| Leo Ford | |
| Birth Name: | Leo John Hilgeford |
| Birth Date: | 5 July 1957 |
| Birth Place: | Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Partner: | Divine, Craig Markle |
Leo Ford (born Leo John Hilgeford; July 5, 1957 – July 17, 1991) was an American pornographic actor who appeared in gay pornographic films and bisexual pornographic movies and magazines in the 1980s.[1] [2] [3] He was born in Dayton, Ohio.
In 1989, Ford was crowned King of the Beaux Arts Ball in New York City. His Queen was Melissa Slade.[4]
Ford paired with David Alan Reis aka "Lance" in Leo & Lance and Blonds Do It Best, Leo and Lance directed by William Higgins; Blonds Do It Best directed by Richard Morgan.[3] In his starring role for the film Games, directed by Steve Scott, Ford played a medal-winning swimmer in the Gay Games competition, with Al Parker playing a photographer assigned to take professional portraits of the athlete. In a scene that foreshadowed what happened to Ford in real life, his character had a severe motorcycle accident that left him hospitalized and in a coma.
Ford had a short-lived relationship with cult actor Divine.[5] The two travelled together and he made appearances at clubs in which Divine was contracted to perform. In late 1985, Ford began a relationship with Craig Markle. Ford and Markle lived together in Los Angeles and Hawaii, where they raised tropical birds and ran a tour and recreation business called "Pacific Paradise Tours".[6] In July 1991, Ford was hit by a car while riding a motorcycle with Markle. He died shortly after from his injuries. After Ford's death Markle ran a travel agency and oversaw Ford's collection of pictures from his career until his own death in 1994.[7]