Sex symbol status seems easy to come by for most celebrities nowadays, with one raunchy role and a deluge of TikTok fan edits getting fans' hearts beating faster on an international scale. But back in the 1920s, there was just one man who could truly be called a sex symbol – find out how he rose to fame, who stole the actor's heart off screen and the tragic story of his early death...
© Bettmann via Getty ImagesRudolph Valentino was a star of the silent screen
Who was Rudolph Valentino?
Rudolph Valentino was born Rodolfo Guglielmi in Italy in 1895. In 1913, he moved to the United States and worked several jobs, including as a nightclub dancer and vaudevill performer in New York. He then headed to Hollywood, earning his first small roles on screen.
The future sex symbol started out with small uncredited parts in films like Alimoy before he rocketed to fame as the lead actor in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in 1921, launching his superstar run throughout the 1920s.
© SSPL via Getty ImagesHe enjoyed the height of his fame throughout the '20s
Twenties stardom
Rudolph was soon enough typcast as an 'exotic', passionate romantic lead with feature films like The Sheik (1921), Blood and Sand (1922) and The Eagle (1925) proving his versatility and swoon-worthy presence on screen.
His last role came in 1926 with The Son of the Sheik, in which he played a wealthy heir in love with a dancer. When he is mistakenly told the girl has had an affair, he plots his revenge.
© ullstein bild via Getty ImagesRudolph was the first major sex symbol
Sex symbol status
The actor's raw sensuality on screen and brooding looks that diverted from the traditionally masculine American movie stars of the 1920s pushed against audiences existing ideas.
But this won Rudolph the title of Hollywood's 'first ever' sex symbol, setting the precedent for stars like Cary Grant, Paul Newman and Marlon Brando, as well as modern heartthrobs like Jacob Elordi and Jeremy Allen White.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesRudolph was married twice during his lifetime
Romantic life
The actor said 'I do' for the first time in 1919, wedding actress Jean Acker after a short two-month courtship on November 5 1919. Reportedly, Jean immediately regretted tying the knot and locked Rudolph out of their honeymoon suite on the night of their wedding.
The couple were legally married until 1923, though they were already separated and Rudolph remarried the year of their divorce. He wed dancer and costume designer Natacha Rambova, connecting on the set of 1921's Camille. The pair subsequently split around late 1925 to early 1926.
© Getty ImagesThe star sadly passed away at a young age
Tragic passing
Rudolph tragically passed away at the age of 31 on August 23 1926 in New York. The actor suffered complications following surgery for appendicitis and a gastric ulcer.
The public mourning his death prompted is still legendary today. Between 30,000 to 100,000 reportedly arrived to grieve outside of the funeral home where his body was kept, with police forces struggling to control the crowd. He was finally laid to rest at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, following services in New York and California.
