Billy Herrington

Billy Herrington was an American adult performer, model, and bodybuilder. His career initially moved from late-1990s and early-2000s gay adult productions into a later internet-culture identity. He was born William Glen Harold Herrington in New York, United States, on July 14, 1969, and he also appeared under the professional names Billy Marcus and Jake Mason. His screen work concentrated on roles in muscle and gay-adult videos. Lords of the Lockerroom, which was released in 1999, became one of his best-known early credits. Playing with Fire 2: Burn with Passion followed in 2000, and that production was associated with a 2001 GayVN group-scene nomination. Conquered arrived in 2001 and brought him a shared 2002 Grabby Award for Best Group Sex Scene, along with GayVN acting and ensemble nominations. Those productions, especially Conquered, form the core of his recognition as an adult-film performer.

His later public identity as Aniki became especially popular in Japan and other parts of Asia. In the late 2000s and 2010s, he developed a large international fan following under that nickname, made public appearances in Asia, and saw merchandise connected with the persona circulate among fans. That persona made him an internet-culture figure known to fans as Aniki. His public profile later came to include internet-personality work connected with that following. He died on March 2, 2018, aged 48.