When people research classic Hollywood actor William Holden, they sometimes come across the name Peter Westfield Holden listed in genealogy databases and memorial sites. The name appears with very little explanation attached, which often leaves readers with more questions than answers.
This article covers what is actually known about Peter Westfield Holden — his confirmed birth and death details, his place in the Holden family, his mother’s background in Hollywood, and why so little public information exists about him compared to his famous father.
Who Peter Westfield Holden Was
Peter Westfield Holden was the son of actor William Holden and actress Ardis Ankerson, who performed under the stage name Brenda Marshall. He was also known by the nicknames “West” and “Wes,” names that appear on memorial records alongside his full name.
He was born on November 17, 1943, in Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California. He died on November 16, 2014, in San Diego, California — one day before what would have been his 71st birthday.
Peter was not a widely known public figure during his lifetime. His name surfaces mainly in genealogy records on sites like FamilySearch and Ancestry, and in a memorial page on Find a Grave. He did not have the kind of public presence that generates press coverage or entertainment industry credits.
For anyone who finds his name in a family tree database and wonders about the connection: FamilySearch lists his father as William Franklin Beedle Jr. — that is William Holden’s legal birth name — and his mother as Ardis Ankerson. Cross-referencing those names with Find a Grave and a William Holden biography site confirms the identity clearly.
His Father — William Holden’s Career and Status in Hollywood
To understand why people search for Peter’s name at all, it helps to understand just how famous his father was.
William Holden (1918–1981) was one of the biggest film stars in Hollywood from the 1940s through the 1970s. He was born William Franklin Beedle Jr. and built a career defined by a rugged, understated screen presence that audiences responded to for decades.
Some of his most recognized films include Sunset Boulevard (1950), Stalag 17 (1953), Sabrina (1954), and The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). His performance in Stalag 17 earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor — one of the highest honors in the industry.
IMDb’s records and numerous film biography sources consistently describe Holden as one of the leading box-office draws of his era. Long after his death, classic film fans continue to research his life, his marriages, and his children. That curiosity is what leads many readers to Peter’s name in the first place.
Peter’s Mother — Brenda Marshall and the Holden Marriage
Peter’s mother was Ardis Ankerson, a film actress who worked professionally under the name Brenda Marshall. She appeared in Hollywood productions during the 1940s and had her own established presence in the industry before and during her marriage to William Holden.
William Holden and Brenda Marshall married in 1941. Together, they had one biological son: Peter Westfield Holden. Holden also adopted Virginia, Brenda Marshall’s daughter from a prior relationship. Virginia later worked as an actress herself.
The marriage lasted for many years but the couple separated in the 1960s. Their divorce was finalized in 1972. After the marriage ended, William Holden went on to have a widely reported long-term relationship with actress Stefanie Powers, which kept his personal life in the public eye even in his later years.
For anyone building a family tree or researching the Holden family structure, it is worth noting that Peter was the only child born to both William Holden and Brenda Marshall together. Virginia’s status as an adopted daughter, confirmed by biography sources, is an important distinction to keep accurate.
Peter’s Own Life — Local Theater and a Private Record
Most people who search for Peter Westfield Holden want to know one thing: did he have a career in entertainment like his father?
The honest answer, based on available sources, is a limited one. Find a Grave’s memorial for Peter describes him as an actor who participated in local theater productions. People who knew him reportedly considered his acting skills excellent. That is a meaningful personal note, but it reflects a very different scale from the kind of career William Holden had.
There is no evidence in major film or television databases of a mainstream Hollywood career for Peter. His name does not appear on IMDb as a credited actor in distributed film or TV projects. What the record shows is someone who engaged with acting in a local, community-based setting — not as a professional entertainer in the industry his father dominated.
His public record is made up almost entirely of genealogy entries and a memorial page. There are no known press interviews, no industry trade mentions, and no major publications that covered his life while he was alive. That kind of quiet record is actually not unusual for children of major celebrities, many of whom choose to live outside the spotlight entirely.
It is also worth being straightforward about what is not known. Peter’s marital status, whether he had children of his own, and the details of his daily life are not documented in any accessible public source reviewed for this article. The research does not support making claims about those areas, so they are left as unknowns.
Why So Little Is Known About Him
There is a simple and respectful explanation for the thin public record around Peter Westfield Holden: he was not a public figure. Being the son of a famous actor does not automatically create a public record. That only happens if the person themselves seeks a public platform, enters a profession that generates documentation, or becomes involved in notable events that attract media coverage.
Peter appears to have done none of those things, at least not in any way that left a trace in mainstream public records. That is a legitimate and common choice. Many children of Golden Age Hollywood stars either pursued quiet careers far outside entertainment or stayed involved in the arts at a local, non-commercial level.
The gap between William Holden’s enormous fame and Peter’s minimal public footprint is not mysterious — it is simply the difference between someone who spent decades in front of international audiences and someone who lived privately. Readers who find that contrast striking might find it useful to look at how genealogy platforms handle these gaps. Sites like FamilySearch and Ancestry preserve birth and death records, parentage, and sometimes basic personal notes, even when press coverage does not exist. Find a Grave adds memorial context that family or friends contribute. Together, these sources provide more than nothing — but they are not biographies.
If you are researching other celebrity family histories or looking for context on public figures and their families, Brieflybusiness covers a range of profile and background topics in a straightforward way.
Clearing Up Name Confusion
One practical point worth addressing: there are other people named Peter Holden in public records, including at least one other actor with that name who is entirely unrelated to William Holden’s family.
When the research sources refer to Peter Westfield Holden — also listed as Peter Holden, West Holden, or Wes Holden — they are referring specifically to the son of William Franklin Beedle Jr. and Ardis Ankerson. The birth date of November 17, 1943, the birthplace in Hollywood, California, and the parentage listed on FamilySearch and confirmed by a William Holden biography site all point to the same individual.
If you are searching genealogy databases and see the name “Peter Holden” without those supporting details, it is worth checking the parentage before assuming the connection to William Holden.
A Final Note
Peter Westfield Holden was a real person with a documented birth, death, and place in one of classic Hollywood’s most recognized families. He was the son of an Academy Award-winning actor and a working actress of the same era. He appears to have had a genuine love of acting, expressed in local theater rather than on any major stage or screen.
Beyond those confirmed facts, the public record is quiet. That quiet deserves to be respected rather than filled in with guesswork. What the genealogy sources, memorial pages, and biography records collectively show is enough to answer the basic question most readers arrive with: yes, Peter Westfield Holden was William Holden’s son, and he lived a private life far removed from the fame that surrounded his father’s name.
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