Following his diagnosis, he battled clinical depression for about a year"Acting allows AIDS victim to take his mind off disease". Toronto Star, January 25, 1987. before deciding in 1985 to get on with life, and renewed his commitment to both acting and HIV activism. He was one of the founding members of Toronto's People With AIDS Foundation, appeared in the AIDS-themed documentary film No Sad Songs in 1985 and a production of Robert E. Sherwood's play Idiot's Delight in 1987, and began appearing as a public speaker on HIV and AIDS issues."Frank talk on AIDS is essential". Toronto Star, March 11, 1987. During this era, he was commonly credited as Canada's longest-living survivor of the disease,"Friends to toast AIDS' longest survivor". Toronto Star, April 7, 1988. and as the country's most prominent HIV/AIDS activist.
