William Holden came from a wealthy family (the Beedles) that moved to Pasadena, California, when he was three. His father was an industrial chemist and his mother a teacher. In 1937, while studying chemistry at Pasadena Junior College, he was signed to a film contract by Paramount. His first starring role was as a young man torn between the violin and boxing in Golden Boy. From then on he was typecast as the boy-next-door.

After returning from World War II military service, he got two very important roles: Joe Gillis, the gigolo, in Sunset Blvd., and the tutor in Born Yesterday. These were followed by his Oscar-winning role as the cynical sergeant in Stalag 17. He stayed popular through the 1950s, appearing in such films as Picnic. He spent much of his later time as co-owner of the Mount Kenya Safari Club, dividing his time between Africa and Switzerland.
The Towering Inferno (1974): $750,000
The Wild Bunch (1969): $250,000
The Horse Soldiers (1959): $750,000 + 20% of profits
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957): $250,000 + 10% of the gross (World-wide)
Sabrina (1954): $150,000
Sunset Blvd. (1950): $30,000

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#57). [1995] Was the best man at Ronald Reagan's and Nancy Davis' wedding in 1952. Died from a laceration to his forehead which was caused by hitting his head during a bout of heavy drinking. He apparently remained conscious for half an hour or so after the injury but never realized he should phone for help. Had he done so, he would surely have lived. He fathered two sons with his wife Brenda Marshall. Peter Wesfield (known as "West") Holden was born November 17, 1943 and Scott Holden was born May 2, 1946. He also had a daughter, Virginia Holden, from Marshall's previous marriage, whom he adopted. Not to be confused with the character actor William Holden. Brian Donlevy was his best man when Holden married Brenda Marshall in 1941. A Congregationalist Church service was planned in Las Vegas. Since William and Brian were still filming The Remarkable Andrew, there were delays and it was 3am before they arrived for the ceremony. By that time the minister had long gone to bed. It was 4pm Sunday before another preacher could be found to perform the wedding. After they were married, they had a champagne breakfast and hopped a plane back to Los Angeles so he and Brian could wrap up shooting, and Brenda was off to Canada to film some location footage that she was still working on. It would be three more months before they would have a real honeymoon (one mishap after another postponed it ... including the TWO of them having to undergo emergency appendectomies)! He was very instrumental in animal preservation in Africa. In the 1970s he purchased a large acreage of land with his own money and began an animal sanctuary. His love of the wild animal was shared with his then companion Stefanie Powers (from Hart to Hart). He would appear on talk shows to promote the saving of animals and to spread the word of anti-poaching and illegal animal trade. A hygiene fanatic, he reportedly showered up to four times daily. Ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean. Family: Mother: Mary Beedle (nee Ball). Father: William Franklin Beedle, born 1892. Brother: Robert Westfield Beedle, born 1921; died January 1, 1944. Brother: Richard P. Beedle, born 1925. Son: Peter Westfield Holden (aka Peter West Holden), businessman; born November 17, 1943. Son: Scott Holden, actor; born May 2, 1946; began career early 70s; appeared as a veterinarian in Breezy, starring his father. Stepdaughter: Virginia Holden, actress; daughter of Holden's wife, Brenda Marshall, by her previous marriage to actor Richard Gaines; Holden adopted her after marrying Marshall. Immortalized in [Canadian band], Blue Rodeo's song "Floating" with the lyric: "I need love and it's you, And I feel like William Holden floating in a pool" - Greg Keelor, the writer of the song, said this: "That sort of quiet desperation at the end of a relationship when nothing's really making sense and I sort of had the image of William Holden at the beginning of Sunset Blvd. in my head, and I'd always sort of related to that character floating in that pool. I was always hoping for the opportunity to play the gigolo for some wealthy woman. This is a song about identifying with that sort of compromised existence." Although it is thought by some that J.D. Salinger got the name for his hero Holden Caulfield in "The Catcher in the Rye" when he saw a marquee for Dear Ruth, starring William Holden and Joan Caulfield, Salinger's first Holden Caulfield story, "I'm Crazy," appeared in Collier's on December 22, 1945, a year and a half before this movie came out. Won Best Actor for his role in Stalag 17. When accepting his statue at the Acadamy Awards, simply stated, "Thank you" and walked off. Holden said that, at some point, he lost his passion for acting and that it eventually just became a job so that he could support himself. He was voted the 63rd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly. Was very active in the Republican party. Was named #25 Actor on the 50 Greatest Screen Legends by the AFI Was friends with photographer Peter Beard. Is portrayed by Gabriel Macht in The Audrey Hepburn Story In the song "Tom's Diner" by Suzanne Vega, the lyrics "I open up the paper / there's a story of an actor / who died while he was drinking / he was no one I had heard of" refer to Holden, whose death was indeed reported in the New York Post on November 18, 1981, when the song was written. Made two films with Audrey Hepburn: Sabrina and Together in Paris. His younger brother, Robert Beedle, was actually a Navy fighter pilot who was killed in action in World War II, and after The Bridges at Toko-Ri was released, was remembered by his squadron-mates as having been very much like Holden's character of Lt. Harry Brubaker in that movie. Was an avid art collector. His private collection at his exclusive hilltop home in Palm Springs featured antique Asian art. Upon his death, the priceless collection was donated to the Palm Springs Museum of Art, where it is proudly displayed today. He was of entirely English heritage.