Photo: U.S. Marshal Service, Memphis, Tennessee, United States / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Harry Reems is fascinating less for the films than for what happened to him, because his federal obscenity prosecution over Deep Throat turned a porn actor into an unlikely First Amendment cause that even mainstream Hollywood rallied behind. The legal battle is genuinely important to free-speech history. His personal arc is just as dramatic: fame, a long battle with alcohol and drugs, and then a complete reinvention as a sober, churchgoing real estate agent in Utah. I find that final chapter oddly moving. He lived several entirely different lives, and the redemption story is the one that sticks with me.
Overview
Harry Reems (August 27, 1947 - March 19, 2013) was an American adult film actor who became one of the most famous male performers of the Golden Age of Porn. He is best known for co-starring in the 1972 film Deep Throat, after which he was prosecuted by the federal government on obscenity charges, a landmark First Amendment case that was eventually overturned. He later struggled with addiction before getting sober and beginning a new career as a real estate agent in Utah.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Harry Reems
- Name (Japanese)
- ハリー・リームス
- Reading
- はりー・りーむす
- Born
- August 27, 1947 – March 19, 2013
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Pig
- Origin
- The Bronx, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 183cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- Adult film actor / Actor / Stage actor / Film actor / Author
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Pittsburg State University
Awards & achievements
- AVN Hall of Fame
- 1985 XRCO Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.