Former legendary porn star Harry Reems, best known for his costarring role in Deep Throat, has died in Salt Lake City of pancreatic cancer. Reems entered the Salt Lake City VA Hospital on March 5th and slipped into a coma, according to this report. Condolences to family, friends and fans.

Reems quit the porn industry eons ago. He reportedly had an alcohol problem but he turned things around in the mid ’90s by getting sober (which I relate to) and becoming a Christian (whatever works).

I spoke to Reems on the phone a little over eight years ago. I was writing a piece about Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey‘s Inside Deep Throat, which was about to screen at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, so I decided to impulsively call Reems at his Park City home. He was at the time a successful real-estate broker. It was obviously noteworthy that he would be smack dab in the middle of that year’s festival in more ways than one.

I found Reems through 411 and called after 9 pm on a Monday night. I hadn’t called to interview him right then, but to see if we could set something up. He was nice enough and chatted a bit, and said talking later would be fine. That never works, by the way. If you have someone on the phone, get what you can straight away. Don’t put it off. I never got in touch with Reems once the festival began due to the usual hurly burly and head-spinning.