Playgirl Model Dirk Alan Shafer 2015 Hollywood Forever Cemetery

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.[3]

As of 2008 Shafer was working as a fitness trainer and certified Pilates instructor.[4] In 2012, Shafer returned to the pages of Playgirl for a 20th anniversary photo spread in the August issue.[5]

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.[6] 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.[7]

Shafer was entombed at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.[8]

Filmography

As actor

Will and Grace episode "Cheaters" - Blaze (2001) 
Man of the Year - Himself (1995)

As director

Circuit (2001) 
Man of the Year (1995)

As writer

Circuit (2001) (with Gregory Hinton) 
Man of the Year (1995) 
Inside Out II (segment "Double Vision") (1992)

Notes

1. Stack, Liam (9 March 2015). "Dirk Shafer, Playgirl Centerfold Who Revealed He Was Gay, Dies at 52". New York Times. 
2. Kramer, p. 30 
3. Hensley, Dennis (2002-04-30), "Circuit king", The Advocate 
4. "25 Great Things About Gay L.A", Frontiers volume 26 issue 4, archived from the original on 2008-03-31 
5. Former Gay Playgirl Man of the Year Dirk Shaffer Returns 20 Years later and he is hotter than ever... 
6. ‘Man Of The Year’s Dirk Shafer Found Dead 
7. Cocaine, meth blamed in ex-centerfold's death in West Hollywood 
8. Death of WeHo’s Dirk Shafer is Attributed to Meth and Cocaine

References

Kramer, Gary M. (2006). Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews. Haworth Press. ISBN 1-56023-343-5.