Rock Hudson - ©Theda Bara

The actor I bring in this post is the American Rock Hudson. Although he was widely acclaimed as a heartthrob in the 1950s and 1960s, often starring in romantic comedies alongside the excellent actress Doris Day (1922-2019), Hudson is also recognized for dramatic roles in films such as: “Magnificent Obsession” (1954) , receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, which he lost to his compatriot Marlon Brando, in (1955) and for “Giant” in 1956, losing the statuette once again, this time to Russian actor Yul Brynner (1920-1985), in (1957).

Rock Hudson was a four-time Golden Globe winner (1959, 1960, 1961 and 1963), but never received an Oscar. 

The actor has his star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, at Hollywood Boulevard: 6116, Cinema category.

Born Roy Harold Scherer Jr., on November 17, 1925, Winnetka, Illinois, United States, Rock Hudson died on October 2, 1985, in Beverly Hills, California, United States, one month before his 60th birthday.

Rock Hudson was one of the greatest actors of the Golden Age of Hollywood, making a legion of women around the world “sigh”. However, the actor maintained a false marriage with American secretary and interior decorator Phyllis Lucille Gates (1925-2006), from 1955 to 1958, from whom he separated after 3 years together, with Hudson admitting his homosexuality. On July 25, 1985, the actor's agent confirmed that Rock Hudson had contracted AIDS, having been diagnosed with the disease more than a year ago. The actor was one of the first Hollywood heartthrobs to die from complications from HIV.