Eric Manchester (born Ronald Eugene Liter; August 26, 1964 – March 12, 2023) was an American adult film actor who became one of the most prominent "gay-for-pay" performers of the late 1980s. Known for his athletic build and "military" aesthetic, Manchester appeared in approximately thirty films between 1985 and 1994, several of which are considered classics of the era.
Early life and military service Ronald Eugene Liter was born in Dallas, Texas, to Donald Liter and Patricia Hampton. He was raised in a Mormon household in the countryside, spending his formative years in Oklahoma and Indiana alongside his four sisters and brother.
As a young man, Liter joined the United States Marine Corps. While serving as a Marine, he was introduced by a fellow serviceman to Dirk Yates, the CEO of Seabag Productions, a studio known for "real military" content. This introduction marked his entry into the adult industry; his first professional job involved posing in swimwear for Yates.
Career Manchester transitioned from military-themed modeling to mainstream gay pornography, primarily working under the stage name Eric Manchester. Despite his prolific career in the genre, he initially identified as heterosexual and performed strictly as an active ("top") performer.
Manchester was highly regarded by directors for his professionalism and charisma. In a 1989 interview with Manshots magazine, Dirk Yates described him as "classy, really handsome, and a gentleman".
In 1991, the founders of Fine-Line Productions, Jim Steel and Jeff Appel, praised Manchester's screen presence:
Between 1985 and 1994, Manchester starred in roughly 30 films. Several of these are now regarded as groundbreaking titles such as Giant Splash Shots 2, In Your Wildest Dreams, Spokes 2: The Graduation, Head of Class, and The Rites of Summer.
However, in the years following his departure from the adult industry, Manchester underwent a personal transition. Despite his earlier public identification as straight, he eventually came out as gay to his family, reconciling his private life with the career that had made him an icon in the LGBTQ+ community.
Death On March 12th, 2023, while visiting San Francisco, Manchester was found dead in his hotel room by housekeeping staff. A subsequent investigation determined the cause of death to be a heroin overdose. He was 58 years old at the time of his death.
Following his death, he was returned to his roots and buried at Wellston Cemetery in Oklahoma.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes 1985 Gay XXX Superstars of the 1980's Paul Debut 1986 Double Load: Video Games 3 Bill 1986 Kurt Bauer's Intense Moments: Video Games 11 Handsome Guy 1986 Innocence Lost Eric 1986 The Exchange Eric 1986 Giant Splash Shots II Mike 1987 Sex Drive 2020 Eric 1987 Giants: It's So Much Larger Than Life Eric 1987 Men of Size 1 Eric 1987 Down for the Count Eric-Star Wrestler 1988 Bulge: Mass Appeal Manchester 1988 Touch Me: It's Hot, It's Tender Eric 1988 The Next Valentino Eric 1988 A Big Business Frank 1988 Head of the Class Sexy Guy 1988 They Grow 'em Big Bob Roberts 1988 Bulge: Mass Appeal Eric 1988 Touch Me: It's Hot, It's Tender Eric 1988 The Next Valentino Bruce 1988 A Big Business Sauna Boy 1988 57 Pick-Up Mountain Guy 1988 Superhunks 1 Eric 1988 Switch Video 4 Eric 1988 Spokes 2: The Graduation Matt 1988 Big Ones!: Hot Shots 21 Steven 1989 Sex Waves Eric 1989 Catalina Preview Tape 3: It's What's Inside That Counts Rick 1989 Mannequin Man Eric 1988 Crosswire Eric 1989 The Rites of Summer Vincent 1989 Powerline Eric 1989 In Your Wildest Dreams Tom 1990 Giant Men Greg 1990 Dirty Daddies: Hot Shots 32 Handsome Guy 1990 World of Sexual Oddities Eric 1990 Hot, Hung & Hard Eric 1991 The Best of Eric Manchester Eric Manchester 1992 Best Bi Far 2 Eric 1993 Giants Chris 1993 Men of Size 2 Eric 1993 Tough Competition 2 Eric 1994 Dripping Hard 2 Paul 1994 Anal Hall of Fame Bobby 1994 Tools of the Trade Handsome Guy 1994 Ball Blasters, Hard Hunks Collection Eric 1994 Hot & Hung 1 Paul Carson 1994 Threes on Their Knees 3 Kyle 1998 Locker Room Sex Eric 2002 Young Men of the 80's Eric 2004 Size Matters 1 Eric 2021 Falcon Icons: The 1980s Eric Manchester 2025 Bareback Classics 3 Eric Posthumous release
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