William Holden is my all-time favourite actor. Some only see him as, yes, a good-looking man who could act, but I think his acting is very much underrated. He was natural in whatever he did; whether he was playing "an uncle" in Father is a Bachelor, a playboy in Sabrina, a cynical POW in Stalag 17 or a man nearing the end of his life in Network, William Holden was always the character and not the actor. He was believable, he was palpable, he was real. William Holden was no Cary Grant, but to me he was the perfect leading man. I love when he played romantic leads, because he just knew how to bring out sensitivity that would make you melt through his eyes alone...and okay, maybe that smile. But I love him most when he played dark characters like Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard, and especially Sefton in Stalag 17. I think the fact that he looked like the boy-next-door, yet he played tough, conflicted characters, the contrast made him most appealing. He could play rugged roles like in The Bridge on the River Kwai, but just the same, he could play refined roles as he did in Born Yesterday and The Country Girl. He had charm, he was deep and he has all my respect and admiration. I love William Holden.

Five stars for his better films, three overall. "Picnic" was one of his best. He was super in "Stalag 17".

Very good actor whose legacy would have been stronger had he been more discriminating in his choice of roles.

Unfortunately for every "Sunset Boulevard," "Picnic" or "The Wild Bunch" he made, he appeared in at least five turkeys.

I agree that he was very natural as an actor. His characters seemed very real, and the emotions raw.

An actor of great range and ability- 'Sunset Boulevard' 'Stalag 17' and 'Picnic' where great- my favorite however was the great 'River on the River Kwai'.

I loved Bill Holden in Stalag 13 as well as The Bridge on the River Kwai. A great American actor.

He had a style and grace that is watchable, long after his contemporaries have lost much of their golden sheen. He seems to have had humility regarding himself, which is highly appealing. Love him in Picnic, even though he seems a little too old for the part.

William Holden was IMHO, the finest film actor of his generation.Bill was a very natural actor-always real and believable.Bill had the special ability to be able to seamlessly enter the heart and soul of his character and become that character on screen. Bill had a inate understanding of human frailty-'That for the Grace of God go I .Bill`s sensitivity, compassion ,and empathy which he brought to each of his roles is beautiful to watch.Bill so often conveyed a tenderness and human little boy lost vulnerabilty which was very touching. Bill had the mosy beautiful smile ever-filled with true, gentle sweetness.Bill was a dedicated wildlife/nature conservationist-the accomplishment for which he was most proud. Bill is no forgottten by those of us who admire his work both as an actor and as a conservationist.Welove you. Lorraine Chandler

William Holden was a natural and believable actor. He made it look so easy.

Very good looking guy as a young man, but only so-so too often as an actor. A bit too stiff a good deal of the time, and he often does not project much intelligence, but he had a presence and a good voice. Best role was probably in "Sunset Boulevard," was good in "Born Yesterday," "The Wild Bunch," and "Picnic" but his professional profile suffers somewhat in that he was not too discriminating in his choice of roles, so he ended up in quite a few turkeys.

Holden was a very natural actor who made it look so very easy. That always requires a lot of talent. Ironically, I think this may have also been the very reason he remained somewhat unappreciated in his lifetime. It was as if he blended into the fabric of the film almost too well. But he was very gifted and from what I gather from his bio, also respected by his peers as well. For me, his most memorable film was “Sunset Boulevard” in his classic role as the young man torn between ambition and self-respect. Very believably done.