Rock Hudson

A rising Hollywood star's secret life collides with a devoted marriage in this emotional drama about the rise, fall, and hidden truth of Rock Hudson.

Born

1925

Died

1985

From

Winnetka, Illinois, USA·Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Height

1.96 m (6'5")

Also:
Producer

100

Credits on file

Decades active

Awards

In short · Acted for nine decades — 100 credits.

Remembered for

Ranked by community engagement + sustained interest across this person's credits in our database.

Help complete this page

We’re missing birth date. Sign in to add what you know.

Biography

Rock Hudson, born Roy Harold Scherer, Jr. in Winnetka, Illinois, was the son of Katherine (Wood), a telephone operator, and Roy Harold Scherer, an auto mechanic. Of German, Swiss-German, English, and Irish descent, he experienced his parents' divorce when he was eight years old. Struggling with memorizing lines, he failed to obtain parts in school plays. After high school, he worked as a postal employee and served in the U.S. Navy as an airplane mechanic during World War II. After the war, he became a truck driver. His size and good looks led to a career in movies. He adopted the name Rock Hudson, had his teeth capped, and took acting, singing, fencing, and riding lessons. His first film, *Fighter Squadron* (1948), required 38 takes for one line. In 1956, he received an Oscar nomination for his role in *Giant* (1956), and two years later, *Look* magazine named him Star of the Year. He starred in several bedroom comedies, many with Doris Day, and had his own popular television series *McMillan & Wife* (1971). He also had a recurring role in *Dynasty* (1981–1985). He was the first major public figure to announce he had AIDS, and his worldwide search for a cure drew international attention. After his death, his long-time lover Marc Christian successfully sued his estate, again drawing attention to the homosexuality Rock had concealed from most throughout his career.