François Sagat

Beginnings

François Sagat was born in Cognac, in the south-west of France to French parents of Slovak ancestry. Sagat moved to Paris at the age of eighteen, hoping to work in the fashion industry. Since childhood, Sagat had been fascinated by fashion and passionate about drawing. After studying fashion for two years in Paris and working briefly as an assistant in various fashion houses, Sagat left the profession. In an interview, Sagat said that he was about 23 years old at the time, and that he had known people like Karl Lagerfeld and Mario Testino. He believed that there he had little experience in fashion, did not speak English very well and was unsure about the work. He felt that he had not been given the opportunities he deserved, and has claimed that it actually cost him money to work in the fashion industry, since he was often not paid for his work. He did photographic work for several French companies, but felt he was poorly treated and put his career in front of the camera on hold.

Career in adult films

At the age of twenty-five, François Sagat was contacted by a French pornographic studio called Citébeur. He accepted their offer and, a few weeks later, performed in his first adult film under the screen name Azzedine. It became an instant success, and Sagat decided to seek a full-time job in the porn industry.

After several films with Citébeur as Azzedine, he was invited to move to the USA and, there, shot his first scene for the porn film Arabesque by Raging Stallion Studios using his birth name François Sagat.

He stayed with Raging Stallion Studios for 2005–2006 before becoming an exclusive porn star at Titan Media in 2007 doing films for the TitanMen series. After briefly retiring from the adult industry, he staged his comeback in late 2008 and has appeared in the TitanMen video, Full Access, in a scene with fellow porn star Matthew Rush.

As a pornographic actor, he was both top and bottom and also performed BDSM. Although known primarily for his gay movies, he has also appeared in a few bisexual scenes, most notably in the film Gay Arab Club.

In November 2011, Titan Media announced that Sagat would return to adult films as a performer, and as a director and producer. His film François Sagat's Incubus was released in two parts, with part one released in December 2011 and part two in March 2012. On his blog, Sagat recounted the making of the film in clips he shot on set.

In April 2012, Sagat traveled to Brasilia in Brazil, where he held a series of shows in one event at a nightclub. Sagat recreated a sex scene from his film Incubus with Brazilian model Lucas Fox and other French actors.

Film directing

In October 2011, Sagat completed production and filming of his two-part porn film series Incubus for TitanMen. The film acts as Sagat's first foray into filmmaking as writer/director/producer. Production on the film(s) began in 2010. Incubus – Part One was released in December 2011 as TitanMen's 'holiday film'. ParouTudo announced that Incubus – Part Two was expected to be released in March 2012. In support of the film, TitanMen created, and in November 2011 released, a 33-minute 'making of' documentary showing scenes from the film and sharing Sagat's processes as it was being made.

Career in non-pornographic films

Sagat has been involved in non-adult film releases and developed an acting career.

In 2009, he appeared in the role of a male addict in Saw VI, the sixth installment of the Saw film series directed by Kevin Greutert. Based on this success, in 2010, he appeared in another horror movie directed by Bruce LaBruce in the lead role in L.A. Zombie where he plays role of a homeless schizophrenic man who thinks he's an alien zombie sent to earth, roaming the streets of Los Angeles trying to bring the dead back to life by engaging in homosexual sex.

He appears in the lead role in Homme au bain (in English Man in Bath) directed by Christophe Honoré. He plays the role of Emmanuel, a gay hustler living with his lover. After a quarrell between the two, Emmanuel is left brokenhearted to fend for himself as Omar makes his way to Manhattan. The film separately follows the two men, discovering how their heartbreak gives way to fresh outlooks and doleful acceptance. Director Christopher Honoré told French gay website Yagg.com that he was interested in Sagat because he "redefines the notion of masculinity".

Both L.A. Zombie and Homme au bain premiered at Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland in 2010, making François Sagat the only actor with two lead roles featured in two competition entries during the festival. L.A. Zombie was also due to be screened during the Melbourne International Film Festival in Australia but was banned due to a ruling by Australia's Film Classification Board. In their opinion the film would be refused classification.

In popular culture

Sagat is known for his distinctive scalp tattoo. In a recent interview he explained that his hair began to thin out a few years ago and he felt that his head was too long and disproportional. In order to make his cranium appear more symmetrical, he decided to get a tattoo that gave the illusion of a hairy scalp. He also added perpendicular lines in appreciation of hip hop style. He has another, equally distinctive tattoo: a combination of a sickle moon and star reminiscent of flags on some Arab country flags. He explained that he loves Arab men and that the tattoo is his tribute to those people and to the cultures he admires and respects. He has a third tattoo, on his left arm which is his surname in Greek letters ΣΑΓΑΤ (read SAGAT).

Documentaries

In 2007, he appeared with other personalities in Olivier Nicklaus documentary about nudity in culture entitled La nudité toute nue. The documentary was broadcast on Canal+ and other mainstream television channels.

In March 2011, a documentary entitled Sagat: The Documentary premiered on Canal+, a joint Brenda & Lucy Co./ADL TV/Canal+ production exploring the Sagat personna and phenomenon on world culture trends.

Public awareness

Sagat is involved in public awareness campaigns. In 2009, with the initiative of French gay site Yagg.com and INPES, the French National Institute for Prevention and Health Education (In French: Institut national de prévention et d'éducation pour la santé), Sagat made an advertisement entitled Je mets une capote et du gel that was first broadcast on the World AIDS Day, where he appears nude showing a simple way of using condom and lubricant.

Marketing, fashion and music

Sagat keeps an active blog, where he explores his creativity in diverse and intimate ways, showing in addition to promotional materials, his art work, intimate looks into his personal life, video takes on various topics, and personal renditions of favorite lyrics from chosen songs.

Sagat adult toys were marketed including dildos made from an exact molding of Sagat's genitalia with realistic veins, glans and foreskin.

Sagat is involved in fashion. When German designer Bernhard Willhelm launched his first menswear collection during Paris Fashion Week, he chose Sagat to promote the event. This turned into a series François Sagat Classics wear. Selected photographs of collaboration and inspired by work of Peter Berlin also appeared as calendars. The series was photographed by Lukas Wassmann. Sagat has also worked with the French fashion label Fade. He was involved in designing clothing and accessories used in his two-part series François Sagat's Incubus. Sagat is known as an erotic artist and draftsman.

Sagat is involved in fashion photoshoots. American fashion photographer Terry Richardson made a short portrait of Sagat. In a military-themed photoshoot, Richardson shows Sagat in various poses wearing the US stars and stripes, or toying with American military accessories and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" written on his buttocks.

In March 2012, he launched a musical project entitled Hadès with Sylvia Gobbel, a muse of the late photographer Helmut Newton. Hadès is directed by French Photographic Heritage-awarded Franck Glenisson with symphonic music arranged by Hedayat. The project incorporates a song, a film and 16 erotic photographs of Gobbel and Sagat. The music video debuted in March 2011. Since 2013, Sagat announced his own on-line clothing brand of streetwear, sportswear, underwear and accessories named KICKSAGAT in association with workpartner PH. Sagat did all the designing.

Retirement

In Spring 2013, Sagat released a short 13-second shot in black and white video standing in front of the Disney Magic Kingdom saying: "Hello, I'm Franços Sagat, and from this day forward, I've retired from porn." In a May 2013 interview given to the news site Queerty.com, Sagat revealed that he had retired two years earlier, with the Incubus series being his last films.

Personal life

Sagat is openly gay. He was in a relationship with well-known European porn star Francesco D'Macho. The two have since separated. In a January 2009 interview, Sagat revealed that he resided in Toronto for more than six months while shooting scenes for the movie Saw VI. However, the actor is currently living in France.

When in Brazil, Sagat told his desire to be in a serious relationship. Asked if he had relationships with someone from work, Sagat said "No. I had an actor in Paris that I really liked and so. But the fact that we had already worked together broke the magic." Sagat dated another porn star, Francesco D'Macho, but in the interview he did not cite anyone in particular.

When acting in films, the actor said that he prefers to be top, it feels more comfortable that way. In personal life he enjoys both top and bottom, claiming to be obsessed with asses.

Singles

Non-pornographic

Documentaries

Films

Shorts

Advertisements / Public awareness

Music Videos

Director / Producer