Manawatu Stardard / 12/03/05 - MELISSA JERVIS

Manawatu Stardard / 12/03/05 - MELISSA JERVIS

Porn stars visiting Palmerston North this weekend for the Erotica Lifestyles Expo are anything but shy about what they do for a living.

Tina Nash talked to American stars Syren and Evan Stone.

If it wasn't for the long Fabio-like hair Evan Stone could be your average American tourist.

People would have no idea he has featured in 1700 porn movies.

But with hair like that, he really does ooze porn star.

Although it's a wonder he is so protective of his hair given his face is hardly ever shown in his movies.

Evan and his girlfriend, fellow porn star Syren, are appearing at this weekend's Erotica Lifestyles Expo at the Palmerston North Convention Centre.

They have been starring in porn movies for six years.

They met on the set, but have only really been a couple for the past year after they met again at the Erotica Expo in Auckland last year.

They have done movies together, but most of their movies are with other people. Syren has appeared in 54 movies.

Having a relationship with some-one who isn't a porn star is almost impossible, Evan said.

They've both had unsuccessful marriages.

Syren's husband encouraged her to begin with, but she changed and became more confident and her husband didn't like that.

He had an affair.

Evans wife gave him an ultimatum.

He had to cut his precious hair, give up being a porn star and go work for courier company UPS.

He just couldn't do it.

At least Syren is able to support him, he said.

"She rings me up at work and tells me to have fun and she means it."

Having sex might be their job, but they don't get sick of it when they get home.

Boring and sex just don't go together in this relation-ship.

"The more you have sex the more you want it," Evan said.

Syren will come home with a new move and Evan certainly doesn't get upset and hassle her about where she learnt it.

"I'm like 'wow, where did you learn that!' "

Evan does one movie a day, but his record is five. And it's done without the help of Viagra.

I tried Viagra once, but it didn't agree with him.

"Viagra makes me flush.

It was cold outside and everybody was doing it.

It didn't work out well for me.

He says he has to know how to keep himself performing.

"I focus on something unique about her. She might have beautiful eyes."

He says he's never failed to complete a scene.

Evan has reached celebrity status in the United States.

He can't go to a shopping mall without being accosted by people.

He played Hercules in one movie, so people yell out "hey Hercules" because they can say that without pronouncing to the world they watch porn movies.

Being a porn star wasn't a life-long goal for either Evan or Syren.

They both kind of stumbled across it.

Evan was in college playing football and was going to join the army, but he broke his knee and neither organisation wanted him anymore.

He started dancing and was a Chippendale dancer for eight years, before meeting some people who got him into the porn industry.

Syren was an executive assistant in Hollywood working for a producer, and going to acting school.

Her boyfriend at the time started taking pictures of her in the bedroom.

She liked what she saw and decided it was something she wanted to explore.

She and her boyfriend, who eventually became her husband, started going to swinging clubs.

So when she did her first movie, having sex in front of other people wasn't a problem.

"I absolutely love being watched. I like the fact there is a camera there.

I like the freedom.

I like the sexual freedom and being able to express myself in a sexual way that I didn't have when I was growing up," Syren said.

Her mother doesn't know and would probably have a heart attack if she did, Syren said.

She's been able to keep it a secret so long because her mother lives in the Philippines, where Syren was born.

"I'm going to have to face it some time soon. I'm sure she will be fine with it. She'll get over it," Syren said.

Evan's mother is okay with him being a porn star. She has travelled to New Zealand with him.

In Hollywood, where they live, being a porn star is a cool thing.

"It's a novelty. A lot of guys and girls want to date me.

They trip out.

They try to hide their glazed eyes," Syren said.

Evan earns about $US100,000 a year.

"Before I had this job I had no need for an accountant, banker or attorney.

I've got a nice house, a couple of properties."

Women make about a third more than men and it's deserved because they work harder than the men, Evan said.

Women have to spend hours in makeup and having pre photos taken, whereas a guy just turns up and performs.

"It's the girls that sell the movie," Syren said.

It takes Syren five days to prepare for movies.

She has to build up for it mentally and likes to pamper herself.

"I go to the gym and the spa and get massages.

I have a story and script I have to learn as well and build that sexual character."

There are things Syren will not do in movies.

"I don't like men degrading woman.

I wouldn't do that.

I don't like submissive roles."

Evan has his limits as well.

He won't do bondage or wear blind folds.

He doesn't mind doing scenes with men in them, just as long as a woman is in between.

They get upset when people call their work degrading to women.

"It's such an easy word to throw out there," Syren said.

She thinks it's empowering to women.

They say they haven't had any cosmetic surgery, but many porn stars do.

So what happens when their porn star careers finish?

Syren plans to go back to Asia and work for women's groups in Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines.

"I want to help Asian women empower them-selves in a sexual way, especially sex workers."

Evan wants to develop his existing studio where he produces and directs adult movies.

But he reckons he's got another 10 years of performing in him yet.

The hair will probably come off one day, he said.

He was asked to cut it for a movie where he had to play an attorney, but the company wouldn't pay the $20,000 he wanted.