Manuel Ferrara was born to a Spanish mother and French father in Gagny, a French suburb outside of Paris. He is the youngest of three children and competed nationally in the Judo circuit from the time he was young until he entered college, where he studied physical education and began teaching Judo. During college, he also joined the military in the firefighter division. It was during this time that Manuel attended an adult casting call on a dare. He was promiscuous, popular with women, and a dedicated porn fan. His friends thought he would be perfect for the job. At the casting call, Manuel was chosen from among dozens of other contenders and, along with five other hopefuls, asked to perform in a scene on the spot. He was the only one of the five who could do the job. After that, he took regular calls for adult film jobs in the local French amateur circuit while he continued to finish his college coursework. His plan was to quit working in porn films once he graduated, but in the months leading up to his graduation, Manuel was discovered by Rocco Siffredi, who was then, and remains, the most successful male adult film star in the industry’s history. Rocco wanted to bring Manuel from amateur films to pro films. After some debate, Manuel shelved his plans in physical education and decided to jump full time into pursuing a career in porn. The same month he graduated college, Manuel flew to Prague for the first time to begin working as Rocco’s protégé. It was there that Rocco suggested the stage name “Ferrara,” because Manuel looked like a boxer named Stephane Ferrara. Manuel Ferrara’s name rose quickly and it wasn’t long before American companies heard of Manuel. In 2002, John Stagliano flew Manuel to Los Angeles to work on Fashionistas, a movie that would come to develop a cult following. The following year, Manuel won Best Foreign Male Performer at the AVN awards, and in the years since he’s taken home a total of 5 Best Male Performer awards from AVN, among dozens of others for his scene and directorial work. His style on camera has influenced the performances of a generation of performers who came after him, and he remains a favorite among female performers and porn viewers alike.
