William Holden
Known for
A leading man and actor of enormous prestige in classic Hollywood, William Holden embodied like few others the disenchantment of the postwar era. Born in Illinois in 1918, he shot to fame with 'Golden Boy' and delivered one of his most remembered performances as the kept screenwriter of 'Sunset Boulevard', by Billy Wilder. He won the Oscar for Best Actor for 'Stalag 17' and starred in major titles such as 'The Bridge on the River Kwai', 'Picnic' and the twilight western 'The Wild Bunch', by Sam Peckinpah. His late return in 'Network' confirmed his stature. His range, virile but tinged with cynicism and fragility, defined a type of adult, disillusioned hero.
William Holden
72 Movies
3 Series
A leading man and actor of enormous prestige in classic Hollywood, William Holden embodied like few others the disenchantment of the postwar era. Born in Illinois in 1918, he shot to fame with 'Golden Boy' and delivered one of his most remembered performances as the kept screenwriter of 'Sunset Boulevard', by Billy Wilder. He won the Oscar for Best Actor for 'Stalag 17' and starred in major titles such as 'The Bridge on the River Kwai', 'Picnic' and the twilight western 'The Wild Bunch', by Sam Peckinpah. His late return in 'Network' confirmed his stature. His range, virile but tinged with cynicism and fragility, defined a type of adult, disillusioned hero.
Movies
Plays Jim Duncan
The Towering Inferno
1974
Plays Cmdr. Shears
The Bridge on the River Kwai
1957
Plays Joe Gillis
Sunset Boulevard
1950
Plays Ransome
Casino Royale
1967
Plays Max Schumacher
Network
1976
Plays David Larrabee
Sabrina
1954
Plays Richard Thorn
Damien - Omen II
1978
Plays Pike Bishop
The Wild Bunch
1969
Plays Barry 'Dutch' Detweiler
Fedora
1978
Plays Richard Benson
Paris When It Sizzles
1964
Plays Lt. Col. Robert T. Frederick
The Devil's Brigade
1968
Plays Paul Verrall
Born Yesterday
1950
Plays Captain Roper
Escape from Fort Bravo
1953
Plays J.J. Sefton
Stalag 17
1953
Plays Major 'Hank' Kendall
The Horse Soldiers
1959
Plays Alvarez Kelly
Alvarez Kelly
1966
Plays Lt. Harry Brubaker
The Bridges at Toko-Ri
1954
Plays Frank Harmon
Breezy
1973
Plays Mark Elliott
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
1955
Plays Laurent Ségur
The Christmas Tree
1969
Plays Robert Lomax
The World of Suzie Wong
1960
Plays John Benedict
The Revengers
1972
Plays Lt. Col. Colin Black
The Proud and Profane
1956
Plays Hal Carter
Picnic
1955
Plays Shelby Gilmore
When Time Ran Out...
1980
Plays Bernie Dodd
The Country Girl
1954
Plays Hal Wolkowski
Open Season
1974
Plays Tim Culley
S.O.B.
1981
Plays Manfred Schreiber
21 Hours at Munich
1976
Plays Jim Sandell
Ashanti
1979
Plays Donald Gresham
The Moon Is Blue
1953
Plays Capt. Del Stewart
The Man from Colorado
1948
Plays Jim Dawkins
Streets of Laredo
1949
Plays Eric Erickson
The Counterfeit Traitor
1962
Plays Jerry McKibbon
The Turning Point
1952
Plays Norman Reese
Young and Willing
1943
Plays Dan Thomas
Texas
1941
Plays Joe Bonaparte
Golden Boy
1939
Plays Ross Bodine
Wild Rovers
1971
Plays McDonald Walling
Executive Suite
1954
Plays Capt. David Ross
The Key
1958
Plays David “Big Davey" Harvey
Rachel and the Stranger
1948
Plays Casey Kirby
The Fleet's In
1942
Plays Lt. William Calhoun
Union Station
1950
Plays Major Ferris
The 7th Dawn
1964
Plays Peter Muncie
Arizona
1940
Plays Father O'Banion
Satan Never Sleeps
1962
Plays Patrick Foley
The Earthling
1980
Plays Lt. Cmdr. Ken White
Submarine Command
1951
Plays Sgt. Joe 'Pete' Peterson
Force of Arms
1951
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
S.O.B.
Full Filmography
S.O.B.
Tim Culley
1981
Film
The Earthling
Patrick Foley
1980
Film
When Time Ran Out...
Shelby Gilmore
1980
Film
Escape to Athena
POW (uncredited)
1979
Film
Ashanti
Jim Sandell
1979
Film
Fedora
Barry 'Dutch' Detweiler
1978
Film
Damien - Omen II
Richard Thorn
1978
Film
21 Hours at Munich
Manfred Schreiber
1976
Film
Network
Max Schumacher
1976
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is William Holden still alive?
William Holden passed away on November 12, 1981 at age 63.
What are the most famous roles of William Holden?
William Holden is best known for roles in Sunset Boulevard, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Network.
How many movies has William Holden been in?
Over a 43-year career (since 1938), William Holden has appeared in 71 movies and 3 TV shows.
What was William Holden's first movie?
The career of William Holden began with Prison Farm (1938).
What is William Holden's most recent movie or series?
William Holden's most recent release is S.O.B., which premiered on July 1, 1981.
What TV shows has William Holden appeared in?
On television, William Holden has appeared in I Love Lucy, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Oscars, What's My Line?.
William Holden
1918-04-17 · O'Fallon, Illinois, USA
William Holden (April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor. He was nominated for three Academy Awards in his career (winning Best Actor in 1953 for "Stalag 17"), and also won the Emmy Award for Best Actor for "The Blue Knight" in 1974. He is also known for his roles in "Sunset Boulevard" (1950), "Sabrina" (1954), and "Network" (1976).
One of the biggest box office draws of the 1950s, he was named one of the "Top 10 Stars of the Year" six times (1954–1958, 1961) and appeared on the American Film Institute's AFI's 100 Years…100 Stars list as #25.