Rock Hudson was one of the 20th century’s most sought-after film stars — and with good reason. Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall, Hudson towered on set and delivered a captivating magnetic presence. Women wanted him. Men wanted to be him. And many other men fantasized about what we’d eventually all come to know: Rock Hudson was gay.
Hudson is now the subject of a new documentary, Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed (dir: Stephen Kijak), which recently premiered at the Tribeca Festival and is available to stream on Max beginning June 28. Kijak watched thousands of hours of Hudson’s filmography, interviewed past lovers like Lee Garlington, and dove into meticulously researched biographies, including All That Heaven Allows by Marc Griffith (named after the 1955 film co-starring Jane Wyman) and The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson, author Robert Hofler’s searing portrayal of Hudson’s longtime agent.
Related*
WATCH: Rock Hudson’s former boyfriends & colleagues reflect on the life of the closeted movie star
Everyone knows Rock Hudson’s Hollywood story, but this new doc explores the life he was forced to keep a secret.
While Kijak exposes a contemplative double life that Hudson kept closely guarded to maintain his career, the documentarian also explores the actor’s big heart through his endearing relationships with friends, colleagues, and lovers.
On July 25, 1985 — during the height of the AIDS crisis — Hudson made history by becoming the first major celebrity to disclose his HIV status. After keeping his personal life in the shadows for decades, Hudson’s last act would be one of subtle activism (he never publically admitted to being gay).
Queerty looks back on Hudson’s career through archival photos that offer a window into the star’s enduring impact.
CatholicXXX
Such a shame cause he was so masc. Very good representation.
monty clift
I wish there was more masculine representation in the media. We could do with a modern-day Rock Hudson.
stanpaske
I fell for Rock Hudson the first time I saw him. I was gay for Rock Hudson before I knew I was gay. So handsome.
Fahd
I am looking forward to the Max special premiering next week. He was a pretty fascinating man who was taken too young.
strix1
It must have been so difficult spending most of your life hiding who you love. Some people can grasp that who are average people, but to be someone constantly in the public eye, a different situation. Fortunately, he had many good friends that helped keep his secret. He was a handsome and charismatic man and it was a shame most people remember him only for the last year of his life as presented in trashy tabloid magazines. I did not read the book, “All That Heaven Allowed,” but I hope the documentary of the same name on HBO, June 28th, will live up to the hype!
Louis
False advertising.
None of these photos show “big”.
The ones of his back don’t show hench traps.
The ones of his front don’t show toned pecs.
The ones from behind don’t show a bubble butt.
The ones from in front don’t show an anaconda.
No “bigness” at all.
I want my money back!
DeeAnnCA
You have to remember that this is the age of over promise and under deliver.
Leo
True but I had a very rich and influential friend (passed away now) who had sex with him on a cruise to Germany and claims RH had 12 inches.
Mary Jane
Louis, you’ll start seeing all those things when you grow a heart.
Man About Town
Wait…so the bed with the graffiti on the headboard was in both “A Very Special Favor” AND “Strange Bedfellows”? You sure about this, Matty?
KellyRobinsonJr
Am I the only one scrolling for Rock Hudson in “Grey Sweatpants” or wearing his pants like Jon Hamm? Rock was a HOT MOTHER FU@KER!
4Rjunior
Know they were both HOT AF. And wore pants nicely.
Mary Jane
He was in so many ways.
GayEGO
Rock Hudson waved at me from his fancy convertible as I walked down the street in Hollywood wearing my Navy uniform back in December 1959!
Mary Jane
He should stopped and asked you if you needed a ride or a guide.
Huron132
Where ever Rock was it was a big place. Just seeing him in person was a big deal. He was bigger than life. He was a true male icon.
IanHunter
My ex introduced me to his movies. They are great. I hope that his legacy doesn’t only comes down to AIDS. He also was a beautiful man. Thanks to a great friendship with Elizabeth Taylor, his name was one of the first to start the anti AIDS campaign. At the time he was shunned by friends even Ronald Reagan. His movies still are in a list of my favorites. I would just use a wish to talk with him.
winemaker
Rock Hudson born Roy Fitzgerald in Champaign IL Nov 1925, a real class act. Sadly he had to live a double life but fortunately had friends who didn’t care who he loved or slept with and helped him keep his secret.
greekboy
While I think he was good looking, he reminded me of a card board cut out when it came to acting. Sorry guys
Kangol2
He was a fine actor but to me one of his greatest gifts to the world was admitting that he was battling AIDS and coming out as a gay man, as he was very ill in 1985, at a time when that was extremely taboo and no major Hollywood figures had done so. He brought attention to the AIDS pandemic in a way that ricocheted around the country and the world. It should be noted that though he asked First Lady Nancy Reagan, his decades-long friend, to help his admission to a French military hospital, she declined. He died not long after in Los Angeles.
Wheelerman
I had started the book on Audible,but didn’t finish. Looking forward to this documentary. IMO, Rock Hudson was at his most handsome, and totally hot, in the movie All That Heaven Allows. His rugged look in the flannel shirts is the stuff of which dreams are made. Woof!
DeeAnnCA
I’m probably an outlier, but one of my favorite R.H. movies was “Seconds”. The premise grabs you and I think R.H. did a good job and was clearly outside of the roles that he usually did.
pattygale
I was so glad Adam Lambert came out right after Idol because being a huge Rock Hudson fan, it broke my heart that he had lived his life, real life, in secret. Tab Hunter, too.
ciasteczek
Even in 1963 gay men were alredy visiting Puerto Vallarta
Mary Jane
Gay men and women, have been traveling the globe since the time of Adam–looking for Steve.
radiooutmike
My dad loved his movies and I sometimes wondered about my dad.
I remember being a kid in the 1970s and watching his films, mostly his sex comedies or Ice Station Zebra on channels 56 & 38 out of Boston. Plus McMillan and Wife too on NBC.
He was handsome, larger than life and talented. He came out the summer after I graduated high school. Yes, he looked sick; but I like many others thought he would live longer than he did (a month into my first semester at college).
Terribly, terribly sad.