A filmmaker and Playgirl 'Man Of The Year ' centerfold model who made waves when he came out as gay has died . Dirk Shafer , 52 , was found dead in his car in West Hollywood on Thursday after a possible heart attack , Deadline reports . He became a pioneering mouthpiece on the subject of gay lifestyle and the heated circuit club scene in the 1990s . Man Of The Year : Dirk Shafer , 52 , was Playgirl 's 1992 Man Of The Year before he came out as gay and spoke out about the pressures on men to appear straight . He has been found dead in his car in West Hollywood . A fixture of Hollywood , and trainer to the stars , Shafer rubbed shoulders with the likes of Joan Rivers . Will & Grace star Eric McCormack paid tribute to his friend , gym buddy and one-time co-star Shafer on Twitter . Among those to pay tribute was Will & Grace star Eric McCormack , who trained with Shafer . He wrote : 'Lost a good man today . # DirkShafer dear pal and awesome trainer for 17 years . Sending love to his family and so many friends . Be at peace , D ' Satirizing the need to appear 'straight ' in his modeling career , Shafer directed , wrote and starred in the acclaimed mockumentary Man Of The Year in 1995 . Later in life : Shafer went on to make two acclaimed movies , dabbled in acting and physically trained stars . Six years later , his movie about the gay club scene , Circuit , was awarded Best Film at the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival . Illinois-born Shafer later landed a role as Blaze on the hit sitcom Will & Grace , before becoming a fitness trainer in Hollywood . His celebrity clients at Swapoutworkout included Katy Perry , Richard Dreyfuss , and Tiffanni Thiessen . In 2012 , Shafer posed naked once more for Playgirl to mark 20 years since his centerfold .
Dirk Shafer , 52 , was Playgirl 's Man Of The Year then came out as gay . He made mockumentary Man Of The Year about pressures on gay men . Found dead in his car on Thursday , gossip sites suggest heart attack . Tributes on Twitter include one from Will & Grace star Eric McCormack .