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Director Sean Baker On ‘Suitcase Pimps,’ Sex Work, And Authenticity

Simon Rex stars in "Red Rocket" as Mikey Saber, a former porn actor from Texas City.
Simon Rex stars in "Red Rocket" as Mikey Saber, a former porn actor from Texas City.

Director Sean Baker’s newest film, “Red Rocket,” takes us to Texas City, the hometown of former fictional porn actorMikey Saber.

Despite having vowed to never set foot there again, he’s left withno other choice than toreturn and convince hisestranged wife and mother-in-law to let him live with them.

Bruised and beaten up, Saber, played by Simon Rex,tries to adjust back to his small hometown, but he can’t seem to leave his past behind.

We talk to Baker about how he casts his movies, the stigma of sex work, and the “hidden America” he hopes to portray in his movies.

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