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Rock Hudson photographed by Werner Stoy, c. early 1950s

‘All That Heaven Allows’ Examines Rock Hudson’s Life As A Closeted Leading Man

Rock Hudson lived a double life as a Hollywood heartthrob and a closeted gay man. He was a leading man in the 50’s and 60s, known as “The Beefcake.” Off screen, in his public life, he had to play the part of a heterosexual—or else his career would have been ruined. Biographer Mark Griffin says Hudson’s death from AIDS in 1985 was a turning point in public awareness of the epidemic. “Ironically, he was suddenly the hero of thousands of gay men,” Griffin says.