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, needed 38 takes. In 1956 he received an Oscar nomination for Giant 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. He had a recurring role in TV's Dynasty (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.
Giant (1956): $100,000

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, Illinois Worked 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. Production on the television series The Devlin Connection 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, 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 early 1985 to help his Pillow Talk co-star Doris Day launch her cable series, Doris Day's Best Friends. 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 virus Even though some sources claimed he was 6' 6" tall, he was actually 6' 4", which can be seen in such films as Send Me No Flowers, in which Clint Walker, at 6' 6" looks taller than Hudson, and in The Undefeated, in which he looks about the same height as John Wayne, who was 6' 4-1/2" 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, and began smoking again at the hospital immediately after the operation. Conseqently he was very frail during the filming of The Ambassador. Is portrayed by Daniel McVicar in Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story Is portrayed by Thomas Ian Griffith in Rock Hudson 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. 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. 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.