Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Duster Episode 7.
When television shows are set in the past, one way they can become grounded in authenticity is to include real-life people in the storytelling. HBO’sDusterhas been demonstrating in its first season that, by adding characters that are historically accurate to the 1970s, the series makes the plots seem even more realistic.Duster’s main character, Nina Hayes (Rachel Hilson),is loosely based on Sylvia Elizabeth Mathis,the FBI’s first Black female agent. In Episode 2, the popularMaudeactor Adrienne Barbeau (Mikaela Hoover) appears (and, in a meta moment,Barbeau herself portrays an entirely different character). There are even historical elements, likeElvis Presley’sblue suede shoesand President Richard Nixon himself, that pop in for cameos. However, in the latest episode,the even more intriguing inclusion of a Hollywood icon movesDuster’s biggest conspiracy forward.
Howard Hughes Appears in the Latest Episode of ‘Duster’
The first mention of the legendary Howard Hughes happensinDusterEpisode 4.Crime boss Ezra Saxton’s (Keith David) son, Royce (Benjamin Charles Watson), is tasked with going to pick up Hughes' super-expensive car. The real-life 1930s Lincoln Model K boattailspeedster was crafted by Hughesas a tribute to his obsession with aviation, and was modeled to look sleek, just like an airplane. Of course, lots of mayhem occurs, and Jim Ellis (Josh Holloway) ends up trading the car to the hitman who was tasked with taking him out. Royce isn’t able to deliver the car to his dad like he’s supposed to, but this isn’t the last we hear of Hughes.
In Episode 7, Ezra and Jim go on a road trip to Las Vegas. Jim’s daughter, Luna (Adriana Aluna Martinez), stows away in the trunk, but is allowed to come along on the journey to deliver what we later learn are some very incriminating tapes of Nixon confessing toinvolvement in Watergate. The person they’re delivering the tapes to is none other than the mysterious Hughes (Jim Nelis). From the moment they enter the Desert Inn hotel, the trio discovers that they might not be dealing with someone in their right mind. Hughes is surprisingly kind and welcoming to the three visitors, but does require that they follow a very specific set of instructions that have to do with cleanliness. Hughes later admits to Jim that he knew his brother, Joey, and that’s why he wasn’t all that mad about Jim losing his beloved car.It’s obvious in this episode that Hughes is a successful businessman.However, from the Kleenex boxes he wears on his feet to his abnormally long fingernails, the man is definitely going through something.
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Howard Hughes Was an Impressive Figure in Hollywood History
Hughes was one of those people who seemed to have endless interests.Part of his career was spent as a Hollywood producer on iconic filmssuch asHell’s Angels,Scarface(the 1932 version), andThe Outlaw.He was the chairman of the studio, RKO, until 1957, and this was when he made countless connections with some of the wealthiest and most famous people in the world. But Hughes was also an avid fan of aviation. He founded the Hughes Aircraft Company in 1932, designed his own airplanes, and even set some records as a pilot. Using his profits from his aviation business, he alsoestablished the Howard Hughes Medical Institutein 1953, which became a leading organization in medical research (and was one of Hughes' most charitable endeavors).
In 1967, Hughes bought the Desert Inn (just like where Jim and Saxton visit him inDuster). He mostly bought it because he wanted to live there (and had already become quite a hermit), but his action led to a huge real estate boon in Las Vegas, boosting the town to become much more well-known. Hughes seemed to have his hand in a wide number of businesses and amassed a gigantic amount of wealth, but he also becameensnared in politics with the Watergate tapes(as portrayed inDuster). Unfortunately, Hughes did struggle with his own demons, which made him more of an eccentric figure in history.
‘Duster’ Shows the Life Howard Hughes Was Living in the 1970s
Hughes' legacy has often become tainted by his struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and addiction. By the 1940s, Hugheshad already started displaying signs of OCD, when he first became obsessed with germs. Just like inDuster, he would require his staff to only handle things when they were wrapped in Kleenex, made everyone wash their hands constantly, and demanded that tasks be carried out in specific numbers (such as using six to eight tissues to turn the knobs on doors). As his illness progressed, Hughes also stopped cutting his hair, beard, and nails, letting them grow to a disgusting length (and giving him the appearance of a madman). Although Hughes was able to keep his career going from the safety of his hotel room at the Desert Inn,by this time in the 1970s, Hughes was increasingly agoraphobic (often refusing to leave his room).
During this time, Hughes also became addicted to codeine. During the last 10 years of his life,Hughes became increasingly emaciated.When he died in 1976 at the age of 70, he was so thin that he only weighed 90 pounds(even though his height measured 6'4"). One of the mostshocking elements of his autopsyrevealed the extent of his addiction: X-rays showed fragments of hypodermic needles that had broken off in his arm. The once-dashing man had been reduced to skin and bones and would have been completely unrecognizable to the celebrities he used to hobnob with back in the heyday of his life.
Hughes has been depicted in pop culturebefore, most notably whenLeonardo DiCaprioplayed him inMartin Scorsese’s 2004 film,The Aviator.ButDustergives us a quick snapshot into the life of this eccentric and brilliant man, whose contributions to aviation, film, and the business world at large are often overshadowed by his odd appearance and behavior. His character inDusterprovides viewers with a better understanding of the broad connections Saxton has and of the world that Jim finds himself increasingly trapped in. Seeing Hughes pop up also helps us see the world ofDusteras truly taking place in the compelling time of the 1970s. Who knows what real-life figures will appear in future episodes, but Hughes just might be the most fascinating one.
Dusteris available to stream on HBO Max in the U.S. New episodes drop every Thursday.
