Porn legend (and Las Vegas resident) Sunset Thomas still showing naked ambition

Friday, Jan. 20, 2012 | 5:25 p.m.

Sunset Thomas says hello, then she apologizes for an absence of cosmetic enhancement.

“I’ve kissed all my lipstick away,” she says, laughing. “I’ve kissed a lot of people today.”

That’s because Thomas is appearing at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo at the Hard Rock Hotel. Fans find Thomas, one of the adult industry’s biggest stars, to be one of the most accessible figures in the porn culture. So she kisses away, pausing for an interview to talk of her latest projects.

There’s a lot going on, as the sun never sets on Sunset’s little adult-themed empire. She has written an advice column for Esquire.com and mused about boxing for an online outfit called Doghouse Boxing. She recently posed for some artsy, black-white-photos and hopes to market her images to collectors of such erotic images.

Up next for Thomas is her contribution to Arianne Cohen’s upcoming book, “Sex Diaries Project,” in which Cohen pulled from the journals of hundreds of people for a collection of personal essays.

But on this day, Thomas is primarily interested in a new product bearing her name. That’s where the conversation starts:

What is this new pill you’re packing around?

“It’s called Las Vegas Showtime. What is it? It’s a male enhancer and it’s all natural.”

What led you to develop this pill? Is there a great need in your world for this product?

“Not necessarily a great need for me, but I know there’s a great need for a lot of people out there. The one thing I like is that it’s all natural. I’m not knocking other products that are out there, but some can cause migraines or are not good for you if you can’t have too much caffeine. I like the fact that it is all natural, and lasts 48 hours.”

Forty-eight hours?

“I know, you go, ‘Oh, my God am I (going to be in a condition to have sex) for 48 hours?’ No. What happens is, I’ve tried it with a couple of my male friends and you (can perform intermittently) for 48 hours without having to take another pill.”

Ah, convenience.

“If you want more details on the product, go online and you’ll get more of an idea about what it is … We’re working on cost right now. We just started it just a couple of weeks ago. We do have a contest, as well, for what’s going on.”

A contest?

“Whoever sells the most pills over a six-month period gets a date with me, here, in Las Vegas. We’re not putting out a specific date yet, but that is the prize for the top seller. We’ll pay for your plane ticket, everything.”

If you win the contest, and you’re from Las Vegas, do you get a flight to a different city for the date?

“That’s a good question.”

Maybe I win the contest, and I want to go to Lake Tahoe.

“Well, that’s a possibility, actually.”

What will the date be? What are we doing on the date?

“Actually, going out to a nice dinner, maybe going to a nice show, things like that. I’m not saying you’re getting sex. If that happens, it’s not because you paid for it.”

So, it’s like any date.

“Exactly (laughs)! Right, it’s because we hit it off. It’s not part of the contest.”

You’re finished with starring in adult films, right?

“I shot my last one about three years ago. In my final movie, I had a contest here in Las Vegas for someone to be in the movie with me. We had about 300 fans come out, and I picked one to do my final movie with me.”

Lucky fella.

“Yes, he was from Pennsylvania. He calls me every now and then.”

He still calls you?

“Yeah, he’s like the man of the town, after doing that. He had so much fun. Chris is his name, and he had so much fun. He was only supposed to be on-set for one day, just doing our sex scene, but he wound up staying for a couple more days.”

He probably didn’t have any better options.

“Well, he was just mingling and we were running around naked. He’s like, ‘You guys are naked, but acting like you’ve got clothes on!’ But he was great. It was really cool.”

It’s different for an outsider to take part in a scene with professional porn stars, isn’t it?

“It’s totally different. It’s not like having sex at home. It’s not as easy as you think. You’ve got cameras around you, you’ve got a big crew all around you, lights and people staring at you. … But to me, I like it. It’s a turn-on. That’s the difference.”

How many movies have you actually made?

“Oh my God. I haven’t really counted them up. If I had to guess, I’d say 250. And you would think that really isn’t a lot.”

That isn’t what I was thinking. That seems like a lot.

“Well, I was actually a contract girl, which means I did five movies out of the year but you still get a paycheck every month. I always chose my co-stars and who I wanted to work with. I was picky about that. Not in a bitchy way, but to me, if I am going to do a scene with someone, I want to enjoy it and I want to have fun.”

Do you have a favorite co-star?

“For the men, it would be Peter North. We’ve had a lot of hot sex together.”

You qualified that answer by specifying “men.” Who’s your favorite female co-star?

“Nina Hartley. C’mon, she’s such a businesswoman. She’s doing great. She’s got a book out there of her own. She’s fun. She’s my girl.”

Most people outside the porn industry know you from “Cathouse” on HBO, the series centered on Moonlite BunnyRanch up near Reno. You have any contact with (brothel owner) Dennis Hof lately?

“A lot of people do know me from the series. We still stay friends. I’m in the process of going back out to one of the ranches, actually. … I can’t tell any more about that right now. I’ve got to keep that hush-hush.”

What role are you going to be playing at this ranch?

“I’m going to be involved with my fans (laughs). Oh, yeah.”

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWithTheDish.