Revelations about the complex personal life of Rock Hudson, the late Hollywood heartthrob who became one of the first known celebrities to die of AIDS, are finally seeing the light of day, nearly four decades after his passing at 59.
Sources close to the famed actor are revealing fresh aspects of Hudson's life, characterized by a voracious sexual drive and a string of eager partners ready to gratify him. Friends and past lovers, forming what they call the actor's "Gay Mafia", are breaking their silence about Hudson's private world. This world encompassed vibrant pool parties, clandestine homosexual encounters, and the constant struggle of concealing his sexual orientation from his vast fan base.
Hudson, originally Roy Scherer from Illinois, arrived in Los Angeles with dreams of a film career after his naval service. Under the management of his agent, Henry Willson, known for representing muscular male talent, Scherer transformed into Rock Hudson. With his handsome looks and athletic build, the 6'5" actor rapidly rose to heartthrob status.
However, Hudson's close acquaintances suggest he was continuously striving to maintain a heterosexual façade, despite his conservative inclinations. To keep curious onlookers at bay, he even entered a sham marriage in 1955 with Willson's secretary, Phyllis Gates.
Gates, who passed away in 2006, always maintained she was oblivious to her husband's homosexuality throughout their three-year matrimony. But biographer Mark Griffin challenges this claim in the HBO documentary "Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed". Griffin remarks, "Virtually every bit player, makeup man, assistant gofer at Universal knew the score about Rock Hudson. How did she possibly miss the memo?"
New insights from Hudson's circle depict a life filled with relentless sexual escapades, visits to clandestine gay clubs, and a stream of youthful lovers supplied by a network of allies. Armistead Maupin, author of "Tales of the City," humorously recalls his encounter, stating, "I thought I was the last man in California to go to bed with Rock Hudson when I finally did."
Joe Carberry, a close friend and former lover of Hudson's, highlights the actor's preferences, claiming Hudson was drawn to "young and pretty" partners with sizable "equipment".
Despite his many liaisons, Hudson's affection for one boyfriend, Lee Garlington, stood out. Hudson considered him the love of his life, despite the necessity for secrecy. Today, Garlington mournfully notes Hudson "did not have the opportunity to live his life the way he wanted to, and he had to go around hiding. I wish he had been born 30 or 40 years later. It would have been a happier life!”