Fernando Rey(1917-1994)
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Fernando Rey, the great Spanish movie actor primarily known in the
United States for his role as "Frog One" in
The French Connection (1971)
and its sequel, was born Fernando Casado D'Arambillet on September 20
1917, in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain, the son of Colonel Casado Veiga.
Originally, the young Fernando intended to become an architect.
However, when the Spanish Civil War erupted in 1936, his architectural
studies were interrupted, and he gained employment as a movie extra. He
took the stage name "Fernando Rey" at the beginning of his career,
equivalent, in English, to "Fernando King". Eight years after his movie
debut, he was cast in his first major speaking role, as the Duke de
Alba in José López Rubio's 1944 movie "Eugenia de Montijo".
Rey enjoyed a long and prosperous career as an actor in movies, the
theater, radio, and television. He also was a major voice-over artist
in Spain, narrating films and dubbing the voices of actors in foreign
films. Rey's most fruitful collaboration was with the great director
Luis Buñuel, which began during the 1960s
and continued thought the 1970s. The films that Rey appeared in for
Buñuel' made him an international star, the first produced by the
Spanish cinema. By the early 1970s, Rey's career reached its high
point, with his co-starring role in "The French Connection" (Best
Picture Oscar Winner for 1971) and his starring role in Buñuel's
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
("The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie", Best Foreign Language Film
Oscar winner for 1972). Rey followed up these successes by appearing in
The French Connection (1971)
in 1974, and Buñuel's tandem
That Obscure Object of Desire (1977)
("That Obscure Object of Desire"), an art-house hit that was nominated
for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. Ironically, in the film,
Rey's voice was dubbed into French by
Michel Piccoli. That same year, he won
the Best Actor prize at Cannes for
Carlos Saura'
Elisa, My Life (1977).
Many honors came to Rey in the twilight of his career, during the 1980s
and 1990s. He was awarded at San Sebastián and Cannes, and was
presented with the gold medal of the Spanish Art and Movie Sciences
Academy. He became the president of that Academy from 1992 till his
death from cancer two years later.
United States for his role as "Frog One" in
The French Connection (1971)
and its sequel, was born Fernando Casado D'Arambillet on September 20
1917, in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain, the son of Colonel Casado Veiga.
Originally, the young Fernando intended to become an architect.
However, when the Spanish Civil War erupted in 1936, his architectural
studies were interrupted, and he gained employment as a movie extra. He
took the stage name "Fernando Rey" at the beginning of his career,
equivalent, in English, to "Fernando King". Eight years after his movie
debut, he was cast in his first major speaking role, as the Duke de
Alba in José López Rubio's 1944 movie "Eugenia de Montijo".
Rey enjoyed a long and prosperous career as an actor in movies, the
theater, radio, and television. He also was a major voice-over artist
in Spain, narrating films and dubbing the voices of actors in foreign
films. Rey's most fruitful collaboration was with the great director
Luis Buñuel, which began during the 1960s
and continued thought the 1970s. The films that Rey appeared in for
Buñuel' made him an international star, the first produced by the
Spanish cinema. By the early 1970s, Rey's career reached its high
point, with his co-starring role in "The French Connection" (Best
Picture Oscar Winner for 1971) and his starring role in Buñuel's
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
("The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie", Best Foreign Language Film
Oscar winner for 1972). Rey followed up these successes by appearing in
The French Connection (1971)
in 1974, and Buñuel's tandem
That Obscure Object of Desire (1977)
("That Obscure Object of Desire"), an art-house hit that was nominated
for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. Ironically, in the film,
Rey's voice was dubbed into French by
Michel Piccoli. That same year, he won
the Best Actor prize at Cannes for
Carlos Saura'
Elisa, My Life (1977).
Many honors came to Rey in the twilight of his career, during the 1980s
and 1990s. He was awarded at San Sebastián and Cannes, and was
presented with the gold medal of the Spanish Art and Movie Sciences
Academy. He became the president of that Academy from 1992 till his
death from cancer two years later.