CAREER CHANGE-UP

‘A Christmas Story’ Child Star Reveals Why He Switched to Working in Porn

Scott Schwartz said he eventually became “the second-highest-paid male performer ever.”

The former child actor Scott Schwartz is providing new details about why he switched to working in the adult film industry. “I did it for the paycheck. I was the second-highest-paid male performer ever,” he said, revealing that John Wayne Bobbitt, who became famous after his wife Lorena sliced off his penis, was the highest-paid performer.. Schwartz, 57, is best known for his non-adult roles in A Christmas Story and the Richard Pryor comedy The Toy. He also appeared in more than 100 commercials as a kid. But he said after his voice dropped he could no longer get the roles he once did. Schwartz then left Hollywood and toured as a roadie for a buddy of his in the adult film industry, but soon found himself broke after returning to Los Angeles. That’s when the idea clicked. “I ended up doing several on-camera, what they call non-sex roles in adult films,” he recalled. “They’re willing to pay $300 a day, I need rent money. Okay, fine, I’m not hurting anybody, I’m not going to jail.” After transitioning to a behind-the-scenes role as a cameraperson for the films, he then made the leap to full adult actor mode, starring in the special Scotty’s X-Rated Adventure. Schwartz noted how unusual it was for someone of his stature in the acting world to make the transition to adult film, calling himself “Gilligan alone on the island.”