Zalman King

The ultimate impresario of a unique brand of glossy erotic fare, Zalman King started out as an actor, earning a Golden Globe nomination for his role on "The Young Lawyers" (ABC, 1970-71). His destiny lay behind the camera, however, and he produced and, with his wife, co-wrote "9½ Weeks" (1986). Directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger, the film broke new ground for its art-directed erotic set-pieces, becoming a cult hit.

King wrote, directed and produced movies such as "Two Moon Junction" (1988), "Wild Orchid" (1990) and "Wild Orchid II: Two Shades of Blue" (1991) that became enduringly popular favorites with audiences. The keystone of his empire, however, came with the immensely popular "Red Shoe Diaries" (Showtime, 1992-97). After a battle with cancer, he died on Feb. 3, 2012. Zalman King was responsible for helping change audiences' perceptions of sexuality, art and film, redefining the line between artistry and erotica.

Born May 23, 1942 in Trenton, NJ, Zalman Lefkovitz started his entertainment career as an actor, booking guest spots on everything from "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" (CBS, 1955-1960; 1962-64; NBC, 1960-62; 1964-65) to "Gunsmoke" (CBS, 1955-1975) before landing a series regular role as attorney Aaron Silverman on "The Young Lawyers" (ABC, 1970-71).

Although he earned a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe nod for his role, King would achieve his greatest fame behind the camera. Fascinated with blurring the line between sexuality and art, King and his wife, screenwriter Patricia Louisianna Knop, wrote the screenplay for "9½ Weeks" (1986), a dreamy, explicit meditation on the highly-charged sexual encounters between a mysterious man (Mickey Rourke) and a repressed woman (Kim Basinger). Directed by Adrian Lyne and produced by King, the film became a cult sensation with its stylish music video-inspired erotic sequences, and garnered considerable controversy on its way to becoming a touchstone of the genre.

The film would prove the turning point of King's career, and he would go on to spearhead his own unique brand of glossy, psychosexual projects that helped him build his own brand. He wrote and directed the similarly erotic "Two Moon Junction" (1988), the tale of a young Southern college grad who explores new sexual horizons with a handsome carnival worker. Again, few critics had much positive to say about the film, but it caught on with audiences who appreciated King's signature touch: titillation with at least the appearance of class.

"Wild Orchid" (1990), his most commercially successful box office project, saw King once again co-writing alongside Knop as well as helming. The formula was familiar: a high-strung woman (Carré Otis) is drawn into a series of complicated psychosexual games with a tormented man (Mickey Rourke), but unlike in "9½ Weeks," King allowed the two a happy ending and romantic fulfillment. Lambasted by critics and dogged by controversy over explicit scenes King eventually cut, the film connected with audiences, inspiring him to write and direct "Wild Orchid II: Two Shades of Blue" (1991).

Arguably King's most enduring, successful and well-known project was his softcore erotic series "Red Shoe Diaries" (Showtime, 1992-97) which became a mini-empire, built on a seemingly never-ending string of related projects and videos. Held together by a framing device where a lonely man Jake Winters (David Duchovny), bereft over the suicide of his fiancée, received letters from various women explaining their own sexual awakenings, the series was classic King: artfully shot lovemaking against a dreamy, dark psychological backdrop.

Having created and conquered his own Hollywood niche that, while receiving little respect from mainstream critics, was undeniably popular, King continued down the same professional path, wearing multiple hats on a string of steamy projects including "ChromiumBlue.com" (Showtime, 2002) and "Body Language" (Showtime, 2008-2010).

His longtime friend, actor Charlie Sheen, was the first to announce that, on Feb. 3, 2012, Zalman King died after battling cancer. In his Facebook post, Sheen wrote, "the world lost a brilliant and noble soul today." Although his work certainly had its share of critics, Zalman King was always dedicated to bringing a highbrow artistic approach to even the most lowbrow of subjects.

By Jonathan Riggs