William Holden is a movie star. Films in which he starred are considered classics of world cinema, young actors study on them. This man was world famous not only because of his work in films, but also because of his love affair with Audrey Hepburn, a world-wide superstar.
Childhood and youth
William Holden is a pseudonym.
In fact, the boy who was born on 04.17. 1918, parents named William Franklin Beadle Jr. (this name he received in honor of his father - William Franklin Beadle Sr.). It was a wealthy family in which mother was a teacher, and father was a chemist. William is the eldest child, in addition to him, two more sons were raised in the family. At the age of 3 years, the future movie star, together with his family, changes his place of residence: he moves to California.
He was educated at a high school in the city of South Pasadena. After graduation, he continued his studies at a college in the same city. He studied at college for 2 years.
First shoot
In the days of William's youth, Paramount Pictures was very popular. Her employees, going around colleges and schools, were looking for new talents. One of the employees drew attention to a handsome, confident young man - it was William Holden. The actor’s biography from this very moment began to acquire new details, because this fateful meeting led to the fact that a year later an unknown guy began to actively act in films.
The first shootings that brought popularity were in the film "The Golden Boy". In 1939, Holden immediately became famous. It was noteworthy that he studied the basics of acting right on the set, taking over the experience from senior colleagues. An important role in the formation of young talent was played by the experienced and famous actress
Barbara Stanwick.Nickname
"Holden" - this is the pseudonym the actor took himself over time. Rumor has it that with the advent of a new surname, his career immediately went up, he received the recognition of the public, began to act more actively, as if he had changed his fate, called for luck.
Researchers of the actor’s biography put forward different versions on the appearance of a pseudonym. The most popular of them says that one of the employees of the company, who took an active part in promoting the young actor, had a wife named Gloria Holden. It was in her honor that the young actor called himself Holden.
Ties of Hymen
In 1941, the actress Ardis Ankerson (pseudonym Brenda Marshall) and William Holden were solemnly married. The personal life of the actor was rich and far from ordinary. Take, for example, the fact that the couple led an independent life. The whole country knew about their intrigues, passions and love affairs. To protect himself from the possible appearance of extramarital offspring, the actor made himself a vasectomy (male sterilization). However, this marriage lasted 30 years. William Holden became a good stepfather for his wife’s daughter from Virginie’s first marriage, and 2 sons were born in the marriage: Peter Westfield and Scott Porter (before sterilization).
The love of his life
The fates of two celebrities in the world of cinema William Holden and Audrey Hepburn were joined by the film "Sabrina". It was in 1954 that a life-long romance spun on the set. The famous trinity starred in the film: Ulyam Holden, Audrey Hepburn and the legend of that time, the conqueror of female hearts Humphrey Bogart.
Although the plot of the film, Audrey chooses Bogart, in life everything happened the other way around - she gave preference to Holden.
The situation on the set was tense to the limit, because the famous Bogart was the third odd, and William Holden and Audrey Hepburn were happy, they did not notice anyone around, they saw only each other. Assistant directors and assistants recall that this couple was looking only at each other, and the flaming flame of love between them was noticeable to everyone.
Holden often became depressed, drank, but Audrey accepted him the way he was. She even turned a blind eye to the fact that her beloved man was married and had three children. The actress dreamed of becoming a mother, but after sterilization, Holden remained childless. He bitterly repented of his deed, but nothing seemed possible to change, and Audrey decided to break up.
They could not stop loving each other. Audrey will marry several more times, give birth to sons, but at night she will often cry, remembering her hopeless love. And Holden will try to extinguish unrequited passion by frequent changes in sexual partners and alcohol.
In 1960, the actor began dating the French film actress Capucine, they starred together in the film "Lion." Romantic relations ceased after two years. The reason is Holden's morbid addiction to alcohol.
Since 1972, as much as 9 years, until his death, Stephanie Powers was next to the actor. This actress supported Holden's love of wild animals. After his death, she was the creator of the Wildlife Fund, named after the actor.
Oscar-winning roles
After the film "The Golden Boy", William served in the army, then his film career began to develop rapidly.
A huge influence on the work of the actor had Billy Wilder, the director who shot Holden in the films Sunset Boulevard and Concentration Camp. It was the second film that brought the performer Oscar for the role of a cynical, evil sergeant.
The next
Oscar-winning film in the master’s film career was David Lean’s blockbuster “Bridge over the River Kwai”. One of the last films, after filming in which the actor was nominated for an Oscar, was the film "Network" by Sidney Lumet.
What did William Holden remember? Films with his participation have become classics of world cinema, his name can be seen in the credits of many iconic American films. He played pensive romantics in love and tired men, whose life purpose was nostalgia for the past. The images created by him are deeply psychological, they penetrate the very soul, make you think about the meaning of life. Film critics noted his special masculine magnetism with a touch of sadness and self-doubt.
William Holden: filmography and awards
The film career began in 1939. The last film was shot in 1981. It was a movie "Son of a Bitch." During this time period, the actor starred in more than 70 films. In addition to the Oscar-winning films, the most famous films include: “The Dark Past”, “Born Yesterday”, “Picnic”, “Blue Moon”, “Escape from Fort Bravo”, the sequel to the film “Omen”.
The name of William Holden 6 times fell into the top ten most famous and beloved actors in America (these were 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958 and 1960). According to the verdict of the American Institute of Motion Picture Arts, his name is ranked 25th among the "100 Greatest Movie Stars."
In addition to the Oscar in 1954, for performing the best male role in the film Concentration Camp, he was nominated for the same award in 1957 as the best foreign actor for his role in the movie Picnic, and in 1951 for the best male role in the movie Sunset Boulevard.
In 1954, he became the winner of the Venetian Film Festival. For the film "Director Number" he received a special jury prize. In 1978, he was nominated by the British Academy for Best Actor in the movie "Network".
last years of life
Successful film career made Holden not only famous, but also rich. With huge capital, he moved to Switzerland. In this country, the actor was among the first to engage in agitation of the preservation and inviolability of wildlife. He traveled a lot. For a long time he lived in Kenya, this contributed to his active struggle for the conservation of the nature of Africa.
In addition to worries about nature, the maestro starred in films. He was never able to engage in excessive drinking. He even talked about death. He often repeated to his friends that all preparations for the last hour had long been completed. William did not want any magnificent funeral and monuments in the Hollywood cemetery.
Well that's all…
William Holden (photo in the article) died unexpectedly for everyone. He planned to shoot in the film “Champions Season”, work on which was postponed. The actor knew that until 1982 work on the painting was “frozen”, so he moved to Santa Monica.
On November 2, 1981, film director Billy Fridkin called the actor. In a telephone conversation, it turned out that Holden was going to Africa to work on another picture. Judging by the speech of the actor, he was pretty drunk. After this conversation, Fridkin spent a week trying to get through to Holden, but to no avail.
Already on November 16, the actor’s body was found in a bloody puddle at the opening of his apartment. Because of this exact date of the death of William Holden, no one knows. Experts suggest that this happened on November 12, 1981. The cause of death was indicated by the position of the body and things in the room. Apparently, death came due to the fact that the actor did not stand on his feet, and, falling, hit his temple on the table. Napkins found at the scene indicated that he was trying to stop the bleeding, but alcohol intoxication prevented him from not only doing this, but also calling someone for help. Near the bottle of vodka on the table lay an open script ...
The actor was not buried. According to his will, his body was burned, ashes were scattered over the ocean.