Adult Actor Steve 'Titpig' Hurley Has Passed Away
Adult male actor Steve Hurley, known as "Titpig," passed away in Palm Springs on April 17, the website XBIZ reported. He was 64.
Hurley retired from adult films around 2013, but over a career that spanned some 15 years, he appeared in videos for various studios such as Catalina Video, Hot Desert Knights, Pantheon Productions and Treasure Island Media, among others.
"Hurley was famed for his mature, masculine onscreen demeanor and rigorous dedication to exploring kink and fetish," XBIZ said.
In recent years Hurley became a mentor and "daddy" to many in his community. Professionally he was a registered nurse and was a vocal advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and related issues.
His friend and scene partner Christian Mitchell said: "He set a new standard for what the image of what a gay porn star should look like. He was burly and hairy and hyper-masculine at a time when trends favored a more toned and smooth look. He was one of bareback porn's true superstars back when it was still very taboo."
"Outside of porn, Hurley was a registered nurse who tirelessly volunteered for various HIV prevention organizations," Mitchell noted. "He had the innate ability to make every fan he met feel like they were already friends."
He also had the ability to make a strong first impression. "Paul Morris, the founder of Treasure Island Media, recalled a first memorable encounter with Hurley," added XBIZ.
"The first time I met Titpig, I didn't know what he looked like. I was picking him up at San Francisco Airport and was a little worried that I'd miss him. But there was no mistaking who he was, in part because straight folks all around him were frowning and turning away," Morris told XBIZ. "One woman was literally shielding her little girl's face so she couldn't see him."
He continued: "He was wearing a very skimpy tank top, his enormous nipples jutting out proudly for the world to see," Morris said. "He was grinning and gave me a big, warm, loving hug. He wasn't noticing the disapproval of the straight folks all around us; he was just a big, warm, generous, happy man. Always a joy to be around, he was one of those rare men who earnestly wanted the best for everyone."