Henry Willson: The Harvey Weinstein of Hollywood's golden age offered anal sex to Quentin Tarantino's father
There isn't a smidge of doubt surrounding the predator that vulturous Hollywood agent Henry Willson was. The man who pretty much created Rock Hudson from Roy Fitzgerald can be seen in the initial moments of Ryan Murphy's 1940s' 'Hollywood' revisit in the titular Netflix show, making lewd propositions and coercing Hudson who is still an aspiring actor.
The very day Hudson meets Willson, the sleazy agent tells the novice he either has to let Willson perform oral sex on him or he won't be hired. And this is only the beginning of it. From treating his clients like absolute filth to repositioning just about everybody new to the industry with smug condescension beyond rudeness to forcing clients to sleep with him for mee auditions — Jim Parsons' Willson is every bit as insidious as the real-life agent was known to be.
But even though the Netflix miniseries tries to redeem the character in the end, what it doesn't reveal is how Willson's life dragged on to meet quite the tragic end in reality. And of course, the allegations against him by Quentin Tarantino's father, Tony.
Born into theatre and pretty much acting royalty in 1911, the son of Horace Willson began his career in entertainment as a journalist for the Hollywood Reporter and New Movie Magazine in 1933. Apart from Hudson, Willson also managed stars like Tab Hunter, Robert Wagner, Rory Calhoun, Troy Donahue, and Guy Madison. It was a running rumor within the industry that Willson would pick his clients based on sheer brawn than talent, as is made obvious by Parsons' portrayal in 'Hollywood'.
Much like the show, Willson's sexuality as a gay man was also a widely believed 'secret' within the industry, with him frequenting illegal gay bars where he would also pick up clients at times. Most of these would be young gay men whom Willson would rebrand first and then coerce into sleeping with him to make them stars. Willson would also promise to hide their sexuality for them, as he was believed to have done for Hudson by marrying him off to his own assistant Phyllis Gates.
Gates always maintained they were in love, but shortly before their wedding, Confidential magazine had threatened to run an expose on Hudson's "secret". Willson had then traded secret information on other clients to hush up the expose — one of his most infamous scandals apart from the 'beefcake' craze of the 50s.
Among those who have publicly come forward with their allegations against Willson is acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino’s father, Tony. According to his interview with the Daily News, Willson had propositioned him in the 1960s as an actor, offering him fame, a Cadillac, a whole new wardrobe, and even a new house all in exchange for sex. "He says, 'You will treat me like your best girlfriend.'" Tony told the publication, adding: "I looked at him and said, 'I don’t understand.' He explained in detail what he meant. He explained to me about oral sex... He explained to me about anal sex, and made that very clear."
With books like 'The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson' and 'Full Service: The Secret Sex Lives of The Stars' — Willson's predatory behavior has been documented everywhere and is being talked about now despite Netflix trying to forgive him by showing him seeking Hudson's forgiveness in 'Hollywood', and even proposing to produce a film on gay romance.
Just the way Hudson refuses to forgive Willson on the show, most of Willson's real-life clients dropped him after finding out about his sexuality. Reportedly he then turned to alcohol and drugs, eventually leaving the industry a broke man after blowing all his money up in the looks and brands of his clients.
His final days saw him in the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital — a retirement industry in LA. When he died in 1978 at the age of 67, he was reportedly buried in a polystyrene coffin and laid to rest in an unmarked grave because he didn't have the finances to cover his own funeral; neither did anybody bother stumping the money.
Such was the tragic end of one of Holywood's most infamous agents, who was pretty much the Harvey Weinstein of the golden era of the industry before MeToo crusades were even an idea in thin air.
'Hollywood' premiered on Friday, May 1, only on Netflix.