Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson, born Leroy Harold Scherer, Jr., was a prominent American actor known for his leading roles in classic Hollywood films. After a challenging childhood marked by his parents' divorce, he adopted the name Rock Hudson and pursued acting following his service as a Navy airplane mechanic in World War II. He gained fame in the early 1950s, with notable performances in films such as "Magnificent Obsession" and "Giant," the latter earning him an Academy Award nomination. Over his three-decade career in film and television, Hudson became a top box-office draw and a symbol of male charisma in American cinema.
Despite his success, Hudson's personal life was kept largely private, and his homosexuality was not publicly acknowledged during his lifetime. His death in 1985 from AIDS complications brought significant attention to the disease and raised awareness about the stigma associated with it. Hudson's legacy continues to influence discussions about LGBTQ representation in Hollywood and the broader cultural dialogue surrounding AIDS. His posthumous autobiography, "Rock Hudson: His Story," and various biographies offer deeper insights into his life and career.
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Subject Terms
Rock Hudson
- Born: November 17, 1925
- Birthplace: Winnetka, Illinois
- Died: October 2, 1985
- Place of death: Beverly Hills, California
Identification American film actor
An engagingly handsome and beloved screen star, Rock Hudson epitomized the masculine Hollywood leading man during the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Rock Hudson was born Leroy Harold Scherer, Jr. His parents divorced when he was eight years old, and he later changed his name to Roy Fitzgerald when his mother remarried. He worked as a mail carrier and served in World War II as a Navy airplane mechanic. After an aggressive agent recognized his star potential and encouraged him to pursue acting, Fitzgerald assumed the name Rock Hudson and launched his film career.
Though it took no less than thirty-eight takes to complete successfully one line of dialogue in his first picture, Fighter Squadron (1948), Hudson’s alluring presence and rugged good looks quickly propelled him to stardom. During the early 1950’s, Hudson began to win more major roles, and following the release of Magnificent Obsession in 1954, he became one of Hollywood’s leading men. He earned an Oscar nomination in 1956 after starring with James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor in Giant. In 1957, he acted in the film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms and was named Star of the Year by Look magazine the following year.
Impact
In an acting career that later extended to television and spanned some thirty years, Hudson was twice voted Hollywood’s top box-office draw. His death at age fifty-nine from complications of AIDS astounded many of his fans, who were unaware of his homosexuality, and focused worldwide attention on finding a cure for the disease.
Bibliography
Hudson, Rock, with Sara Davidson. Rock Hudson: His Story. New York: Avon, 1987. Hudson’s posthumous autobiography.
Oppenheimer, Jerry. Idol, Rock Hudson: The True Story of an American Film Hero. New York: John Curley, 1987. A good biography of Hudson.