The Netflix series "Hollywood" offers an alternative look at Rock Hudson. However, the reality was less rosy, and at the time, his agent did not hesitate to "throw" the secrets of certain actors to keep the homosexuality of his client protected.
We are in 1955. Rock Hudson is under contract with Universal and comes out of several first roles like those of Taza, son of Cochise or Captain Mystery and "love films" including His only love and the wonderful All that the sky allows by Douglas Sirk. Thanks to his build, he is given roles that are sometimes macho, highlighting his impressive muscles, but also fragile and sensitive characters.
That's when the magazine Confidential contacts Rock Hudson's agent Henry Willson (Jim Parsons in the Ryan Murphy series) to warn him that his protégé's homosexuality will be disclosed in the pages of the magazine. Remember that at the time, being gay in the United States was considered a crime in all states. Willson is therefore well aware that this coming out forced could end the career of his most lucrative actor.
Willson therefore decides to propose to Confidential to "drop" information about two of his other clients and in return, the magazine must promise to leave Hudson alone. The agreement is accepted, and this is how to guarantee the career of Rock Hudson, Willson "balances" on Rory Calhoun and Tab Hunter (who are presented to Hudson in the Hollywood series). The first was detained (3 years for attacks on jewelry stores and hit and run in 1943 then assault of a police inspector in 1945) and the second was arrested in 1950 while he was present at a gay party.
Fortunately for them, these revelations, published with Calhoun on the first page, will have no direct impact on their career. Calhoun finally benefits from this publicity, which reinforces his "bad boy" side, and sees him shoot 5 films or telefilms per year from 1956 to 1958 then leave to shoot in Europe in The Colossus of Rhodes by Sergio Leone.
In 2015, Tab Hunter will confirm in his autobiography that these revelations will have no harmful consequences because a few weeks later, he will be named "most popular young star" of the Warner stable. We see it at the time in The Girl He Left Behind, C'est la guerre by William A. Wellman or Collines brûlantes. In 1962, like Calhoun, he went to tour Europe.
As for Rock Hudson, his career will not be affected and Willson will still make him marry his secretary Phyllis Gates to save appearances. The marriage will take place in 1955 but the divorce will be pronounced in 1958, officially because Hudson cheated on the shooting of The Farewell to Arms.
Hudson's career will be crowned with an Oscar nomination for his role in Giant alongside James Dean. The decade of the 1960s will offer him several good films such as A pajamas for two, Confidences on the pillow or Don't send me flowers. He toured in several series in the 1970s and died of AIDS in 1985, when he had just filmed in Dynasty.
"Hollywood", with Henry Willson and Rock Hudson (played by Jake Picking) is available on Netflix: