Gillis was born in New York City and graduated from Columbia University. He appeared in more than 470 movies as an actor." He also directed several adult movies. A bisexual, he appeared in gay porn, but never engaged in sex with another man on film. Gillis also appeared in a mainstream Hollywood film, Nighthawks (1981) starring Sylvester Stallone in which he played Lindsay Wagner's boss.

Gillis died on February 19, 2010 in New York City from melanoma, which was diagnosed four or five months earlier.

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