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 Counterfeit Traitor (1962): $750,000
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] He suffered a laceration to his forehead and bled to death, after he slipped on a throw rug and hit his head on a table. Claims that he was intoxicated at the time are disputed. Not to be confused with the character actor William Holden. 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" (1979)). He would appear on talk shows to promote the saving of animals and to spread the word of anti-poaching and illegal animal trade. Ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean. 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. (1950) 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." Won Best Actor for his role in Stalag 17 (1953). When accepting his statue at the Acadamy Awards, simply stated, "Thank you" and walked off. He was voted the 63rd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly. Was named #25 Actor on the 50 Greatest Screen Legends by the AFI Is portrayed by Gabriel Macht in The Audrey Hepburn Story (2000) (TV) Made two films with Audrey Hepburn: Sabrina (1954) and Paris - When It Sizzles (1964). 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. Was involved in a serious road accident in Italy in July 1966. Turned down Henry Fonda's role in Mister Roberts (1955). Turned down The Guns of Navarone (1961) because producer Carl Foreman wouldn't meet his fee of $750,000 + 20% of the gross. Holden was cast as Pike Bishop in The Wild Bunch (1969) after the role had been turned down by Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, James Stewart, Charlton Heston, Gregory Peck, Sterling Hayden, Richard Boone and Robert Mitchum. Marvin actually accepted the role but pulled out after he was offered a larger pay deal to star in Paint Your Wagon (1969). Starred alongside Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd. (1950) and Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday (1950). Both actresses were nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for their performances in these films. Holliday won. He had a daughter, Arlene, in 1937 with actress Eva May Hoffman. Arlene was raised by her mother and her stepfather, composer Emil Newman. He appeared among the top ten box office stars six times, as ranked by Quigley Publications' annual poll of movie exhibitors, The Top Ten Money-Making Stars, the definitive list of movie stars' pull at the box office. He actually topped the list in 1956, two years after entering it at #7 in 1954, the year he won the Best Actor Oscar with his performance in Stalag 17 (1953). In 1955, he was ranked #4, then was hit #1 for the first and only time in 1956, and then dropped to #7 in 1957 before rebounding slightly to #6 in 1958. After five straight years in the Top 10, he dropped off the list in 1959 and 1960, but reappeared in the Top Ten in 1961, ranked in eighth place. His 1961 appearance among the Top Ten Box Office stars was his last. Father of Scott Holden. Turned down Marlon Brando's role in Sayonara (1957) in order to make The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). A Japanophile, someone preoccupied with Japanese culture, he befriended actor Toshirô Mifune on a visit to Japan in 1954. After seeing the film Mifune was working on at that time, Miyamoto Musashi (1954/I), Holden offered to distribute the film in America. The producers agreed to let Holden record a narration to explain the film when it was released in America. This addition lead American critics to wrongly think that Holden had recut the film for American distribution. Although married to Brenda Marshall for over 30 years, they were actually separated for the most time of their marriage.