Douglas Murrell Cooper, known professionally as Tim Kramer (born 1952 or 1958, died April 16, 1992) was a gay porn star, escort and health business owner best known for the 1983 homoerotic film ''Gayracula'' among his films.

Early life

Douglas Cooper was born on February 2, 1958, in Milton, Cabell County, West Virginia. Later, he attended high school in

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, and upon graduation moved to

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, where he began to model for Target Studios.

Career

Later, he moved to

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, where he continued his career working for Falcon Studios. Among the early films he appeared are ''Ship Shape'' and ''Blackout'' for Target Studios and ''Biker Liberty'' for Falcon Studios. During the late seventies and early eighties, he made about a dozen feature-length films including ''Big Summer Surprise, Style, Giants II, Gayracula, I Do, Tony's Initiation, Men of the Midway, Heroes, Trick Time, Sun Stroke, and New Zealand Undercovers.''

Filmography

* ''Style'' (1981) * ''Biker's Liberty'' (1982) * ''Pegasus'' (1982) * ''Biker's Liberty: Big Summer Surprise'' (1983) * ''Giants II'' (1983) * ''Gayracula'' (1983) * ''Men of the Midway'' (1983) * ''Tony's Initiation'' (1983) * ''I Do'' (1984) * ''Heroes'' (1984) * ''Trick Time'' (1984) * ''Sun Stroke'' (1986) * ''New Zealand Undercovers'' (1987) * Young Men Of The 80's 2 (2002, released posthumously)

Later life and death

In a 1988 ''

Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, ...

'' interview, Cooper spoke openly of the escort service he ran in Hollywood for many years: "That's where I made most of the money. I don't do drugs or liquor, so I used the (film) business to build up my name, so I could charge more money on the side in my escort service." He attempted to invest his earnings in a solar installation company but that never took off. In time parlayed into a partnership with fellow skin star Ron Pearson to found Pegasus Productions. The partnership produced only one film, ''Pegasus'' which featured the founders. By the late 1980s, Cooper made fewer films and concentrated most of his energy on a health food store in West Hollywood. It was during this time he was diagnosed HIV+, and he commented thus: "I'm in a business now that's health oriented. We're an AIDS support group, promote safe sex, and are here to try and give something back to the community and help people who are

HIV+ The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immun ...

or have

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

. So I can't be involved in unsafe sex in front of a camera, because that says it's okay. It would make me look like a hypocrite." Kramer died on April 16, 1992, at Doctors Hospital North in Columbus, Ohio. The cause of death was listed as AIDS complications. He is buried in the Chestnut Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, Cabell County, West Virginia.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kramer, Tim 1992 deaths AIDS-related deaths in Ohio American male pornographic film actors American actors in gay pornographic films People from Milton, West Virginia 20th-century American male actors Year of birth uncertain