10 Things You Didn’t Know About Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
8. Denholm Elliott Contracted HIV Shortly Before Filming
In order to wash the bitter taste of the Temple of Doom from his mouth, Steven Spielberg was insistent to inject some of the fun back into the franchise that was lost in the overly dark and unpleasant second entry. One way he would do that was to bring back fan-favourite characters Salah and Marcus Brody, played by John Rhys-Davies and Denholm Elliott. While Rhys Davies was in good health, the same sadly couldn't be said for Elliott.
Denholm, who became a household name after Raiders of the Lost Ark and who shared the first gay kiss on a West End Stage in 1971, was bisexual and had many partners of both genders throughout his life.
He was diagnosed HIV positive in 1987 before the virus mutated into AIDS the following year. The word at the time was that he got the condition via a blood transfusion but the truth came out in his 1994 biography.
Elliott managed to complete his role as Marcus Brody without a blemish and continued acting until his death in 1992, aged 70, following a battle with AIDS-related TB.