# Michael Kearns Dies at 76

> Actor and activist Michael Kearns, known for directing the controversial play Jerker, dies at 76.
- Title: Michael Kearns Dies at 76 · The Hollywood Reporter | Shortify
- Summary: Actor and activist Michael Kearns, known for directing the controversial play Jerker, dies at 76. Michael Kearns, an actor and activist who directed the…
- Keywords: michael kearns, jerker director, actor, activist, hiv positive, gay activist, body double, cheers, beverly hills 90210, robert chesley, play jerker, aids
- Source: The Hollywood Reporter — https://hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/michael-kearns-dead-jerker-director-gay-activist-1236724870
- Author: Mike Barnes
- Published: 2026-10-07T20:35:43+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: michael kearns, jerker director, actor, activist, hiv positive, gay activist, body double, cheers, beverly hills 90210, robert chesley, play jerker, aids
## Michael Kearns
Michael Kearns, an actor who appeared in Body Double, Cheers and Beverly Hills, 90210, has died at 76.
## Director of Jerker
Kearns directed the world premiere of Robert Chesley's Jerker, a play about two gay men that generated controversy in 1986.
## HIV Positive Announcement
Kearns came out as gay in the mid-1970s and announced his HIV status on NBC in 1991 after Brad Davis died of AIDS.
## Key takeaway

Michael Kearns, an actor and activist who directed the controversial play Jerker, dies at 76.