a.k.a. Marc Arnold, Mark Arnold

One of the most recognizable and well-loved directors and performers in the porno industry, Ed Powers is a true original. He's a hero to the hardcore-watching everyman, a guy whose wacky banter and easy-going approach to sex has won over more young starlets than many a better-looking guy. With his ragged red beard, somewhat portly frame, thick glasses, greasy skin and balding head, Ed will never win any awards for his looks. But he's carved out a niche in hardcore as an affable and self-effacing guy whose sense of humor and down-home demeanor work where good looks won't. Ed doesn't try to separate himself from his audience -- he knows that the guys watching out there identify with him implicitly and he trusts himself enough to go with his instincts when it comes to shooting porn.

Ed was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 25, 1954. His real name is Mark Arnold, and he still sometimes uses that name in directorial credits. Ed moved out West in the mid-80's, and by the latter part of the decade had begun to work sporadically in porno flicks. It was when he took up a camera himself, though, that Ed first got noticed in the industry. He cooked up a totally unique type of porno film, one in which he would try and pick up girls right off the street and talk them into performing with him on camera. Powers called his project 'Bus Stop Tales,' and it debuted in 1989. Fans couldn't resist watching this average schmo win over gorgeous young gals, and the series quickly established these newly established pro-am and gonzo-style tapes as the fastest-rising genre around. Ed really hit his stride in 1990 with the debut of his 'Dirty Debutantes' series. Even simpler than 'Bus Stop Tales,' the 'DD' format called for a series of porno wannabes to come by Ed's studio and let themselves be talked into a tryst with him.

Ed's gentle, fun-loving attitude somehow seems to connect with lots of nubile young starlets, and the series instantly became the talk of the industry. While lots of folks have tried to copy 'Dirty Debs,' none have quite managed to pull it off like Ed. The wildly popular series is still going strong, 10 years after its debut. Ed has parlayed his success into a whole string of pro-am and gonzo series, including such heated fare as 'New Ends,' 'Dirty Dirty Debutantes,' 'Deep Inside Dirty Debutantes,' 'Pick Up Lines,' and his latest, the globe-hopping 'Global Warming Debutantes.' By now, Ed's established his series as the places for up-and-coming starlets to be seen, and now he's got gals coming to him instead of the other way around. Not content to just sit back and let the money roll in, Ed continues to work as an actor in various other porno productions. He also hosts his own late-night talk show on 97.1 FM in Los Angeles on Saturdays from midnight to 3 AM. His winning personality makes him a natural for such work and the show seems to be taking off quite nicely.

Without a doubt, Ed Powers is one of porn's ultimate success stories, a guy-next-door wh

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