1956 erhielt er für Giganten eine Oscar-Nominierung für die beste Hauptrolle als Gegenpart von James Dean in der Rolle des Viehzüchters Jordan "Bick" Benedict.
Rock Hudson and James Dean

Schließlich gründete er mit 7Pictures seine eigene Filmproduktion. Es folgten eine Reihe harmloser Lustspielfilme mit Dauerpartnerin Doris Day, die ihn zum Idol aller weiblichen Zuschauer und zum Topstar Hollywoods werden ließ. Als Co-Star von John Wayne agierte er dann in Die Unbesiegbaren, und neben Julie Andrews spielte er in Darling Lili.

In den 70er Jahren hatte nur noch wenige Filmauftritte, dafür war hier der Beginn einer umfangreichen TV-Arbeit, u. a. von 1971 bis 1977 mit der Krimi-Serie McMillan And Wife, er spielte auch von 1984 bis 1985 eine Gastrolle in Dynasty. 1973 gab er sein Bühnendebüt mit dem Stück I Do! I Do.

Von 1955 bis 1958 war er unter Druck seiner Filmgesellschaft mit der Studio-Sekretärin Phyllis Cates verheiratet, um Gerüchten über seine tatsächliche homosexuelle Veranlagung entgegenzutreten. Der Zeit seines Lebens sein Image als Frauenheld pflegende Hudson bekannte sich erst kurz vor seinem Tod zur Homosexualität. Am 2. Oktober 1985 starb Rock Hudson an AIDS. 1986 wurde postum seine Autobiografie Rock Hudson: His Story veröffentlicht.

Hudson's letzter Liebhaber Marc Christian bestand vor Gericht darauf, die Erbschaft anzutreten.
 

In 1985 Rock Hudson began to show signs of serious illness and there were rumours that he had AIDS. In fact he had been diagnosed with AIDS on 5th. June, 1984 but when the signs of illness became apparent his publicity staff and doctors told the public that he had anorexia. It was on 25th. July 1985 when a spokesperson for Rock Hudson finally acknowledged that he had AIDS. This had an enormous impact on the public perception of AIDS. Here was the first famous white and wealthy person who was a Republican who had been a symbol of heterosexuality and who had been struck down with a disease that so many people had tried to ignore.

The press still skirted around the issue of Rock Hudson's sexuality, with speculation about how he might have become infected with HIV. There was also concern expressed about the danger that the actor Linda Evans might have been put into with her screen kiss with Rock Hudson in the television series Dynasty. It was finally the San Francisco Chronicle which published a story in which Armistead Maupin revealed Rock Hudson's sexuality and lifestyle. The whole public then would be shocked by the revelation that such a stereotype of male heterosexuality could in reality be homosexual.

With Rock Hudson's death on 2nd. October 1985 AIDS came out of the closet and a turning point was reached with the public awareness and funding for the disease. However, it would be two years before Ronald Reagan, Rock Hudson's longterm friend, would be able to bring himself to talk publicly about AIDS.

Rock Hudson's last lover was Marc Christian who claimed his inheritance.