William Holden (1918-1981) was an American actor, a symbol of the post-war hero, capable of blending charisma and vulnerability. His film career was studded with complex roles, often cynical but with an underlying idealism.

He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as the cynical prisoner Sefton in *Stalag 17* (1953). Among his most iconic films are *Sunset Boulevard* (1950), where he played the screenwriter Joe Gillis, *Sabrina* (1954), *The Bridge on the River Kwai* (1957), and the later but acclaimed *Network* (1976).

Holden excelled at portraying ordinary men, often disillusioned, tormented, or morally ambiguous, with an innate intelligence and a measured acting style that made him a recognizable face of classic Hollywood cinema.