Biography

George Nader

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Born
October 19, 1921 · Pasadena, California, USA
Died
February 4, 2002 · Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA (cardiac pulmonary failure, pneumonia and multiple cerebral infarctions)
Birth name
George Garfield Nader Jr.
Height
6′ 1″ (1.85 m)

Born in Pasadena, California, George Nader became interested in acting while still in school and appeared in several productions at the Pasadena Playhouse. This led to several small parts in movies before earning the lead role in the ridiculous 3-D thriller Robot Monster (1953). The movie was bad but profitable, and Nader soon had a contract with Universal Pictures. Unfortunately, the studio already had on its roster such good-looking and athletic actors as Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis and Jeff Chandler, so Nader often found himself being cast in their leftovers, usually playing parts that emphasized his "beefcake" appeal. (At 6' 1" and 180 pounds, Nader had the kind of physique fan magazines drooled over and unlike many of his colleagues, he frequently appeared with his chest hair intact.) However, he did enjoy a few good years in the mid-1950s, turning in a commendable performance in Away All Boats (1956) before his career began to decline. He tried his hand at three TV series and then relocated to Europe, where he enjoyed a modest revival in the late 1960s starring as "Jerry Cotton" in a series of West German films.
- IMDb mini biography by: dinky-4 of minneapolis

Despite the fact Nader's career was more or less sabotaged by Universal and sacrificed to the tabloids in order to save Rock's much more lucrative reputation, Hudson and Nader remained life-long friends. Nader was named one of the beneficiaries of Hudson's $27M estate after the star died of AIDS in 1985.
Resigned to being a 'B' list actor after agreeing to be outed by Confidential magazine as gay rather than his good friend Rock Hudson, an 'A' list actor. Hudson and Nader were lifelong friends, but never lovers.
Nader's longtime companion, Mark Miller, was Rock Hudson's personal secretary for nearly 13 years.
A longtime Palm Springs resident, Nader is survived by Mark Miller and three cousins. Following a private service, Nader was cremated and his ashes scattered at sea.
In their early film prime (1950s), he and fellow "beefcake" star Rock Hudson helped cover for each other in protecting their "straight" image in Hollywood.

We lived in fear of an exposé, or even one small remark, a veiled suggestion that someone was homosexual. Such a remark would have caused an earthquake at the studio. Every month, when Confidential came out, our stomachs began to turn. Which of us would be it?

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