THOR STEPHENS had the sad duty of contacting me a few days ago to tell me about the passing of his best friend, RON BOUDREAU. Ron also went by the names BEAU BOUDREAU and ROCK ROUNEE.

Ronnie was originally a hair and makeup man in the industry, working with many, many studios: All Worlds, Red Devil, Arena Entertainment and Thor Productions, to name a few. Ronnie also started Atron Productions and made a few but memorable films, including FANTASIES OF A PIG BOTTOM and FANTASIES OF A PORN STAR.


Ronnie and DEAN CAMERON on the sex of SEX PSYCHO (Arena Entertainment).


Ronnie making up Dean Cameron.

Ronnie was always eager to pitch in, often playing small roles. He played BRAD BENTON's father in SEXUAL URBAN LEGENDS and the guy who said goodnight to SAL IACOPELLI in NASTY NASTY.

My favorite Ronnie story:

Five or six years ago, I was meeting with Ronnie about directing for his company, Atron. He wanted to add a 2nd in-house director to his team, and as I was already shooting and editing his videos, I thought I'd apply for the position. I showed him a copy of DAMNATION: HELL IN LEATHER, which I'd recently done for All Worlds, and had gotten great reviews, but Ronnie seemed unimpressed. "The sex looks like the same shooting style that you're doing for MIKE RYAN" (a.k.a. PETER AND CASEY O'BRIAN, who were his other directors), he said. I explained to him that most sex used similar shots, and that there were only so many ways to film a sex scene.

He asked me, if hired, what my first movie would be, and I pitched him my idea for CANVAS. He wrinkled his nose and said it sounded too violent to him. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and DOUG LAWRENCE entered the room. Doug was an editor for the gay section of AVN magazine and had arrived to pick some stills from Atron's latest production for the next issue of AVN. He sat on the couch and began perusing through the books of stills, while Ronnie continued to express his doubts about hiring me and doing CANVAS. Doug noticed the movie still playing on the TV screen and asked, "Is this DAMNATION?" to which Ronnie replied, "Yes, it is." Doug said, "I love this movie. I'd really like to meet the director, Jett Blakk." Ronnie gestured at me and said, "Well, THIS is Jett Blakk!" Doug then graciously launched into a volley of praise: "I love your work! Your films are so creative! I think you're one of the best directors working in the industry today!"

Without missing a beat, Ronnie turned to him and said, "Jett's going to be directing a movie for me." LOL

Unfortunately, that never came to pass. Ronnie was still convinced that CANVAS was too violent, and while we continued to discuss it, Atron suddenly ceased production. Years later, I made CANVAS for my own company, Red Devil, and hired Ronnie as my line producer and makeup artist. Instead of my working for him, he was working for me! lol. When he saw the finished film, Ronnie told me, "It's a brilliant movie. I was a fool not to make it."

Two years ago, Ronnie began to suffer ill health, and he returned to Harrisburgh, PA to live with his mother. He lived in almost constant pain, but on Wednesday, January 24th, he awoke feeling especially unwell. His mother and sister took him to an emergency room, and after waiting for 4 hours, he was finally taken into X-Ray. While waiting for the film to be developed, Ronnie, this silver-haired, velvet-voiced, wry-spirited teddy bear of a man, quietly passed away in the X-Ray room, due to liver failure. He was 57.


Ronnie at his last birthday party.

Ronnie is survived by his mother, two brothers and two sisters and by his best friend, Thor Stephens. He was cremated two days later with some of the ashes sent to an ex-boyfriend living in West Hollywood, who will scatter them in the ocean at Santa Barbara.

Ronnie was a wonderful man who made me smile with every conversation. I laugh even now, thinking of how he's in Heaven telling the seraphim that they need lipo and extoling the virtues of Botox to the saints.

Ronnie had asked that he be remembered via donations to the AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF LIVER DISEASES

Rest in peace, my friend. The pain you have been suffering with is finally over.

JBK