Harry Reems | Adult-film star, 65
Harry Reems, 65, the male star of the 1972 cultural phenomenon Deep Throat, which brought pornography to mainstream audiences, died Tuesday at the veterans' hospital in Salt Lake City.
Harry Reems, 65, the male star of the 1972 cultural phenomenon Deep Throat, which brought pornography to mainstream audiences, died Tuesday at the veterans' hospital in Salt Lake City.
He had multiple health issues, including pancreatic cancer, said his wife of 23 years, Jeanne Sterrett Reems.
Mr. Reems, who was born in New York in 1947 as Herbert Streicher, served in the Marines before he ended up in the entertainment industry in the 1970s. He aspired to become a serious actor but was thrown in front of the camera while working on the production crew for Deep Throat.
When the original male lead did not work out, Mr. Reems, the lighting director, stepped in.
In 1976, he was convicted of obscenity for his role in the film and faced a potential five-year prison term. Celebrities came to his defense, and the conviction was overturned.
He went on to star in dozens of adult films.
"He hated, at the end, doing porn," said his wife. "It was all he could make money doing."
In the 1980s, Mr. Reems, who spoke of a long battle with alcohol before becoming sober, left the porn industry and moved to Park City, Utah, where he eventually became a real estate agent. - AP