ATABB

Off Topic

Rock Hudson

Date of Birth / Doğum Tarihi
17 November 1925, Winnetka, Illinois, USA

Date of Death / Ölüm Tarihi
2 October 1985, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA. (AIDS)

Birth Name / Gerçek Adı
Roy Harold Scherer Jr.

Mini Biography / Biyografi
He was the son of an auto mechanic and a telephone operator who divorced when he was eight years old. He failed to obtain parts in school plays because he couldn't remember lines. After high school he was a postal employee and during WW II served as a Navy airplane mechanic. After the war he was a truck driver. His size and good looks got him into movies. His name was changed to Rock Hudson, his teeth were capped, he took lessons in acting, singing, fencing and riding. One line in his first picture, Fighter Squadron (1948), needed 38 takes. In 1956 he received an Oscar nomination for Giant (1956) and two years later Look magazine named him Star of the Year. He starred in a number of bedroom comedies, many with Doris Day, and had his own popular TV series "McMillan & Wife" (1971). He had a recurring role in TV's "Dynasty" (1981) (1984-5). 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 calling attention to the homosexuality Rock had hidden from most throughout his career. IMDb Mini Biography By: Ed Stephan < stephan@cc.wwu.edu>

Trivia / Önemsiz Şeyler
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#28). [1995]The Prudential Life Insurance Co. stopped using its slogan ""Own A Piece Of The Rock"" after Hudson died of AIDS and many jokes were made about him and the slogan.Ashes scattered at sea.Went to same school as Ann-Margret and Charlton Heston in Winnetka, IllinoisWorked as a truck driver when he first moved to Los Angeles, but he spent his spare time idling outside of studio gates and sending photographs of himself to various producers.His real name was Roy Scherer, but talent scout Henry Wilson invented a new name for his protégé by combining the Rock of Gibraltar and the Hudson River.Although he tried out for roles in school plays, Hudson failed to win any because he could not remember lines.Enamored of movies as a teenager, he worked as an usher.Before taking his first film role, he got his teeth capped and was coached intensively in acting, singing, dancing, fencing and riding. Still, it took no less than 38 takes before he could successfully complete one line in his first picture, Fighter Squadron (1948).Production on the television series "The Devlin Connection" (1982) was suspended for a year while he was recovering from quintuple heart bypass surgery.By the time he had taken the role of a suave and stately horse breeder on "Dynasty" (1981), the AIDS virus was consuming him. Before long, he suffered memory loss and was forced to use cue cards. He also had difficulty speaking.The media first began to suspect he had serious health problems when he came to Carmel, California, in July 1985 to help his Pillow Talk (1959) co-star Doris Day launch her cable series, _""Doris Day's Best Friends"" (1985)_ . His gaunt appearance and obvious disorientation suddenly became the focus of what was meant to be a joyous reunion of one of Hollywood's favorite on-screen couples. He was dead within a year.His longtime boyfriend Marc Christian sued his estate and won because he continued to have sex with him without telling him he had the AIDS virusEven though some sources claimed he was 6' 6"" tall, he was actually 6' 5"", which can be seen in such films as Send Me No Flowers (1964), in which Clint Walker, at 6' 6"" looks taller than Hudson, and in The Undefeated (1969), in which he looks about an inch taller than John Wayne, who was 6' 4"" tall. It should be noted however that by 1969 Wayne was no longer at his peak height following the removal of his entire left lung and two ribs five years earlier, and therefore wore lifts inside his boots.Underwent emergency quintuple heart bypass surgery to relieve severely clogged coronary arteries in November 1981, and began smoking again at the hospital immediately after the operation. Consequently he was very frail during the filming of The Ambassador (1984), and did not get along with his co- star Robert Mitchum.Is portrayed by Thomas Ian Griffith in Rock Hudson (1990) (TV)Went to New Trier Township High School East in Winnetka, IL, as did Ralph Bellamy, Charlton Heston, Hugh O'Brien, Ann-Margret, Bruce Dern, Penelope Milford, Virginia Madsenand Liz Phair.Died the same day as George Savalas. He and Savalas' older brother, Telly Savalas appeared in Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971).Hudson and his partner Marc Christian went out of their way while traveling near downtown Los Angeles, so that the couple could meet Michael Jackson during the filming of his award-winning music video, Thriller (1983) (V).According to the book, ""The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson,"" the original plan was to call him ""Roc"" but someone pointed out the possibility of confusion with the 1940s actress, Rochelle Hudson, so a ""k"" was added and ""Roc"" became ""Rock.""Hudson was diagnosed with AIDS on 5 June 1984 but when the signs of illness became apparent, his publicity staff and doctors told the public that he had liver cancer.Biography in: ""The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives"". Volume One, 1981- 1985, pages 405-407. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998.His favorite performances were in Giant (1956) and Seconds (1966).When Hudson initially became ill with AIDS his boyfriend Marc Christian thought he had lung cancer, because he was a heavy smoker.Became very close to Roman Gabriel while filming The Undefeated (1969).Following a right-shoulder injury in 1973, often used his left hand to write and pick up objects on ""McMillan & Wife"".Less than a month after announcing he had AIDS, Hudson wrote a check for $250,000 to help get the then-fledgling National AIDS Research Foundation (NARF) off the ground.Following his diagnosis of AIDS in 1984, Hudson told his doctor that he hoped he would die from a heart attack (he had undergone an emergency quintuple heart bypass in 1981) before the public could find out the truth.In the early 1970s he toured 13 cities as King Arthur in the musical ""Camelot"".He stayed at the White House in May 1984 as a guest of then President Ronald Reagan. First Lady Nancy Davis wrote to Hudson saying how glad she and her husband were to see him looking well following his operation.A conservative Republican, Hudson joined Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, Irene Dunne and Raymond Massey in campaigning for Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election.Made ""Top 10 stars of the year"" a record eight times from 1957 to 1964.His favorite of his films was the Cold War drama Ice Station Zebra (1968).Was very close friends with singer Dusty Springfield.Grew a mustache and sideburns for his role in The Undefeated (1969). Afterwards he decided to retain that look throughout the 1970s.

Personal Quotes / Kişisel Alıntılar
His legal name was Roy Fitzgerald. When meeting John F. Kennedy, the American president remarked: ""They say all Fitzgeralds are related."" to which Hudson replied, ""I guess that makes Ella happy.""""I had to overcome the name Rock. If I'd been as hip then as I am now, I would have never consented to be named Rock.""""John Wayne was then the Hollywood legend, and I was on screen with him. The guy is an angel. He saved my life back then when no other film maker wanted to know me."" - On The Undefeated (1969)""I did a movie with Duke Wayne and was very surprised to find out he had small feet, wore lifts, and a corset. Hollywood is seldom what it seems.""""I can't play a loser - I don't look like one.""""I have no philosophy about acting or anything else. You just do it. And I mean that. You just do it. However, I can say that with ease after thirty-five years.""""I am not happy that I am sick. I am not happy that I have AIDS. But if that is helping others, I can at least know that my own misfortune has had some positive worth."" (1985)(In the early 1980s, before his sickness was publicly known) "" 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.""