Born:
November 17, 1925
in
Winnetka, Illinois
Best Known For:
Being a Hollywood heart-throb.
Early-life:
Born Roy Harold Scherer Jr in Winnetka, Illinois, on November 17, 1925. After graduating from high school, he served as an aircraft mechanic for the United States Navy during the Second World War. In 1946, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.
Career:
Hudson made his acting debut with one line in Fighter Squadron (1948). He continued to take acting lessons for a number of years and success came in 1954 with Magnificent Obsession. His popularity soared after appearing alongside James Dean in Giant (1956), and acclaimed film Something of Value (1957). During the late 1950s and 1960s, he appeared in a number of romantic comedies with Doris Day, including Pillow Talk (1959). He also appeared in action film Tobruk (1967), spy thriller Ice Station Zebra (1968) and western The Undefeated (1969). His big-screen appeal waned in the 1970s and he turned his attention to TV, starring in McMillan & Wife. He had a recurring role in the 1980s in Dynasty. He died from Aids-related complications on October 2, 1985 at the age of 59.
Quote:
"Someone asked me once what my philosophy of life was, and I said some crazy thing. I should have said, how the hell do I know?"
Trivia:
Turned down roles in box-office hits Sayonara, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Ben-Hur to star in A Farewell to Arms, one of the biggest flops in movie history.