In addition to Rock Hudson, Linda Evans was also rejected because the disease was not known in the 80s.
Rock Hudson was seen with Linda Evans in Dynasty, which was the biggest television series of its time. PDO
Back in the 80s, HIV and AIDS were such unknown diseases that people didn’t know how to relate to them. Many hid the disease for fear of being stigmatized. So did actor Rock Hudson (1925–1985), before he became one of the first public figures to go public with his AIDS.
Hudson was one of the most popular actors of his time. He was seen, among other things, in such film classics as Giant and All that heaven allows. In his final years, Hudson starred in the biggest television series of his time Dynasty.
The Daily Mail according to Hudson’s colleague, Linda Evans80, reveals in a recent documentary All That Heaven Allowshow Hudson tried to protect his co-stars from his illness.
Rock Hudson in 1961 in Robert Mulligan’s Come, September. PDO
Even in the mid-80s, it was not known how the disease was transmitted. An actor’s friend by George Nader the diaries reveal how uncertain and stressed Hudson lived in his last days.
Among other things, Nader wrote an entry in his diary: “Today, Dynasty. We watch Rock give Linda Evans a dose of the virus in a kissing scene”.
He writes how Hudson considered the day the worst of his life. He used every mouthwash he could to keep himself clean. No one from the series knew about the illness, and the scene did not turn out as expected.
The kissing scene on the set of Dynasty caused horror and stress for Hudson. PDO
Hudson, known for his passionate kisses on the big screen, did not dare to kiss Evans. He kept his mouth shut and the scene was tried to be filmed again and again. Evans, who broke down in tears, tells in the documentary how only later did he realize that Hudson was protecting him.
– It makes me cry because now I know he protected me. I was confused then. He tried to do everything for me because nobody knew better at that time. It breaks my heart, even to this day, Evans says in the documentary.
When Hudson went public about his illness, many refused to work with Evans as well. People were afraid that he too has fallen ill.
Rock Hudson and Leslie Caro at the time of the Seducer, 1965. PDO