Michael Kearns, Gay Actor & AIDS Activist, Dies at 76

Michael Kearns, an actor and AIDS activist, died Monday. He was 76.

Kearns was among Hollywood's first openly gay actors, a status he maintained throughout his career. Roland Palencia confirmed Kearns' death on social media, noting Kearns had recently experienced significant health issues, including multiple emergency room visits.

Palencia, a close friend, described Kearns as someone who lived with immense energy. "We will not see the living Michael again, who spoke in hyperbolic, superlative tones," Palencia said. "For him, nothing in life was small enough; everything had magnified significance. He himself and his legacy are larger than life."

Born in St. Louis in 1950, Kearns discovered acting at age 8. "Suddenly I realized I could entertain, and from that moment on it was just like this realization, ‘Oh my God, here is something that I can do, I have found it,’" he recalled in a 1998 talk show appearance. He saw theater as a way to connect with his identity and sexuality.

Kearns graduated from the Goodman School of Drama in 1972. He chose to be open about his sexuality early in his career, despite industry pressures. "By that point I was out, out, out," Kearns said. "There was no way I was going to alter my offstage behavior to please anyone."

His acting credits include roles in "Body Double," "The Fall Guy," and "Beverly Hills 90210." After his HIV diagnosis in 1992, Kearns played an HIV-positive character on ABC's "Life Goes On" and appeared in the film "And the Band Played On," which depicted the early AIDS epidemic. He was also scheduled to perform at Los Angeles' Celebration Theatre to honor LGBTQ+ theatre history.

Kearns is survived by his daughter, Tia Katherine Kearns.