The American performer Kevin Williams (birth name: Ted Currall), one of the defining icons of gay porn from the late 1980s and 1990s, died in San Diego at the age of 60. His sudden death on September 22 prompted an outpouring of grief across the queer community, as well as among colleagues and fans.
Initial reports of his passing were shared by close friends on social media and by journalist and chronicler Matthew Rettenmund (“Boy Culture”). Williams had been living in Southern California. The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear; reportedly, a friend was with him when a medical emergency occurred. Further details about the exact cause of death have not been released to date.
Rise to the era-defining “Super-Bottom” status during the VHS era
Kevin Williams launched his film career in the late 1980s—a period shaped by the HIV/AIDS crisis and the fear that came with it. With his bleached, sun-bright surfer look, athletic frame, and a palpable, unpretentious on-camera energy, he quickly rose to become one of the most recognizable faces at major studios like Catalina Video and Falcon Studios. Williams regularly collaborated with renowned directors such as Chi Chi LaRue and appeared in genre classics including Big Guns, In Your Wildest Dreams, Betrayed, and FULLfilled.
At a time when the scene was often dominated by masculine tops, Williams established himself as one of the earliest true “Super-Bottoms.” His confident, passionate performances and his easygoing charisma drove strong sales and earned him wide appeal.
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Williams was also showered with accolades. The Australian magazine “OutRage” retrospectively named him the “Best Bottom of All Time.” In 2001 he was inducted into the GayVN Hall of Fame in recognition of his lifetime achievements and his influential impact on late-20th-century gay erotica cinema.
Retreat from public life
After stepping away from the adult-film industry around the turn of the millennium, Williams withdrew from the public eye and led a quiet life in California. Friends and colleagues remembered him in obituaries as down-to-earth and approachable, while they kept details of his ordinary civilian career and private life outside the film world private.
