Golden Age Performer Jose Duval Dies at 82

NEW YORK—Jose Duval, the award-winning performer who was known for his work during porn’s Golden Era in the 1980s, has died. He was 82. The industry veteran passed away Sunday while in hospice care, his longtime friend and AVN Hall of Fame member Jeanne Silver confirmed to AVN today. "This one is another hard hit,” Silver said. “Jose had the purest heart and his love of life and his wife (I believe of 60 years) was something very rare in this business.” Known for his suave French accent, the Brussels-born Duval began his career in 1983 starring in Essex Video’s Silk Satin Sex, along with fellow iconic performers such as Veronica Hart, Vanessa del Rio, Jerry Butler, Paul Thomas and others. An enthusiastic participant of the 1970s swinging scene, Duval enjoyed popular clubs in Holland and the Caribbean before exploring sex parties in New York thanks to listings he found in Screw magazine, according to The Rialto Report. Duval would go on to headline VCA’s acclaimed Nightshift Nurses in 1987, starring Lois Ayres, Bionca, Siobhan Hunter, John Leslie, Peter North and others. His other notable work included VCA’s Raw Talent in 1984, which featured Taija Rae, Rhonda Jo Petty, Lisa DeLeeuw, Jerry Butler, Joey Silvera and others. Also in 1984, Duval starred in Command Video’s Star Angel, featuring Colleen Brennan, Taija Rae and Angel; as well as Viva Vanessa, where he worked with Vanessa Del Rio, acclaimed director Henri Pachard and fellow performers Renee Summers, Eric Edwards and others. Duval would go on to appear in more than 150 movies before retiring from performing in 1997, ultimately earning AVN Awards in 1989 for Best Non-Sex Performance for VCA’s Pillowman, and repeating in the category in 1991 for VCA’s Oh What a Night. Duval’s wife Daniele, whom he had often referred to as the love of his life, reportedly died nearly simulataneously Sunday at home, where a friend discovered her in a recliner chair, Silver said. “It was one of those freaky things that happened when two souls are so tightly knit together,” Silver explained. “He passed at hospice and they tried to contact her but, there was no response. A friend had a wellness check and she was found in her recliner at peace. It looked as if she just closed her eyes and that was it.” She added: “I really don't believe there was any foul play. Just a deep bond and love that will never be broken.”