How Harry Reems Went From Lighting Guy To Lead Actor On 'Deep Throat'
Harry Reems became a global star after Deep Throat, though he was never supposed to star in the movie.
Harry Reems, the porn actor turned realtor who died aged 65 this week, lived a turbulent life after landing the lead role in the 1972 adult movie Deep Throat, with Linda Lovelace. His wife Jeanne told the New York Times that her husband died on Tuesday (March 19, 2013) in Utah after battling multiple health issues, including pancreatic cancer.
The actor - who will be played by clean-cut actor Adam Brody in a Lovelace biopic later this year - was never in-mind to star in Deep Throat. In fact, Reems was merely working as a lighting guy on the infamous porn flick, before being called in after the original star was unable to perform his duties. Ahem. Reems played the doctor helping Linda Lovelace with a sexually sensitive area in her throat. The movie - the first adult movie to be widely shown in theatres - grossed $600 million at the box-office, though Reems claimed he only received $600 for his role.
The movie wasn't without its detractors and Reems was convicted of obscenity in 1976, though the verdict was overturned after heavyweight movies stars Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty got involved. Nevertheless, the jail sentence and trail put Reems under enormous amounts of pressure and set him on a crippling path to alcoholism.
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