Beverly Hills, 90210 actor Michael Kearns passed away on Monday, October 5, leaving the LGBTQIA+ community devastated by his loss.
The 76-year-old, who portrayed Hal in several 1996 episodes of the hit show, is survived by his adopted daughter, Katherine. No cause of death has been revealed.
Paying tribute
© Getty ImagesSeveral of Michael's friends confirmed the sad news, with performance artist Tim Miller taking to Facebook to write: "I am mourning my beloved Michael Kearns. AIDS performer-warrior. Big brother. Friend since 1984. Truly one of a kind. The world is a smaller place… I love you, Michael."
Filmmaker Roland Palencia also paid tribute to the late star on social media, writing: "Michael Kearns was a friend, mentor, neighbor, and my movie buddy…Some of his last words continue to reverberate in my mind: 'I don't know if I want to do this anymore,' as he had been in and out of emergency rooms over five times within a three-month period."
© Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagRoland revealed that Michael texted him just after 6:30 p.m. from the hospital the night before he died, typing: "Thank you a million times. They are doing lots of tests. Will likely be here all night." He then passed away at 8:45 p.m. on Monday.
Michael was scheduled to appear at the Celebration Theater in LA in the same week to pay tribute to LGBTQIA+ theater history.
A life well-lived
The St. Louis native studied acting at Chicago's Goodman School of Drama before moving to Los Angeles to kickstart his career. He was one of the first openly gay actors in Hollywood, was a trailblazer for LGBTQIA+ rights, and helped to destigmatize HIV and AIDS in the '90s when he revealed his diagnosis to the world.
"I'm doing this for all people with HIV," he told the Bay Area Reporter in 1991. "HIV is nothing to be ashamed of. For me to remain silent indicates shame or fear on some level."
© Facebook"I felt that not one more HIV-infected actor or anyone else should die in shame… I couldn't remain silent."
Michael caused a stir in 1986 when he directed Robert Chesley's controversial play Jerker, which depicted two gay men falling in love. The play, which was partially broadcast on the LA radio station KPFK-FM, sparked national outrage, leading to a warning from the Federal Communications Commission.
© Getty Images"If this had been a man and a woman having this conversation... the issues would not have been the same," he told the Los Angeles Times more than a decade later.
"A lot of people, myself included, look on that as just the beginnings of what continues to rage on, which is censorship of queer work."
Michael's legacy
© Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagOver the years, Michael appeared in a bevy of onscreen projects, including Beverly Hills, 90210, Murder, She Wrote, Knots Landing, Days of Our Lives, Body Double, The Fall Guy and The Waltons.
He also founded several collectives like Artists Confronting AIDS and QueerWise, and authored two books. As for his home life, Michael married Philip Juwig in 1992, though he sadly passed away in the same year. The trailblazer then adopted a daughter, Katherine, in 1995, and remained close to her throughout his life.
