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Rock Hudson

Actor

Rock Hudson

Born November 17, 1925 in Winnetka, Illinois, USADied October 2, 198569 films

Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golden Age of Hollywood, he achieved stardom with his role in Magnificent Obsession (1954), followed by All That Heaven Allows (1955), and Giant (1956), for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Hudson also found continued success with a string of romantic comedies co-starring Doris Day: Pillow Talk (1959), Lover Come Back (1961), and Send Me No Flowers (1964). During the late 1960s, his films included Seconds (1966), Tobruk (1967), and Ice Station Zebra (1968). Unhappy with the film scripts he was offered, Hudson turned to television and was a hit, starring in the popular mystery series McMillan & Wife (1971–1977). His last role was as a guest star on the fifth season (1984–1985) of the primetime ABC soap opera Dynasty, until AIDS-related illness made it impossible for him to continue.

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Although discreet regarding his sexual orientation, it was a known fact amongst Hudson's colleagues in the film industry that he was a gay man. In 1984, Hudson was diagnosed with AIDS. The following year, he became one of the first celebrities to disclose his AIDS diagnosis. Hudson was the first major celebrity to die from an AIDS-related illness, on October 2, 1985, at age 59.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Rock Hudson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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The best way into Rock Hudson's work
Giant posterFirst watchGiant19567.6as Jordan 'Bick' BenedictWealthy rancher Bick Benedict and dirt-poor cowboy Jett Rink both woo Leslie Lynnton, a beautiful young woman from Maryland who is new to Texas.View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
Seconds poster7.4Seconds1966Winchester '73 poster7.3Winchester '731950All That Heaven Allows poster7.3All That Heaven Allows1955Pillow Talk poster7.1Pillow Talk1959Written on the Wind poster7.0Written on the Wind1956Bend of the River poster7.1Bend of the River1952Lover Come Back poster7.0Lover Come Back1961Man's Favorite Sport? poster7.0Man's Favorite Sport?1964

Filmography

69 films as actor
  1. 1985The AmbassadorFrank Stevenson
  2. 1984The Vegas Strip WarNeil Chaine
  3. 1981The Patricia Neal StoryRock Hudson (uncredited)
  4. 1981The Star MakerDanny Youngblood
  5. 1980The Mirror Crack'dJason Rudd
  6. 1979Musical Comedy Tonight
  7. 1978AvalancheDavid Shelby
  8. 1976EmbryoDr. Paul Holliston
  9. 1973ShowdownChuck Jarvis
  10. 1971Once Upon a Dead ManStewart McMillan
  11. 1971Pretty Maids All in a RowMichael 'Tiger' McDrew
  12. 1970Hornets' NestTurner
  13. 1970Darling LiliMajor William Larrabee
  14. 1969The UndefeatedColonel James Langdon
  15. 1968A Fine PairCapt. Mike Harmon
  16. 1968Ice Station ZebraCdr. James Ferraday
  17. 1967TobrukMajor Donald Craig
  18. 1966SecondsAntiochus 'Tony' Wilson
  19. 1966BlindfoldDr. Bartholomew Snow
  20. 1965A Very Special FavorPaul Chadwick
  21. 1965Strange BedfellowsCarter Harrison
  22. 1964Send Me No FlowersGeorge Kimball
  23. 1964Man's Favorite Sport?Roger Willoughby
  24. 1963A Gathering of EaglesCol. Jim Caldwell
  25. 1962The Spiral RoadDr. Anton Drager
  26. 1961Lover Come BackJerry Webster
  27. 1961Come SeptemberRobert L. Talbot
  28. 1961The Last SunsetDana Stribling
  29. 1959Pillow TalkBrad Allen
  30. 1959This Earth Is MineJohn Rambeau
  31. 1958Twilight for the GodsCaptain David Bell
  32. 1957A Farewell to ArmsLt. Frederick Henry
  33. 1957The Tarnished AngelsBurke Devlin
  34. 1957Something of ValuePeter McKenzie
  35. 1957Battle HymnCol. Dean E. Hess
  36. 1956GiantJordan 'Bick' Benedict
  37. 1956Written on the WindMitch Wayne
  38. 1956Never Say GoodbyeDr. Michael Parker
  39. 1955All That Heaven AllowsRon Kirby
  40. 1955One DesireClint Saunders
  41. 1955Captain LightfootMichael Martin
  42. 1954Bengal BrigadeCapt. Jeffrey Claybourne
  43. 1954Magnificent ObsessionBob Merrick
  44. 1954Taza, Son of CochiseTaza
  45. 1953Beneath the 12-Mile ReefNarrator (uncredited)
  46. 1953Back to God's CountryPeter Keith
  47. 1953Gun FuryBen Warren
  48. 1953The Golden BladeHarun Al-Rashid
  49. 1953Sea DevilsGilliatt
  50. 1953SeminoleLance Caldwell
  51. 1952The Lawless BreedJohn Wesley Hardin
  52. 1952Horizons WestNeil Hammond
  53. 1952Has Anybody Seen My Gal?Dan Stebbins
  54. 1952Scarlet AngelFrank Truscott
  55. 1952Here Come the NelsonsCharlie Jones
  56. 1952Bend of the RiverTrey Wilson
  57. 1951Iron ManTommy 'Speed' O'Keefe
  58. 1951Bright VictoryDudek
  59. 1951The Fat ManRoy Clark
  60. 1951Air CadetUpper Classman
  61. 1951TomahawkBurt Hanna
  62. 1950ShakedownTed - Bay View Club Doorman (uncredited)
  63. 1950The Desert HawkCaptain Ras
  64. 1950Winchester '73Young Bull
  65. 1950PeggyJohnny "Scat" Mitchell
  66. 1950I Was a ShoplifterSi Swanson - Store Detective
  67. 1950One Way StreetTruck Driver (uncredited)
  68. 1949UndertowDetective (as Roc Hudson)
  69. 1948Fighter SquadronSecond Lieutenant (uncredited)