Lee Garlington (actor)
Lee Garlington | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lee Hagan Garlington 27 September 1937 |
| Died | 6 December 2023 (aged 86) Laguna Niguel, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Lee H. Garglington |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1962–2023 |
| Spouse |
Paul Garlington
(m. 1986–2023) |
| Partner | Rock Hudson (1962–1965) |
Lee Hagan Garlington (September 27, 1937 – December 6, 2023) was an American stockbroker and film actor best known for his secret long-term relationship with Hollywood actor Rock Hudson during the 1960s.[1] Following Hudson's death, his posthumous biography revealed that he considered Garlington his "true love".[1][2]
Early life
Garlington was born on September 27, 1937, in Atlanta, Georgia.[3] He was the son of Thomas Richard Garlington and Julianne Hagan. He grew up in a traditional Southern household alongside his older brother, Richard Garlington. In addition to his immediate family, his maternal grandmother, Clara Hagan, and a nurse named Eva Pelt were significant figures in his early upbringing. In the early 1960s, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue work in the film industry, eventually finding roles as a film actor.[1]
Career
Hollywood career
In the early 1960s, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue work in the film industry.[1] He worked primarily as a film actor and bit player, appearing in various productions at Universal Studios Lot.[1] It was on the set of the Western television series The Virginian in 1962 that he first met Hudson.[4] Garlington later recalled being "scared to death" during their first encounter, though Hudson eventually invited him over for a beer, sparking their three-year romance.[1]
Finance
Following his brief time in Hollywood and his breakup with Hudson in 1965, Garlington transitioned away from the entertainment industry.[1] He built a successful second career as a stockbroker.[1] He worked in the financial sector for several decades, a profession he maintained long after his ties to Hollywood had faded.[3]
Relationship with Rock Hudson
Garlington and Hudson were in a secret relationship from 1962 to 1965.[5][1] Due to the era's social climate and Hudson's status as a top box-office star, the couple lived a double life to protect Hudson's public image.[1] To avoid detection by neighbors, Garlington would often stay the night at Hudson's Beverly Hills home and sneak out at 6 a.m., coasting his car down the street with the engine off.[1]
At movie premieres, they would arrive separately, each accompanied by a female date as a "beard".[1] One of their most significant memories was a 1963 vacation to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, a trip recommended by Elizabeth Taylor.[6] There, they felt free to live as a normal couple away from the paparazzi.[6] The couple broke up in 1965.[1] Garlington later stated he was seeking a "father figure" that the "gentle giant" Hudson was not emotionally prepared to be at that stage of his life.[1]
Later years
Garlington lost contact with Hudson after 1977 and only learned of Hudson's AIDS diagnosis through the media in 1985.[6] After Hudson's death, Garlington read Sara Davidson's biography, Rock Hudson: His Story, which contained the revelation that he was the only person Hudson ever truly loved besides his mother.[6]
Personal life
After his relationship with Hudson ended, Garlington sought a more stable domestic life.[7] He eventually met Paul Garlington, who became his long-term partner and husband.[3] The couple remained together for 37 years.[8]
The pair lived a quiet life, spending twenty years in New Zealand before eventually returning to Southern California to settle in Laguna Niguel.[3] Garlington remained largely out of the spotlight until Hudson's death in 1985, after which he began to share his story to provide a more human perspective on the late actor's private life.[9]
Death
Garlington spent the last 37 years of his life with his husband, Paul Garlington.[6] The couple lived in New Zealand for two decades before returning to California.[3] Garlington died on December 6, 2023, at the age of 86 in Laguna Niguel, California.[10] His death was caused by complications from internal bleeding and prostate cancer.[3] He appears as a primary interviewee in the 2023 documentary Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed.[6]
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | The Virginian | Cowboy | Various Characters |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed | Himself | HBO Documentary Films[6] |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Rock Hudson's 'True Love' Speaks: How We Kept Our Gay Life Secret". People Magazine. April 15, 2015.
- ^ Hudson, Rock; Davidson, Sarah Rock Hudson: History, Carroll & Graf Publishers 1986, pp. 92–95
- ^ a b c d e f "Lee Garlington, Whom the Late Rock Hudson Once Called His 'True Love,' Dead at 86: He 'Was One-of-a-Kind'". Yahoo News. February 29, 2024.
- ^ "Rock Hudson's Companion Lee Garlington Opens Up About Their Relationship". Closer Weekly. November 28, 2015.
- ^ Somebody to Love [Reissue]: The Life, Death, and Legacy of Freddie Mercury. Weldon Owen. 2024. p. 271.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Rock Hudson's 'True Love' Says 'I Wish He Had Been Born 30 Years Later'". People Magazine. December 19, 2018.
- ^ "Lee Garlington, Rock Hudson's Former Boyfriend: 5 Fast Facts". Entertainment Now. June 20, 2020.
- ^ "Lee Garlington dead at 86: He was Hollywood legend Rock Hudson's 'secret' boyfriend". National World. February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Lee Garlington, Whom the Late Rock Hudson Once Called His 'True Love,' Dead at 86: He 'Was One-of-a-Kind'". People Magazine. February 18, 2024.
- ^ "A Look Back at Rock Hudson and Lee Garlington's Secret 'True Love' Story (Exclusive)". People Magazine. February 19, 2024.