| Advertisement |
July 9 (UPI) -- Film and television star Tab Hunter, best known for starring as baseball star Joe Hardy in the big screen adaptation of musical Damn Yankees, has died at the age of 86. Hunter died Sunday from a blood clot that caused a heart attack, the actor's longtime romantic partner Allan Glaser told The Hollywood Reporter.
Advertisement
A Facebook page to promote the 2015 documentary on his life, Tab Hunter Confidential, also confirmed Hunter's death alongside two photos.
"SAD NEWS: Tab passed away tonight three days shy of his 87th birthday. Please honor his memory by saying a prayer on his behalf. He would have liked that," the post said.
Hunter, a 1950s heartthrob, started his film career appearing in The Lawless and then in Island of Desire before he signed an exclusive contract with Warner Bros. Hunter was the studios number one grossing star from 1955-1959 appearing in films such as The Sea Chase alongside John Wayne, World War II drama Battle Cry and opposite Natalie Wood in The Burning Hills and The Girl He Left Behind.
Other film roles included The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, That Kind of Woman, Operation Bikini, The Pleasure of His Company, Polyester, Lust in the Dust and Grease 2. Hunter also wrote the script for 1992's Dark Horse and produced a number of films with Glaser.
Hunter appeared in television shows such as his own sitcom The Tab Hunter Show which lasted for one season, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Forever Fernwood, The Virginian, The Six Million Dollar Man, Ellery Queen, and The Love Boat.
He also enjoyed musical success with the release of "Young Love" which stayed number one atop the Billboard charts in 1957 for six weeks. "Ninety-Nine Ways," another hit song, reached number 11 on the charts.
Hunter confirmed he was gay in his 2005 autobiography, Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star.
