Continue to Hollywoodlife () SKIP AD
Hollywood Life Logo Image

Hollywood Life

Today's Top Stories

  • Kim Kardashian & her kids
    Watch

    Kim Kardashian’s Kids Hilariously Fight Over Candy While She Tries To Promote New Perfume  

  • Phoebe Dynevor
    Watch

    ‘Bridgerton’s Phoebe Dynevor Admits She Watched Her Sex Scenes With Grandparents

  • botox alternative
    SHOP

    These Patches Help Treat Frown Lines For Less Than A Quarter Of The Price Of Botox

Hollywood Life
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Celebrity Bios
  • Beauty
  • Fashion
  • Shopping
  • Celebrity News
  • World News
  • Exclusives
  • Politics
  • Celebrity Babies
  • Opinions
ALL NEWS
  • christie

    Christie Brinkley, 66, Goes ‘Swimming In The Rain’ In Black Swimsuit On Turks & Caicos Vacation — Watch

  • Gabrielle Union & Dwyane Wade’s Daughter Kaavia, 2, Shows Off Her ‘Shady Baby’ Attitude While Eating Toast

  • Kelly Rowland Shows Off Baby Bump In Figure-Hugging Catsuit & Thigh-High Boots: ‘9 Mos. & Ready’

  • Award Shows
  • At The Movies
  • TV
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Holidays
  • Entertainment Features
  • Podcast
  • Oscar Contenders
ALL ENTERTAINMENT
  • Phoebe Dynevor

    ‘Bridgerton’s Phoebe Dynevor Awkwardly Admits She Watched Her Sex Scenes With Her Grandparents

  • Feeling Stressed? This Light Therapy Lamp Brightens Your Mood & It’s 44% Off

  • Elle Winter Finds Herself Trapped In A ‘Sad Girl Heaven’ Full Of Basic Boys In Her New Music Video

  • Taylor Swift
  • Rihanna
  • Selena Gomez
  • Kim Kardashian
  • Kylie Jenner
  • Kendall Jenner
  • Justin Bieber
  • Miley Cyrus
  • Gigi Hadid
  • Khloe Kardashian
  • Jennifer Lopez
  • Angelina Jolie
  • Harry Styles
  • Kourtney Kardashian
ALL CELEBRITY BIOS
  • christie

    Christie Brinkley, 66, Goes ‘Swimming In The Rain’ In Black Swimsuit On Turks & Caicos Vacation — Watch

  • Gabrielle Union & Dwyane Wade’s Daughter Kaavia, 2, Shows Off Her ‘Shady Baby’ Attitude While Eating Toast

  • Tiny Stuns With Her Emerald Green Hair Makeover — See Before & After Pics

  • Fragrance
  • Hair Care
  • Health
  • Makeup
  • Nails
  • Beauty Features
  • Skincare
  • Makeover
  • Diet & Fitness
ALL BEAUTY
  • tiny

    Tiny Stuns With Her Emerald Green Hair Makeover — See Before & After Pics

  • Treat Yourself With These Relaxing Bath Bombs That Have Over 25k Reviews & Are Under $30

  • Missy Elliott Debuts Rockin’ Bright Purple Pixie Cut Hair Makeover — See Pics

  • Red Carpet
  • Weddings
  • Fashion Features
  • Shopping
ALL FASHION
  • Iggy Azalea

    Iggy Azalea Slays In Crochet Bikini Top & Matching See-Through Pants After Playboi Carti Split — See Pics

  • Delilah Belle Hamlin, 22, Wears Lacey White Lingerie As She Lounges In Bed — See Pics

  • 23 Hot Pics Of The KarJenners In Leather: Kim, Kylie & More

  • Share This Article
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Print
  • Talk
Next Up

Joe Biden Denies Tara Reade Sexual Assault Allegation: ‘It’s Not True, It Never Happened’

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Newsletters
  • Search Close

Trending

  • Bonnie Says
  • Celeb Babies
  • TV
  • Celeb Galleries
  • Podcast
Search

NewsExpand Menu

  • Celebrity News
  • World News
  • Exclusives
  • Politics
  • Celebrity Babies
  • Opinions
  • Rock The Vote

EntertainmentExpand Menu

  • Entertainment Features
  • TV
  • Award Shows
  • At The Movies
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Podcast
  • At Home With...

BeautyExpand Menu

  • Fragrance
  • Hair Care
  • Health
  • Makeup
  • Nails
  • Skincare
  • Beauty Features
  • Diet & Fitness
  • Shopping

FashionExpand Menu

  • Red Carpet
  • Weddings
  • Fashion Features
  • Shopping

TrendingExpand Menu

  • Bonnie Says
  • TV
  • Celeb Galleries
  • PODCAST

About UsExpand Menu

  • About Us
  • Writer Bios
  • Scoops, Tips & Corrections
  • Subscribe To Newsletter
  • Contact Us

Celebrity ProfilesExpand Menu

  • Kim Kardashian
  • Kylie Jenner
  • Justin Bieber
  • Selena Gomez
  • Taylor Swift
  • Rihanna
  • Kendall Jenner
  • Miley Cyrus
  • Gigi Hadid
  • Jennifer Lopez
  • Angelina Jolie
Follow Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Newsletters
Alerts & Newsletters
  • Jobs
  • Scoops & Corrections
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • California Privacy Rights
  • AdChoices
  • Data Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
© 2021 Penske Media Corporation
  • Entertainment
  • TV
5 Things
May 1, 2020 8:40AM EDT

Henry Willson: 5 Things To Know About The Powerful Agent Jim Parsons Plays In ‘Hollywood’

Jim Parsons
Netflix
HOLLYWOOD
HOLLYWOOD
HOLLYWOOD
HOLLYWOOD View Gallery View Gallery 16 Photos.
Avery Thompson
Entertainment Director
  • Share This Article
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Print
  • Talk

Jim Parsons takes on the larger than life role of Henry Willson in the all-new Netflix series ‘Hollywood.’ Henry is a real person and made quite a name for himself during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Jim Parsons steals the show as the acerbic and formidable Hollywood agent Henry Willson in Ryan Murphy’s newest Netflix series Hollywood. Seriously, just give him the Emmy already. While many of the characters in Hollywood are fictional, Henry was a real-life person. So, who is Henry Willson? HollywoodLife has rounded up 5 key things to know about Henry.

1. Henry Willson was one of Hollywood’s most powerful agents. He had a number of high-profile clients during his career, including Rock Hudson, Tab Hunter, Robert Wagner, Troy Donahue, Rory Calhoun, and more. Since most of his clients were young and attractive male actors, Henry is credited for popularizing the “beefcake” trend in the 1950s. Henry wasn’t necessarily always looking for the most talented actors to represent. “Most of these people had no acting experience; what they did have was that they were extraordinarily good looking, and for the most part they were ‘personalities,'” Robert Hofler, the author of The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson, said during an NPR interview in 2005. Henry also helped kickstart Lana Turner and Joan Fontaine’s careers.

2. He helped catapult Rock Hudson to superstardom. Rock and Henry first met in 1947 when Rock was on a mail delivery to the offices of David O. Selznick Productions, writes Hofler in his book. When Rock first met Henry, his name was Roy Fitzgerald and he was just a small-town boy from Illinois. Henry helped change Rock’s image, including his name, and cemented him as a Hollywood leading man.

3. Henry arranged a marriage between Rock and his secretary to hide the fact that Rock was gay. Henry and Rock were worried that Confidential, a gossip magazine, was going to go public about Rock’s secret homosexuality. At one point, two of Rock’s ex-boyfriends had been offered $10,000 to tell Confidential about their relationship with Rock, according to Hofler. In order to stifle the rumors and prevent the expose from being published, Henry urged Rock to marry Phyllis Gates, who was Henry’s new assistant. Rock and Phyllis married in 1955 and got divorced in 1958.

4. He worked alongside the famed Gone With the Wind producer. When Henry first crossed paths with Rock, Henry was working as the head of talent for David O. Selznick, who produced the 1939 epic.

Jim Parsons
Jim Parsons plays Henry Willson in ‘Hollywood.’ (Netflix)

5. Henry was buried in an unmarked grave. Jim reflected on Henry’s tragic end in a recent interview. “He ended up destitute because he’d used every resource he had to get his clients to the place that he wanted them to be and that they wanted to be — paying for clothes, paying for lessons, paying for teeth — and so as nasty and weird and slimy as he could be at times, I felt for him when I read he died penniless in a Styrofoam coffin,” Jim told The Hollywood Reporter. He said it was years before someone got Henry a tombstone with his name on it.

Click to Subscribe to Our HollywoodLife Daily Newsletter to get more celeb news.
  • Share This Article
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Print
  • Talk
Hollywood

More 'Hollywood' News:

  • 'Hollywood' Trailer: Ryan Murphy Faves Darren Criss & More Rewrite History In Epic Netflix Series
  • 'Hollywood': Your Guide To All The Characters In New Netflix Show -- Who's Real & Who's Not
  • 'Hollywood' -- Photos Of The Show

Most Read

Iggy Azalea Slays In Crochet Bikini Top & Matching See-Through Pants After Playboi Carti Split — See Pics

Iggy Azalea

Christie Brinkley, 66, Goes ‘Swimming In The Rain’ In Black Swimsuit On Turks & Caicos Vacation — Watch

christie

Kim Kardashian’s Kids Hilariously Fight Over Candy While She Tries To Promote New Perfume  

Kim Kardashian & her kids

Tracee Ellis Ross, 48, Looks Spectacular In Animal Print Bikini

Tracee Ellis Ross

8 Pics Of Joseph Baena Recreating Dad Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Iconic Bodybuilder Poses

Have news, pics or video on a breaking news story?

Send us your Tip

Have news, pics or video on a breaking news story?

Send us your Tip

More From Our Brands

  • Jennifer Lopez Received 'Sexist, Racist & Vicious' Attacks While Dating Ben Affleck
    SheKnows

    Jennifer Lopez Received 'Sexist, Racist & Vicious' Attacks While Dating Ben Affleck

  • The Most Creative Zodiac Signs Are Artsy-Fartsy In All The Right Ways
    StyleCaster

    The Most Creative Zodiac Signs Are Artsy-Fartsy In All The Right Ways

  • Game of Talents: Wayne Brady-Hosted Mystery Variety Series Sets March Premiere on Fox — Watch Promo
    TVLine

    Game of Talents: Wayne Brady-Hosted Mystery Variety Series Sets March Premiere on Fox — Watch Promo

  • The Best Online Classes for Personal Development
    Rolling Stone

    The Best Online Classes for Personal Development

  • Happy Birthday Michelle Obama — A Look Back At Her Most Powerful Outfits Over the Years
    FootwearNews

    Happy Birthday Michelle Obama — A Look Back At Her Most Powerful Outfits Over the Years

    HollywoodLife

    • About Us
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Advertise With Us
    • Careers
    • Scoops & Corrections
    • Contact Us

    Legal

    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Rights
    • AdChoices
    • EU Privacy Preferences
    • Terms of Use
    • Data Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

    News

    • Celebrity News
    • World News
    • Exclusives
    • Celebrity Babies

    Connect

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
SheKnows Media - Entertainment
© Copyright 2021 HollywoodLife, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC.
Powered by WordPress.com VIP
ad