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If you popped a porno tape into your VCR anytime from the late 80s on, chances are you’d be watching Randy Spears in action before long. Randy was a good-looking guy with solid acting chops and a talent for comedy, and he made close to 2000 adult movies between 1988 and the early 2010s. He performed with the biggest names in the business, like Sharon Kane, Nina Hartley and Tori Welles – and won a ton of industry awards.
It wasn’t an obvious career choice. Randy started life as a solid midwestern boy, growing up in a churchgoing family. He worked in a nuclear factory before joining the military and becoming an anti-submarine warfare operator. But Randy felt the pull of performing, turning to modeling and acting in commercials before becoming a Chippendales dancer. Lured by Hollywood, he made his way to LA and found some early mainstream success while dating Linda Blair. But in 1988, the writers’ union went on strike and the town shut down for almost half a year. But not the Valley, where porn was thriving and looking for handsome young men who could read lines and come on command.
Hungry for work and money, Randy began nude modeling before eventually making his way into adult films. The business embraced him with open arms and Randy quickly became one of the most prolific actors on the scene. But then after a full 25 years of performing sex on screen, Randy made a very public statement – he was done with porn. Not only that, but he was dedicating himself to becoming a more devout Christian.
On this Rialto Report, April Hall talks to Randy Spears to find out why. It’s a tale of porn and love, drugs and jail, death and god – even a turn into politics when Greg found himself in the middle of Stormy Daniel’s public affair with Donald Trump.
This episode is 101 minutes long.
You can follow Randy on Twitter @itsrandyspears, on Instagram @realrandyspears, and book him through Gitoni Productions.
The music playlist for this episode can be found on Spotify.
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Randy Spears
Randy in his service uniform with his grandmother
Randy Spears and ex-wife Gina Rodriguez
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RANDY SPEARS….!!! The best name in porn!!! unbelievable to finally hear from the big man.
I seriously love this guy.
I met him at a convention back in the 90s and he was a gentleman and a big character.
God Bless You, Greg!
It’s refreshing to see total honesty, and Randy gives his heart and soul to this interview. Another fantastic piece from the Rialto crew. So enjoy your work kids!
Stay hard, keep jamming, and rock on!
Thanks so much Richard!
Randy was one of the nice guys of porn, he had great chemistry with Carol Cummings and Alicia Monet, two actresses that were not the easiest to get along with during their heyday.
So why was Carol Cummings so difficult to work with? Curious.
WOW! Stunning interview! Thanks for the excellent show!
I had tears welling up during certain segments of this one , absolutely loved Randy / Greg’s honesty and rawness . I could listen to He & April’s theological Q&A’s all night . In my personal top 5 podcasts ( along with Christy , Veronica , Barbara , and Keisha ). I’ll be praying (lol) for Anette Haven , Ashlyn Gere , and Heather Hunter to eventually get the Rialto Report treatment , keep up the great work guys !
Thanks so much Isaac!
Thanks as always Patrick!
We have all been waiting for this one. Gregory Daschle aka Randy Spears on the Rialto Report, Finally!
Wow. This was such an achingly candid episode, and there’s so much anguish in it. This guy never comes across with an ounce of spite, and never casts blame on anyone for his own choices. What a courageous and resilient human being, who comes across with authentic humility, even if he was a titan onscreen. We can watch the man have his way with women we worship, and even then he’s easy to empathize with, and tough to envy.
@April Hall is so talented at she does, she makes the connection with everyone she talks to seem natural and unaffected. That alluring voice of hers is so alive and warm, and couldn’t be more matched to what she covers.
OK I’m actually blushing EVM – thank you!
April, you made me care about the guy. When I saw the testimony video a while back I found it a bit suspect. Here, with a chance to expand I found him to be so genuine and caring. So pleased to hear of his evolution with such loving family relationships and of his efforts to help others. Marvelous work!
I so appreciate it Tom!
Randy…! We love you. This is the best interview I’ve ever heard with you, and you come across as a great guy. Thank you for your honesty and openness. This is fantastic.!!
I just listened to this podcast back to back with an interview/“commentary” done by a fan on a recent DVD release. I have to say: The two products are light years apart. The fan commentary petered out fairly pathetically after a discussion of the lead actor’s dog (….)
This is the problem with genre releases: there is little money in them so the distributors seem to entrust clowns to provide them with extras…… on the basis that they are knowledgeable porn hounds who’ve seen every scene ever released. Is that useful knowledge to the viewer?
I would argue that if you view these films to be important artifacts of a time and place (which on the whole is agree with) then they deserve more than a breathless fan whose excitement to speak to his wet dream idol exceeds his ability to provided intelligent context.
For now, I get that content from The Rialto Report, and thank my lucky stars we have that.
Thank you James!
Yet again the Rialto Report outdoes itself again with another amazing interview. I’m very glad things have worked for him as best they can.
Fantastic interview! Randy is great. I would love to hear you do an interview with Annette Haven.
I agree Craig, Annette Haven would be an amazing interview 🤩
May I be so humble to add a few more names to the interview wish list
1. Candi Evans
2. Melissa Melendez
3. Crystal Breeze
4. Jessie St. James
5. Sahara
6. Kimberly Carson
7. Desiree West
8. Kari Foxx
9. Alicia Monet
10. Tamara Longley
Great list. I would add Elle Rio and Krista Lane, too.
Oh, and also Mai Lin!
Jessie St James! YES!
I just finished listening to the Randy Spears episode. He is finally at peace. Even when he gets candid on his past experience as an x-rated performer all the way to his reaffirming of his Christian faith, Randy(ahem), Gregory Daschle didn’t come on the RR podcast with an agenda to necessarily point a pious finger at the adult entertainment industry, but to tell his story about what he was to who he currently is today, and nothing more. He is a living surviving testimony that even a person who have fallen away in a controversial and questionable industry can bounce back. His story will be an inspiration for many. This without question, is one of the best to Rialto Report episodes I’ve ever heard! Might I suggest you and Ashley getting Joey Silvera in a future episode. I bet he has an amazing story to tell much like the former Randy Spears.
That was probably your best interview April.I am a big fan of your work!
Thank you so much Robert – I really appreciate that!
What a surprise to get his episode in my podcast feed. I had seen that testimonial video that Randy had done years ago and always wondered if the day would come if he would sit down and talk about his life long-form or if he’d put out a memoir of his life.
The interview came across as listening to someone who is finally comfortable in their own skin and their own faith after so many years of success in the adult industry, but yet couldn’t escape the hardship and torment that being in the skin business can bring (i.e., drug use, depression, criminal rap sheet, etc).
Very moving interview.
Incredible questions asked to Randy/Greg.
Beautiful ´conclusiion´ to the interview.
Congrats.
P.S.–April Hall is such a competent interviewer I´m sure if she´d been hired to question the people at the Nuremberg trail they would not have felt the pressure.
Wow Marco, that’s saying something!
I have to say that this was one of the best interviews I have ever heard! I really appreciated this man’s complete candor about his life and career. At times it was a difficult listen, as Randy didn’t hold anything back, including the emotions as he was recalling some pretty painful times. I was so pleased to hear that he was able to leave the industry and start over on his spiritual path and that everything is going beautifully for him now!
I have to say, the interviews I hear on the Rialto Report truly remind me of the kind of interviews I used to hear with Hollywood insiders back in the day. Nowadays, its all about the phony spin-doctor stuff-very much to the surface.
Not here. It’s all deep and raw and very real.
Many thanks to Randy for giving us his time and for your thoughtfully directed interview.
Keep up the great work and…
Thanks again 😀
We really appreciate the feedback Diane!
Yes, a great interview. Randy, for me, was the best actor in porn. He was also pretty much an ‘everyman’ in that you did believe in his sexual experiences and he lived them out onscreen and you did not think he was faking it!
He is clearly a much happier person now which is great to see and his view about the conflict between Pornography and being a Christian is quite profound and is food for thought. I think his finest work was in one of the films he mentioned ‘Hearts of Darkness’ ( 2003) about both his own and PT’s sexual addiction and also ‘Heaven’s Revenge’ (2002) – another PT directed movie. His scenes with Ashlyn Gere were also very hot!
It takes a huge amount of courage to do a regular job after years in the spotlight. It sounds like Danielle Rodgers is a complete cunt but there are two sides to every story. I’d like to hear her side
One of the best interviews I’ve heard of a phase 2 porn star, after the first gen classic stars. The courage unadulterated common sense and honesty shown by “Mr. Spears” was awe inspiring. I think even April was impressed, just because he was raised RC does not invalidate his life experience. I would question the morals and ethics of some of the civilians who arrogantly refused to work with him when he was making a change, they run me the wrong way, not a porn star doing something different with their life. Hyper religiosity is the ultimate hypocrisy to me, I am not going to rant about the ” holier than thou ” or the Moral Majority.
Good luck to you Mr Randy Spears.
Great interview Ashley West
perhaps the most melancholy of all the RR interviews which covers a good bit of ground.
Wow, just wow. Thanks for showing once again that the people who made the x-rated movies are more than sex performers.
Thank you JLHayseed!
One of the best scenes ever with Sabrina Dawn and friend, the New Barbarians maybe?
The male performers who seem to be having a good time even if they are faking it are the best and Spears is right up there with Horny Mike Horner and Peter North in that department.
Thank You R.S. for your military Service. Live long and Prosper \\ //
Awesome interview!
Thanks Jose!
Great interview and a great guy too!
Thank you!
Randy Spears Was So Sexy From The 80s And Early 90s Keep Up Good Work
Great interview April! I’m glad he found peace. Great ending with Night Ranger too!