William Holden.

William Franklin Beedle Jr. was born on April 17, 1918, in O’Fallon, Illinois, to Mary Blanche Ball, a high school English teacher, and William Franklin Beedle, a chemical and fertilizer analyst. The family moved to California in 1921. Growing up, Holden learned tumbling and boxing from his father, a physical fitness enthusiast, and played football and baseball at South Pasadena High School. He also became proficient on piano, clarinet, and drums. After briefly majoring in chemistry at Pasadena Junior College, a trip to New York and Broadway solidified his desire to act. He performed in school and radio plays before being spotted by a Paramount talent scout at the Pasadena Workshop Theatre in early 1938, playing an octogenarian. He signed a six-month contract at $50 a week, and the studio renamed him William Holden.

Holden’s big break came when he was cast as the Italian violinist-turned-boxer in Golden Boy 1939, the sixty-sixth actor to audition. Co-star Barbara Stanwyck helped him rehearse, and the film was a hit, leading Columbia Pictures to acquire half his contract. During World War II, he served as an Air Force second lieutenant making training films. After the war, he grew tired of playing nice-guy roles until Sunset Boulevard 1950 cast him as the cynical screenwriter Joe Gillis, a role that transformed his career. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Stalag 17 1953. Other films include Sabrina 1954, Picnic 1955, The Bridges at Toko-Ri 1954, The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957 for which he received 10% of the gross, The Wild Bunch 1969, The Towering Inferno 1974, and Network 1976. He was a top box office star, ranking number one in 1956.

Holden married actress Brenda Marshall in July 1941; they were married for over 30 years but separated for most of that time. Two sons were born to them, Peter Westfield Holden 1943 and Scott Holden 1946, and he adopted his stepdaughter Virginia. From a previous relationship, he had a daughter, Arlene. In 1972, Holden began a relationship with actress Stefanie Powers, which lasted until his death. He struggled with alcoholism in later years. On November 12, 1981, he died at his Santa Monica apartment from blood loss due to a fall while intoxicated. His remains were cremated and scattered over the Pacific Ocean.

Holden co-founded the Mount Kenya Safari Club with Ray Ryan and Carl Hirschmann in the 1960s and donated land for animal sanctuaries. After his death, Stefanie Powers helped establish the William Holden Wildlife Foundation and Education Center in Kenya. The American Film Institute ranked him #25 on its list of 50 Greatest Screen Legends. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. Films starring Holden that are in the National Film Registry include Sunset Boulevard 1950, Sabrina 1954, The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957, The Wild Bunch 1969, and Network 1976.