Rock Hudson was born Roy Harold Scherer, Jr. in Winnetka, Illinois, to Katherine (Wood), a telephone operator, and Roy Harold Scherer, an auto mechanic. He was of German, Swiss-German, English, and Irish descent. His parents 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 (1948), needed 38 takes. In 1956 he
received an Oscar nomination for Giant (1956) 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 (1971).
He had a recurring role in TV's Dynasty (1981) (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.
