William holden

William Holden (William Franklin Beedle Jr.; O'Fallon, Illinois, April 17, 1918-Los Angeles, California, November 16, 1981) was an American actor.

Biography

She was born into a wealthy family. His father was an industrial chemist, and his mother, a teacher. When William was three years old, the family moved to Pasadena, California.

In 1937, while still in college, William Holden was hired by a movie studio. His first role, of a supporting character, was the following year in Prison Farm and his first performance as the lead was made a year later in Golden Dream (< i> Golden Boy ).

Billy Wilder called him to star in Sunset Boulevard, where he played a down-on-his-luck screenwriter who is captured by a silent movie star, played by Gloria Swanson. Holden earned his first Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance.

After this film, his career grew rapidly with Stalag 17 (1953), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, (1954), The Country Girl (1954) with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly, The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954), Picnic (1955), Love Is a Many -Splendored Thing (1955), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) with Alec Guinness, The Key (1958), and The Horse Soldiers (1959).

He also played various light comedy roles, such as the handsome architect chasing a virginal Maggie McNamara in The Moon Is Blue (1953), or Judy Holliday's tutor in Born Yesterday (1950).), and as a playwright captivated by Ginger Rogers in Forever Female (1953).

He co-starred as Humphrey Bogart's younger brother, a happy-go-lucky playboy, in Sabrina (1954), played by Audrey Hepburn.

In 1969, Holden made Wild Bunch, winning critical and public acclaim. Also in 1969, Holden starred in L'Arbre de Noël.

Holden not only acted in memorable films, but had to take part in a large number of mediocre productions forced by his contracts with the film studios. This circumstance, together with his fondness for drink, had his price. In some movies he was seen moving in a suspiciously unsteady manner. Holden was married to actress Brenda Marshall for thirty years, until 1971, when he divorced. He had two children and adopted the daughter of his wife's first marriage. Much of her Holden's spare time was devoted to her animal preserve in Africa, an activity he shared with her new partner, actress Stefanie Powers.

On June 24, 1968, he was interviewed in the city of Torreón, Coahuila, during the filming of the movie Grupo salvaje (The Wild Bunch). He told the reporter that when filming was over he would go to rest in Kenya where he recognized that he spent half of his time —when he was not filming— and that his home was in Europe. He then mentioned that he was particularly fond of The Bridges of Toko-Ri , where he played Lieutenant Harry Brubaker*.

He died on November 16, 1981, at age 63, after tripping on a rug, probably intoxicated, and hitting his head on a table at his home in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Awards and distinctions

Oscar Awards