All of the Best Photos of Rock Hudson, a Movie Star for the Ages

In the new Netflix series Hollywood, Rock Hudson, played by Jack Picking, is a chiseled small-town boy hoping to become an actor while also figuring out his sexuality. Hudson, however, did not just exist in Ryan Murphy's entertainment ecosystem. In real life, he was one of the biggest movie stars of the 1950s and '60s, and a television actor in the '70s and '80s. He was nominated for an Academy Award and starred in films with the likes of Doris Day, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Julie Andrews. In real life, he indeed did struggle deeply with his sexual identity, remaining closeted for his entire career and eventually tragically dying of AIDS in 1985.

No one can question that Hudson was an icon, and made his mark on Hollywood. Here, we take a look back at the real life movie star, in the best photos from throughout his career.