{{Male adult bio|
| image = 200px
| caption = Casey Donovan in the role that made him famous
| birth = 
| location = East Bloomfield, New York
| birthname = John Calvin Culver
| death = 
| measurements = 
| height = 5'9'' (1.75 m)
| weight = 
| shoe size = 
| eye color = Blue
| hair color = Blonde
| ethnicity = Caucasian
| alias = 
| films = 
| homepage = 
| imdb = 0191724
| iafd = CDonovan
| afdb = 25727
}}

'''Casey Donovan''' (November 2, 1943<ref>{{cite book  
| last =Grief 
| first =Martin
| authorlink = 
| coauthors = 
| title =The Gay Book of Days 
| publisher =Carol Publishing Group 
| date =1982 
| location = New York
| pages =188 
| url = 
| doi = 
| id =  
| isbn = 0818403845}}</ref> &ndash; August 10, 1987<ref>{{cite book  
| last =Rutledge
| first =Leigh
| authorlink = 
| coauthors = 
| title =The Gay Decades 
| publisher =Penguin Books Ltd. 
| date =1992 
| location = New York
| pages =281 
| url = 
| doi = 
| id =  
| isbn = 0452268109}}</ref>) was an American male pornographic actor (porn star) of the 1970s and 1980s, appearing primarily in adult films and videos catering to gay male audiences. 

Following a brief career as a teacher and a stint as a highly-paid male model, Donovan appeared in the film that would cement his status as a gay icon, ''Boys in the Sand'', in 1971. Attempts to build on his notoriety to achieve mainstream crossover success failed, but Donovan continued to be a bankable star in the adult industry for the next 15 years.

== Biography ==
Casey Donovan was born '''John Calvin Culver''' in East Bloomfield, New York, growing up there with his parents and older brother, Duane.<ref name = Edmonson>{{cite book  
| last =Edmonson 
| first =Roger
| authorlink = 
| coauthors = 
| title =Boy in the Sand: Casey Donovan, All-American Sex Star
| publisher =Alyson Books 
| date =1998 
| location = New York
| pages =7 
| url = 
| doi = 
| id =  
| isbn = 1555834574}}</ref> He graduated from teachers' college in 1965 and after graduation accepted a teaching position in escort and relocated to New York City.<ref>Edmonson 37</ref> He also began pursuing an acting career, appearing in Peterborough Players.<ref>Edmonson 39</ref>

Through one of his escorting clients, Culver landed a spot with the Broadway debut in 1970 in the Native American-themed production ''Brave'' and a co-starring role in the off-Broadway ''Circle in the Water'', also in 1970.<ref>Edmonson 50-2</ref>

In 1971, Culver played a supporting role in a low budget sexploitation thriller film, ''Ginger''. While the film was a commercial and critical failure, ''Variety'' noted his performance positively, saying "Only Calvin Culver...shows any indication of better things to come."<ref>Edmonson 51</ref> This in turn led to an offer to appear in ''Casey'',<ref>{{cite web
  | last =
  | first =
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =Casey
  | work =
  | publisher =Internet Movie Database
  | date =
  | url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179710/
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =  2007-11-06}}</ref> a gay pornographic film in which Culver played the title role, a gay man who is visited by his fairy godmother Wanda (Culver playing a dual role in drag), and is granted a series of wishes which make him sexually irresistible to other men. Culver later took the character's name, Casey, and that of the popular singer Donovan to create the pseudonym under which he would appear in all his other erotic roles.<ref>Edmonson 59</ref>

Culver first appeared as '''Casey Donovan''' in ''Score,''<ref>{{cite web
  | last =
  | first =
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =Score
  | work =
  | publisher =Internet Movie Database
  | date =
  | url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069236/
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =  2007-11-06}}</ref> ''The Back Row'' with George Payne,<ref>{{cite web
  | last =
  | first =
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =The Back Row
  | work =
  | publisher =Internet Movie Database
  | date =
  | url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179662/
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =  2007-11-06}}</ref> ''L.A. Tool & Die'' with Bob Blount and Richard Locke,<ref>{{cite web
  | last =
  | first =
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =L.A. Tool & Die
  | work =
  | publisher =Internet Movie Database
  | date =
  | url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125329/
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =  2007-11-06}}</ref> ''The Other Side of Aspen'' with Al Parker and Dick Fisk,<ref>{{cite web
  | last =
  | first =
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =The Other Side of Aspen
  | work =
  | publisher =Internet Movie Database
  | date =
  | url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0180030/
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =  2007-11-06}}</ref> ''Boys in the Sand II''<ref>{{cite web
  | last =
  | first =
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =Boys in the Sand II
  | work =
  | publisher =Internet Movie Database
  | date =
  | url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179689/
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =  2007-11-06}}</ref> and ''Inevitable Love'', with Jon King and Jamie Wingo.<ref>{{cite web
  | last =
  | first =
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =Inevitable Love
  | work =
  | publisher =Internet Movie Database
  | date =
  | url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179869/
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =  2007-11-06}}</ref>  He also featured in non-sexual roles in a number of heterosexual porn films, notably ''The Opening of Misty Beethoven''.<ref>{{cite web
  | last =
  | first =
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =The Opening of Misty Beethoven
  | work =
  | publisher =Internet Movie Database
  | date =
  | url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075018/
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =  2007-11-06}}</ref>

Outside his adult film career, Casey Donovan continued to pursue stage work. In 1972 he was cast in a short-lived Broadway revival of ''Captain Brassbound's Conversion''.<ref>{{cite web
  | last = 
  | first =
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =Captain Brassbound's Conversion
  | work =
  | publisher =Internet Broadway Database
  | date =
  | url = http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=3531
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =  2007-11-06}}</ref> Star Ingrid Bergman described him as "having the same kind and as much charisma as Robert Redford."<ref>{{cite news 
  | last =O'Brian
  | first =Jack
  | coauthors =
  | title =New York's Voice of Broadway
  | work =The Pocono Record
  | pages =
  | language =
  | publisher =
  | date =1972-11-15
  | url =
  | accessdate =  }}</ref> He then landed a small role in the 1973 Lincoln Center production of ''The Merchant of Venice'',<ref>{{cite web
  | last = 
  | first =
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =The Merchant of Venice
  | work =
  | publisher =Internet Broadway Database
  | date =
  | url = http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=3177
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =  2007-11-06}}</ref> which was praised as having "vivid appeal."<ref>{{cite news 
  | last =Glover
  | first =William
  | coauthors =
  | title =The critic's view
  | work =
  | pages =
  | language =
  | publisher =Associated Press
  | date =1973-03-06
  | url =
  | accessdate =  }}</ref> Donovan had a successful national tour in the play ''Tubstrip'', written and directed by Jerry Douglas.<ref>{{cite web
  | last = 
  | first =
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =Tubstrip
  | work =
  | publisher =Internet Broadway Database
  | date =
  | url = http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=3487
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =  2007-11-06}}</ref> While the play was critically deemed entertaining enough to its target gay audience<ref>{{cite news 
  | last =Sarmento
  | first =William E.
  | coauthors =
  | title ="Tubstrip" hits the gay white way
  | work =Lowell Sun
  | pages =
  | language =
  | publisher =
  | date =1974-11-13
  | url =
  | accessdate =  }}</ref> (having earned, in the words of one critic, a "nationwide gay housekeeping seal of approval")<ref>{{cite news 
  | last =Glover
  | first =William
  | coauthors =
  | title =Gays like what "Tubstrip" offers
  | work =Oakland Tribune
  | pages =
  | language =
  | publisher =
  | date =1974-11-02
  | url =
  | accessdate =  }}</ref> Donovan himself was judged as simply "no better nor worse [an] actor than most of the others [in the cast]."<ref>{{cite news 
  | last =Taylor
  | first =Robert
  | coauthors =
  | title =Tub be or not tub be
  | work =Oakland Tribune
  | pages =
  | language =
  | publisher =
  | date =1974-08-29
  | url =
  | accessdate =  }}</ref> In 1983 he turned his hand to producing, with an unsuccessful Broadway revival of The Ritz''<ref>{{cite book  
| last =Rutledge
| first =Leigh
| authorlink = 
| coauthors = 
| title =The Gay Fireside Companion 
| publisher =Alyson Publications 
| date =1989 
| location = New York
| pages =229 
| url = 
| doi = 
| id =  
| isbn = 1555831648}}</ref> in which he also appeared.<ref>{{cite web
  | last = 
  | first =
  | authorlink =
  | coauthors =
  | title =The Ritz
  | work =
  | publisher =Internet Broadway Database
  | date =
  | url = http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=4223
  | format =
  | doi =
  | accessdate =  2007-11-06}}</ref>

'''Casey Donovan''', aussi connu sous son vrai nom, '''John Calvin "Cal" Culver''' (américain des 1980, qui jouait dans des films gay. Il est à plusieurs points de vue une figure emblématique de l'hédonisme de ces années.

Casey Donovan est né John Calvin Culver le 2 novembre 1943 à East Bloomfield, état de New York. Il travaille un certain temps comme enseignant dans une école privée de New York, l'Ethical Culture Fieldston School de Central Park West, puis commence à jouer au théâtre dans les festivals d'été sous le nom de Cal Culver. Il a aussi gagné sa vie comme escort masculin. A la fin des années 1960 et au début des années 1970, il apparaît dans des pièces comme ''Captain Brassbound's Conversion'' avec Ingrid Bergman, ''Le Marchand de Venise'' avec Rosemary Harris, et une pièce off-Broadway au thème gay, ''Circle in the Water.'' Cal a aussi travaillé comme mannequin, son image apparaissant dans des publicités et des magazines.

En 1971, Cal a joué l'un des rôles principaux dans un thriller à petit budget de "sexploitation", ''Ginger''. Ce rôle l'amena a tourner dans ''Casey'', un film pornographique gay dans lequel il joue le rôle titre, un homosexuel auquel sa marraine-fée Wanda rend visite (Cal joue ce double rôle en travesti), pour lui accorder une série de vœux qui le rendent irrésistiblement attirants pour les autres hommes.
Cal prit le prénom du personnage, Casey, et le nom d'un chanteur populaire, Donovan, pour forger son pseudonyme d'acteur pour des performances érotiques.

Il apparaît ainsi sous le nom de Casey Donovan la première fois dans ''Boys in the Sand'', réalisé par Wakefield Poole en 1972. Le film connut un succès immédiat, des célébrités connues du grand public allant même le voir au cinéma.  De nos jours, ce film est considéré comme l'un des grands classiques du cinéma érotique homosexuel, bien que des instructions plus strictes concernant l'obscénité dans certains Etats aient contraints à renommer le film ''Men in the Sand''. Malgré le succès du film, Cal/Casey s'est vite rendu compte que la seule carrière qui s'offrait à lui consistait à tourner des films encore plus érotiques. Ces derniers furent le fims bisexuel ''Score'' (1972), ''The Back Row'', avec George Payne, ''LA Tool & Die'', avec Bob Blount et Richard Locke, ''The Other Side of Aspen'', avec Al Parker et Dick Fisk, ''Boys in the Sand II'', et ''Inevitable Love'', avec Jon King et Jamie Wingo. Il a aussi joué dans plusieurs films pornographiques hétérosexuels, en particulier ''The Opening of Misty Beethoven'' (1975).

En dehors de sa carrière dans le cinéma pour adultes, Casey participa avec succès à la tournée off-Broadway de la pièce ''Tubstrip'', écrite et mise en scène par Jerry Douglas, et il s'engagea dans une relation étroite avec l'ancien auteur et star du cinéma et de la télévision Tom Tryon. Casey tenta également, mais sans succès, de diriger un hôtel "bed and breakfast", Casa Donovan, à Key West.  

Vers SIDA et conseilla à ses fans de pratiquer le sexe sans risque et de passer les tests de dépistage du sida.
Il joua dans un film de safe-sex pour le Inverness, en Floride , le 10 août 1987. 