Dirk Shafer Explained

Dirk Shafer
Birth Date:7 November 1962
Birth Place:Carbondale, Illinois, U.S.
Death Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Known For:Playgirl 1992 Man of the Year
Occupation:Model
Actor
Screenwriter
Director
Height:5' 10½" (1.79 m)

Dirk Alan Shafer (November 7, 1962 – March 5, 2015) was an American model, actor, screenwriter and director. Born in Carbondale, Illinois, he was most noted in the modeling world for having been Playgirl magazine's 1992 "Man of the Year".[1] Shafer related that he did Playgirl for "validation" as a model because he never believed himself to be attractive.[2] Shafer wrote, directed and starred in Man of the Year, a 1995 mockumentary about his time as a semi-closeted gay man in the role of a heterosexual sex symbol. Shafer's next directorial project was Circuit, a fictional look at the world of gay male circuit parties.

As of 2008, Shafer was working as a fitness trainer and certified Pilates instructor. In 2012, Shafer returned to the pages of Playgirl for a 20th anniversary photo spread in the August issue.[3]

Shafer was found dead in a vehicle near his home in West Hollywood, California on March 5, 2015. Initial reports indicated he might have suffered a heart attack.[4] Following an autopsy, however, the Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined Shafer's death was the result of "methamphetamine and cocaine toxicity", with hypertensive cardiovascular disease possibly being a contributing factor.[5]

Shafer is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.[6]

Filmography

As actor

As director

As writer

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Stack. Liam. Dirk Shafer, Playgirl Centerfold Who Revealed He Was Gay, Dies at 52. The New York Times . 9 March 2015. New York Times. 9 March 2015.
  2. Kramer, p. 30
  3. http://izzoiz.com/2012/06/former-gay-playgirl-man-of-the-year-dirk-shafer-returns-20-years-later-and-he-is-hotter-then-before/ Former Gay Playgirl Man of the Year Dirk Shaffer Returns 20 Years later and he is hotter than ever...
  4. https://deadline.com/2015/03/dirk-shafer-dead-dies-playgirl-man-of-the-year-1201387499/ ‘Man Of The Year’s Dirk Shafer Found Dead
  5. https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-dirk-shafer-cocaine-meth-20150429-story.html Cocaine, meth blamed in ex-centerfold's death in West Hollywood
  6. http://www.wehoville.com/2015/04/29/death-of-wehos-dirk-shafer-is-attributed-to-meth-and-cocaine/ Death of WeHo’s Dirk Shafer is Attributed to Meth and Cocaine