Brief
Actor and activist Michael Kearns dies at 76
Michael Kearns, known for TV roles and directing the controversial play Jerker, died on Monday at age 76.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Michael Kearns, an actor who appeared in Body Double, Cheers and Beverly Hills, 90210 and who directed the world premiere of Robert Chesley’s Jerker, died on Monday at age 76, the Hollywood Reporter said.
Kearns, who came out as gay in the mid‑1970s, announced his HIV‑positive status on NBC in 1991, a week after Brad Davis’s death. He told friend Karen Ocamb, “I’m doing this for all people with HIV… HIV is nothing to be ashamed of,” according to the outlet.
He was scheduled to appear on National Coming Out Day at Los Angeles’s Celebration Theatre, reprising selections from Jerker with colleague Joe Gill. The theatre’s Facebook post expressed sorrow and praised his impact on HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ rights.
Jerker, debuting during the early AIDS crisis, sparked controversy when excerpts aired on KPFK‑FM and an evangelical minister complained to the FCC. Kearns later told the Los Angeles Times that the incident illustrated broader censorship of queer work.
Born in St. Louis on Jan. 8, 1950, Kearns trained at the Goodman School of Drama, appeared on Broadway in Tubstrip (1974), and built a TV and film career that included The Fall Guy, Murder, She Wrote, Days of Our Lives, Body Double, and The Kentucky Fried Movie.
Key facts
- Michael Kearns died on Monday at age 76. (hollywoodreporter.com)
- He directed the world premiere of Robert Chesley’s play Jerker. (hollywoodreporter.com)
- Kearns announced he was HIV positive on NBC in 1991. (hollywoodreporter.com)
- He was slated to appear at Celebration Theatre on National Coming Out Day. (hollywoodreporter.com)
- Kearns was born Jan. 8, 1950, in St. Louis. (hollywoodreporter.com)
Sources
- [1] hollywoodreporter.com — originally reported as “Michael Kearns, Actor, Activist and ‘Jerker’ Director, Dies at 76”
