Rock Hudson was a popular and well-liked Hollywood star during the Golden Age. However, he was able to skillfully hide his true self from the public, leading a secret personal life filled with desires and affairs.
Despite recent revelations about his hidden identity, there seem to be many more actors in Hollywood who choose to live Hudson’s story.
Hollywood’s Rock Hudson: The “Secretly” Gay Actor
Rock Hudson was a Hollywood icon known for his rugged masculinity and irresistible charm, winning over audiences worldwide. However, behind closed doors, Hudson led a secret life, exploring his true sexual identity away from scrutiny.
Suggested Article: “That’s what has to be protected”: Martin Scorsese Becomes a Certified Greta Gerwig Fan as ‘Barbie’ Director Triumphs in Making True “Cinema”
According to the actor’s biographer Mark Griffin, actors in Hollywood are “gay and closeted.” However, these stars will choose not to “come out.”
“They are gay and closeted but, as far as we’ve come post-Stonewall, they are not going to come out because it would adversely affect their careers.”
The person in question lived a secret life filled with exciting encounters and dangerous adventures, all while keeping up appearances of a flawless marriage and public persona. In his career, he walked a fine line between breaking the rules and following them strategically.
Although he sometimes took on roles that went against his established image, like in Seconds and Pretty Maids All in a Row, he often found himself confined to safe and predictable character types due to industry and societal expectations.
Rock Hudson: The Accidental Activist
Director Douglas Sirk, best known for directing the best melodramas in the 1950s, reveals that taking risks with “artsy films” was “always a battle with actors.”
“That’s always the battle with actors. Do they stay safe and cash the pay cheque or take risks with artsy films? It’s such a shame we never got to see him age. Just think, he might have done the Burt Reynolds role in Boogie Nights!”
According to director Stephen Kijak, the news of Rock Hudson’s outing after his death caused a stir in Hollywood and unintentionally turned him into an “accidental activist.” Although Hudson’s challenges shed light on the hidden lives of many in Hollywood, they also labeled him an activist.
“When this project was first suggested to me, it was called Rock Hudson: Accidental Activist. And I didn’t want the word ‘activist’ attached to him in that way… You really can’t pin it on him. Everyone knows he was a gay man who had Aids, and the effect of that was incredibly positive. But did he have anything to do with it? I don’t think so. Was he in control of that narrative? Most likely not. If he’d had the choice, he would have stayed in the closet.”
Looking at Hollywood today’s supposed progress in inclusivity and diversity, Griffin’s claims reveal that some A-listers may still face the same problems as Rock Hudson.
Source: The Guardian
