Ryan Idol

{{Infobox adult biography

| name = Ryan Idol

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Marc Anthony Donais

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|08|10|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| spouse =

| height = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}

| alias =

| website =

}}

Ryan Idol (born August 10, 1966) is an American gay pornographic film actor who performed in the 1990s and later onstage in mainstream theater. He has French, Irish, and Native American ancestry.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} Idol describes himself as "the creation of Marc Anthony Donais".{{cite news|work=Celebrity Buzz: Who's Who |title=Ryan Idol |publisher=Playbill |url=http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/whoswho/biography/3447.html|accessdate=December 18, 2007|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080106080539/http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/whoswho/biography/3447.html|archivedate=January 6, 2008|df=mdy-all}}

Biography

Idol was raised in a series of foster homes as a child. He never knew his father, and had little contact with his mother while growing up.

After high school, Idol spent a brief period in the United States Navy, then worked as a construction worker. To generate income, he began stripping for women in nightclubs in New England. He was approached to do a nude layout for Playgirl,{{cite news|last=Rothaus|first=Steve|title=Top Porn Star Recreates Himself in SoBe Play|newspaper=Miami Herald|date=August 5, 1998}} and in February 1989 appeared as the "Man of the Month" centerfold under his birth name Marc Anthony Donais. This appearance launched his career in the adult film industry, in which he achieved notoriety and success under the name Ryan Idol. At the height of his career, he claimed to earn $50,000 per film, and made tens of thousands of dollars more stripping at gay clubs around the United States. He also engaged in a limited amount of prostitution. He retired from adult films in 1996.

On March 20, 1998, Idol was seriously injured after jumping through a window of his fourth-floor apartment in New York City in an attempted suicide. He considers the fall to be a "near-death experience". Idol has stated that he doesn't recall jumping but that "the drugs and alcohol took over".{{cite news|last=Wockner|first=Rex|title=Quote/Unquote|work=Gay Today|date=August 17, 1998|url=http://gaytoday.com/garchive/quote/081798qu.htm|accessdate=December 19, 2007}}

Moving into theater acting, in 1999, Idol starred in the play Making Porn.{{cite news|last=Wong|first=Cherry|author2=Chan Hung|title=Idolatry|work=Seattle Weekly|date=April 21, 1999|url=http://www.seattleweekly.com/1999-04-21/arts/idolatry.php|accessdate=December 18, 2007|archive-date=December 5, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205030610/http://www.seattleweekly.com/1999-04-21/arts/idolatry.php|url-status=dead}} Idol next played "Bill Tom" in the play Scent of Rain (subtitled Scent of Rain: A Love Story Really!), written by Mark Dunn, for which he was lauded for "continu[ing] to establish himself as a capable actor".{{cite news|last=Spindle|first=Les|title=Scent of Rain|work=Frontiers|pages=98–99|date=December 24, 1999}} Idol made his Broadway debut when he played the "Crisco Patron" in the Roundabout Theater Company's 2007 revival of Terrence McNally's The Ritz.{{cite web|last=Broadway.com Staff|title=Gay Porn Star Ryan Idol & Others Check Into The Ritz on Broadway|publisher=Broadway.com|date=August 6, 2007|url=http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=551353|accessdate=December 17, 2007}}

Regarding his sexuality, Idol stated, "I don't like to label myself.... I'd just like to say I'm a loving person. I can love a man and I can love a woman."{{cite news|last=Bohling|first=James|title=Idol's Thoughts: Ryan Idol on the Road Back|work=Frontiers|pages=66–68|date=December 10, 1999}}

==Legal charges==

Donais' legal troubles started in 1987 when he was in the U.S. Navy stationed in Hawaii. After only serving 11 months he was court martialed and convicted of assault and battery on an officer. Donais did time in the Brig and received a dishonorable discharge from the Navy.

Court documents related to a lawsuit filed by HealthSouth over allegations of misuse of funds donated to Birmingham, Alabama, Mayor Larry Langford's Computer Help for Kids charity mentioned Idol under his real name. The papers showed that $30,000 was paid to Idol, with $5,000 coming from the charity and $25,000 from the Council of Cooperating Governments. Charity director John Katopodis testified in a deposition that Idol was paid to repair computers and to set up computer giveaway programs in other areas.{{cite web

|last=The Birmingham News Staff

|title=HealthSouth lawsuit challenges Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford's first computer charity

|publisher=al.com

|date=February 19, 2008

|url=http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1203412513231020.xml&coll=2

|accessdate=February 19, 2008

|archive-date=January 29, 2009

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129152633/http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1203412513231020.xml&coll=2

|url-status=dead

}} Idol testified that, because of his 1998 fall, he was "not at [his] full faculties" and could not recall the details of his time with the organization.{{cite news

|last=Masters

|first=Billy

|title=After Dark

|work=Gay Chicago

|page=38

|date=March 6, 2008

}}

A Sacramento Superior Court jury convicted Idol on September 20, 2011, of attempted murder for smashing his girlfriend over the head with a toilet tank lid. He was also convicted of battery, assault with a deadly weapon and "corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant".{{cite web|url=http://www.gayporntimes.com/hardnews/2011/09/21/ryan-idol-found-guilty-of-attempted-murder/|title=Ryan Idol Found Guilty of Attempted Murder|work=gayporntimes.com|accessdate=August 5, 2015|archive-date=February 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202133717/http://www.gayporntimes.com/hardnews/2011/09/21/ryan-idol-found-guilty-of-attempted-murder/|url-status=dead}} Sentencing was scheduled for December 9, 2011;[http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/archives/2011/09/former-porn-sta.html Former gay porn actor Ryan Idol convicted of attempted murder], The Sacramento Bee, September 21, 2011 however when he appeared, his attorney requested to withdraw from the case. The request was granted. Idol then appeared in court on January 13, 2012, requesting a retrial "citing ineffective assistance of counsel". He was sentenced to 12 years in state prison September 27, 2012.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/archives/2012/09/one-time-gay-porn-star-gets-12-years-for-beating-ex-girlfriend.html|title=Sacto 9-1-1|work=The Sacramento Bee|accessdate=August 5, 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908232504/http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/archives/2012/09/one-time-gay-porn-star-gets-12-years-for-beating-ex-girlfriend.html |archivedate=September 8, 2013|df=mdy-all}} He is housed at the California Medical Facility (CMF) in Vacaville, California, a facility for mentally ill prisoners, due to bad behavior, fighting, and drugs. Due to a 3-strikes record, he is eligible for a 25-years-to-life sentence if convicted for certain felonies, so he chose a deal to complete his entire sentence instead of getting a new charge. Kept in protective custody, his current release date is August 2023.[http://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov] The inmate locator system has his last name spelled incorrectly as "Donias".

Partial videography

Idol In The Sky (1996)
The Road Home (1996)
Idol Country (1994 – GayVN Award winner for Best Actor){{cite web|url=http://gayvnawards.avn.com/noms/pastwinners.html|title=Gayvn Nominees|publisher=Gayvnawards.avn.com|date=2010-09-24|accessdate=2015-08-05|archive-date=February 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219174724/http://gayvnawards.avn.com/noms/pastwinners.html|url-status=dead}}
Idol Thoughts (1993)
Trade Off (1992)
Score 10 (1991)
Idol Worship (1991)
Idol Eyes (1990 – GayVN Award winner for Best Videography)

Theater

Making Porn (1996–2001, New York (off Broadway), touring San Francisco, Miami, San Diego, Seattle, Chicago)
Scent of Rain as Bill Tom (2001-2003, Chicago, Los Angeles) (credited as Ryan Idol)
The Ritz as the Crisco patron{{IBDB name|466566}}