Harry Reems

Harry Reems' Porn Star Biography

Early Years

Classic actor Harry Reems grew up in New York and attended the University of Pittsburgh for a year before briefly serving in the Marine Corps. He received an honorable discharge following hardship leave and then elected to pursue an acting career, principally in off-Broadway theater. Prior to appearing Deep Throat, by far his most popular movie appearance, Reems performed in The Deviates, a body painting scene that he later described as his most painful sex experience because the paint began to dry and crack during the scene. He then starred in The Weirdos and the Oddballs, which was later released as Zora Knows Best.

Career Choices

Looking for ways to support himself, he began to appear in dozens of short, silent flicks, often referred to as "loops," during the early 1970s. He eventually went on to appear in approximately 140 feature-length sexploitation and hardcore films between 1971 and 1989, with Deep Throat (1972) and The Devil in Miss Jones (1973) being the best known. Grindhouse roughies were also in his wheel house; her performed in well known titles such as Entry (1973) and Sex Wish (1976). In 1975, he published a memoir, Here Comes Harry Reems, in which he details the early years of his experience as an adult film actor. Reems' work in the industry and the impact he made was recognized when he was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame.

Legal Woes

Reems' appearance in Deep Throat led to his arrest by FBI agents in New York City in July 1974, and indictment in Memphis, Tennessee in June 1975 on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute obscenity across state lines. He was convicted in April 1976, but his conviction was overturned on appeal in April 1977. The charges against Reems were dropped in August. Reems' defense claimed that he was the first American actor to be prosecuted by the federal government merely for appearing in a film. His successful appeal was handled by attorney Alan Dershowitz.

Life After Porn

After leaving the porn industry, Reems straightened out his life, removing and alcohol from the picture. He married and converted to Christianity, becoming a spiritual man. He began working as a real estate agent and continued to use the name Harry Reems, no doubt aiding in his success due to his widespread popularity. In 2005, Reems was interviewed for the documentary Inside Deep Throat. Because his work in porn has become so legendary, Reems' story was the subject of the 2010 play The Deep Throat Sex Scandal. Sadly, Harry Reems passed away in 2013. His death was noted by the production and his legend continued to play out on stage, honoring his memory and his legacy in the adult industry.