can’t imagine trying to talk to Ron about structural engineering or the Baltimore Ravens.

Every conversation is a mine field of double entendress, and it was a struggle just to get through any sentence without inciting some sort of stop and giggle. But with Ron, that’s perfectly fine.

Ron doesn’t take himself too seriously. He laughs at himself and doesn’t mind other people making him the butt of a joke.  Most porn starts aren’t defined by their sense of humor, and truthfully, Ron probably isn’t either, but he should be. The light air around him is what makes him so endearing to all angles of pop culture.

He Thinks Porn is Kind of Sleazy

Ron’s introduction to the adult industry was initiated by an old girlfriend. Impressed by her man’s endowment, Ron’s girlfriend submitted his photo to Playgirl. Editors were equally awestruck and offered Ron his first piece of published pornography.

But even after his instant success and foot (and other body part) in the door of the adult industry, Ron still wasn’t sure that porn was for him. “I used to think that porn was kind of sleazy.” (Yes, the most famous face of porn once turned up his nose to the industry.) “But then I realized, I’m kind of sleazy!” Ron is a huge advocate for pornography, but he isn’t fooling himself, or anyone else – porn isn’t all high-end and glamour.

Ron Got Into Porn for the Acting… Really He Did

Ron wanted to put his bachelor’s degree in theatre (yes, Ron is highly educated and we’ll hit on that later) to use and become an actor, but as he attempted to break into mainstream entertainment, he struggled. But he wasn’t the type to sit around and wait for his big break in mainstream film.

In the ’70s, the production of porn was a lot like real filmmaking, so much so that Ron was willing to get into porn just to be close to the movie making business. “Back then it was a real production. It was 9 days of filming lines and only 1 day of filming sex. It’s not like that today.”

Ron really didn’t get into porn for the sex (although he says that wasn’t a bad hazard of the job), he got into it because he wanted to be an actor.

Ron Spent a Year Teaching Mentally Handicapped Students

Ron has a bachelor’s degree in theatre, as well as another bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s in special education. He is highly educated and smart.

And while those lines of credentials on his resume probably didn’t matter too much when he showed up to his first day of filming, they did come in handy when Ron spent a year teaching mentally handicapped children before he started his career in film.

In another life Ron Jeremy could have been the beloved, life changing teacher of mentally challenged children. I believe that because when he spoke of it, he spoke as fondly and passionately as he did about his current job.

There is Nothing Ron Won’t Do

Okay, so maybe you do know that there is pretty much nothing that Ron Jeremy won’t do. But when talking about professional opportunity, the same is true. In the business realm, Ron is quite the Renaissance man.

Ron has appeared in movies and television shows, provided his voice for cartoons, and been a character in a video game. He wrote a book, started a business, and gave his voice to awareness campaigns for PETA and porn advocacy.

When talking to Ron, his enthusiasm for listing his accomplishments reflects the importance of all of his odd jobs. That exposure is responsible for securing Ron’s role as such a sensational pop icon. He never turns down an opportunity to get his name in the lights. “Fame leads to fame leads to fame leads to more fame.”

He Has Been in More Music Videos Than Justin Beiber

Among all that exposure, Ron has made cameos in over 30 music videos. From Mariah Carey to the Insane Clown Posse, the spectrum of music videos Ron has appeared in is as long as… his career. He’s appeared with Kid Rock, Sublime, Everclear, Guns and Roses, and most recently LMAFO.

But Ron doesn’t just show up in music videos, he also makes them. In 1995, Ron released his own rap song and music video “Freak of the Week” which landed on Billboard’s Top 100 and stayed there for 27 weeks.

Sure Justin Beiber will likely exceed the number of Ron’s music video appearances, but it is also safe to say that as long as Ron is around, artists will continue to use his famous mug for adding edge, pop culture, and attention to their videos.

Ron is Spanish for Rum

Somewhere in a tavern in the heart of Amsterdam, two friends – marketers from Finland – were having another round, when they spotting the sign that started it all. It was a sign promoting rum in Spanish – “Ron.”

The friends saw a marketing gem in the English to Spanish translation of Ron to Rum. Ron was happy to explain how the idea found its way to him. “They wanted to find the most famous Ron. I guess Ron Howard was too busy making movies. And I’m guessing Ronald McDonald told them to ‘Go Fuck Themselves.’ So they settled on me.”

But the guys behind One Eyed Liquors didn’t want Ron Howard or Ronald McDonald, they wanted Ron Jeremy. They knew all too well that Ron’s famous face was perfect for branding their new “adult” liquor venture.

He’s Secretly a Gentleman

In an unusual, unplanned experience, I got to see the genuine, gentlemen Ron Jeremy.

As my photographer and I were leaving the building a very pretty, soft-spoken, and somewhat bashful woman on her way to see Ron stopped to ask if we could take a professional photo of her with Ron.

As it turns out she was no ordinary fan, she was an old friend of Ron’s – not an old industry acquaintance or business colleague – she was a friend from college. She knew Ron from the world when he wasn’t Ron Jeremy, back when he was plain old Ronald Jeremy Hyatt. We got to witness their warm reuniting as Ron gushed over her and her niece and asked questions about her family, her old home, and her current life.

So yes, in a rare and unplanned experience, I got to see first-hand who Ron Jeremy is and why he is so successful. Why he can travel the world and be recognized by the young, the old, those who watch porn and those who don’t.

I believe all of Ron’s success really boils down to him being a genuinely nice guy. He can make anyone feel comfortable, which no doubt has had an affect on his career in an industry that so frequently makes people uncomfortable.

People really have it all wrong about Ron Jeremy. But I think he is smart enough to know that is a good thing.