Editing Simon Rex (section)

=== Early work in porn and on MTV (1993–1998) ===
In 1993, aged 19, Rex responded to an advertisement in a [[Los Angeles]] magazine and agreed to be photographed nude for photographer Brad Posey and his Club 1821 studio. The following year, under the alias "Sebastian", he appeared in solo masturbation scenes for three gay Club 1821 pornographic films: ''Young, Hard & Solo #2'', ''Young, Hard & Solo #3'', and ''Hot Sessions III''. Archive footage of Rex was also used in the 2000 films ''Hot Sessions 11'' and ''Hot Sessions 12''.<ref name="ferguson">{{cite book |last=Ferguson |first=Michael |year=2003 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R4f--vTO9LIC&pg=PA296 |title=Idol Worship: A Shameless Celebration of Male Beauty in the Movies |location=Sarasota |publisher=STARbooks Press |page=296 |isbn=0-786-40983-5 |access-date=December 10, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Lopez |first=Rich |url=http://www.dallasvoice.com/concert-notice-gay-porn-star-turned-comedy-music-act-simon-rex-aka-dirt-nasty-comes-to-the-loft-in-october-1032708.html |title=Concert notice: Gay-porn-star-turned-comedy-music-act Simon Rex, aka Dirt Nasty, comes to the Loft in October |work=[[Dallas Voice]] |date=July 12, 2010 |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=July 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120719080343/http://www.dallasvoice.com/concert-notice-gay-porn-star-turned-comedy-music-act-simon-rex-aka-dirt-nasty-comes-to-the-loft-in-october-1032708.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Lester|first=Shallon|date=October 29, 2008|title=Former MTV VJ/porn star Simon Rex is trying his hand at rap music|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/mtv-vj-porn-star-simon-rex-hand-rap-music-article-1.299192|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203215856/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/mtv-vj-porn-star-simon-rex-hand-rap-music-article-1.299192|archive-date=December 3, 2013|access-date=December 10, 2014|work=[[NY Daily News]]}}</ref>

One day, while Rex was driving his girlfriend to a casting audition and also watching her child as she prepared to audition, a casting director spotted him sitting in the waiting room and the next day he was on a flight to [[Milan]] to work as a model.<ref name=":0" /> In 1994, Rex went on a modeling tour for [[Tommy Hilfiger (company)|Tommy Hilfiger]], before going on to appear in mainstream modeling gigs for [[Calvin Klein (fashion house)|Calvin Klein Inc]], [[Versace]], and [[Levi's]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Benza|first1=A.J.|author-link1=A. J. Benza|last2=Lewittes|first2=Michael|date=February 13, 1996|title=Rex flexed pecs for skin pics|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/gossip/rex-flexed-pecs-skin-pics-article-1.718396|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208043300/https://www.nydailynews.com/archives/gossip/rex-flexed-pecs-skin-pics-article-1.718396|archive-date=December 8, 2015|access-date=December 10, 2014|work=NY Daily News}}</ref><ref name="ferguson" />

In 1995, [[MTV]] hired Rex to work as a [[VJ (media personality)|VJ]] and kept him on the air for over two years before he and two other VJs were let go.<ref>{{Cite web|title=30 MTV Stars: Where are they now?|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/tv/slideshow/30-MTV-Stars-Where-are-they-now-17139.php|access-date=July 17, 2021|website=Houston Chronicle|date=August 2011|language=en}}</ref>