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Rock Hudson biography

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Quick Facts

  • NAME: Rock Hudson
  • OCCUPATION: Film Actor
  • BIRTH DATE: November 17, 1925
  • DEATH DATE: October 02, 1985
  • EDUCATION: New Trier High School
  • PLACE OF BIRTH: Winnetka, Illinois
  • PLACE OF DEATH: Beverly Hills, California
  • Originally: Roy Harold Scherer Jr.
  • AKA: Roy Harold Fitzgerald
  • AKA: Rock Hudson
  • AKA: Roy Harold Scherer
  • AKA: Roy Scherer
  • AKA: Roy Fitzgerald

Best Known For

Noted for his exceptional good looks and comedic film performance, Rock Hudson was an iconic actor who, later in life, contracted and died from the AIDS virus.

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Synopsis

Born on November 17, 1925, in Winnetka, Illinois, Rock Hudson began his career as a heartthrob, recognized widely for his good looks. Critics acknowledged his acting talent in Giant (1956), which also starred heavy-hitters Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. He co-starred with Doris Day in many hit films, including Pillow Talk (1959),

Quotes

"As you get older, you learn to keep your mouth shut more, because you never know how badly you're going to embarrass yourself later."
– Rock Hudson

"I always consider my job just as someone working in an office. Past 5 p.m., I lead my very own existence far from the cameras. It's essential for an actor to clearly separate private life from work ... essential for me, anyway.”
– Rock Hudson

Lover Come Back (1961) and Send Me No Flowers (1964). In 1984, Hudson was diagnosed with AIDS. The following year, he became one of the first celebrities to disclose both his homosexuality and AIDS diagnosis. Hudson was the first major celebrity to die from an AIDS-related illness, on October 2, 1985, at age 59, in Beverly Hills, California.

Early Life

Rock Hudson was born Roy Harold Scherer Jr. on November 17, 1925, in Winnetka, Illinois, and would go on to become an immensely popular actor, recognized widely for his good looks. During the Great Depression, His father, Roy Harold Scherer, lost his job as an auto mechanic and left the family. When Hudson was age 8, his mother, Katherine Wood, remarried and the actor took the surname of his stepfather, Wallace Fitzgerald. Growing up, Hudson did not excel academically, but had a certain charisma that made him popular among classmates.

Hollywood and Early Success

In 1944, Rock Hudson joined the U.S. Navy and served in the Philippines. Shortly after his discharge in 1946, he decided to move to Hollywood, California, to pursue an acting career. While he found work as a truck driver, most of his free time was spent hanging around the studios and handing out headshots to studio executives. It's not surprising that people soon began to take notice of the aspiring actor, with his good looks and charm.

In 1947, talent scout Henry Wilson took an interest in Hudson, taking the soon-to-be actor on as his protégé and crafting the moniker by which he's now best known: "Rock" for the rock of Gibraltar, and "Hudson" for the Hudson River.

Hudson had no professional training as an actor, which proved a difficult feat to overcome. After a few setbacks, Hudson broke into the business, acquiring a contract with Warner Brothers and landing his first role in the feature film Fire Squadron. In 1948, Universal Pictures bought out Hudson's contract with Warner Brothers and provided him with acting lessons.

Acclaimed Actor

Hudson went on to play bit roles in a number of films until he was hired as a lead in Douglas Sirk's Magnificent Obsession. This film established Hudson as a star and his career, subsequently, began to skyrocket. He starred in several dramatic movies, including the critically acclaimed Giant (1956), which also starred heavy-hitters Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. Hudson received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the film.

A pivotal period for Hudson's career came in 1959. He was cast opposite Doris Day in Pillow Talk, the first of a film series in which he portrayed the romantic lead. The dashing actor quickly became a heartthrob; women lusted after him and men wanted to be him.

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